ragandboneman

I like this place also. It's a nice setting.

Yes nice place, plus 1 from me as well.

Anybody remember when wee Andie had his place there in the early 1980's ??

Regards

I just arrived from Manila about 3 hours ago. They have formed queues to approach the immigration stations now, which is certainly more fair than just lining up and hoping for the best. it cuts down on line-jumpers as well. However, the traffic managers really need to work on their game. TIme and time again, immigration officers had to wait for passengers to be directed to their station. People either wouldn't see the stations closer to the luggage claim, or they were confused and waited for the traffic manager to tell them to go. One young females traffic cop kept walking off her post, leaving many people in line confused until other passengers kept urging them to just go.

Oddly enough, they had two queues instead of one huge one as they do in other airports. And as mine had a very dysfunctional traffic cop, the people in the other queue kept shifting over and taking "our" immigration stations. When she was gone, it was better, but when she was there, she blocked our movement as she either daydreamed or held long conversations with the next passenger in line.

Regardless, things were better on this trip. I waited about 15 minutes on Wednesday to get out and about 20 minutes today to get in the country. Of course, we had to wait another 25 minutes for our luggage to hit the claim carousel.

Thanks for the updated situation, I am arriving on the 26th March nice to know they are starting to get it sorted.

Every time I jump on news stories on this forum, they are inevitably accompanied with dozens of posts berating anything Thai, with allegations of corruption, and incompetence.

Incompetence and corruption is not unique to Thailand.

Travel anywhere in the world and you will find it, only in many Western nations they are much better at disguising it.

Having said that, my opinion is that Suwannbhumi is a great airport.

The Immigration bottle neck has nothing to do with the building and is more about levels of staffing/remuneration/management.

There are too many armchair critics with nothing better to do than winge.

Plus 1 spot on.

Nothing to do with the revamp of the security area, that is just a convient excuse. If they had the manpower to man all the stations, ie two officers per booth there would be no queues either departing or arriving.

Funny how there are no renovations on the arrival side but still plenty of queueing ???

Regards

it took 15 min today at 15:00 on the west exit out of thailand

it took 15 min today at 15:00 on the west exit out of thailand

Thanks for the update.

Regards

Fly business class and get the FAST TRACK pass. Always less then 10 minutes.

Don't think all airlines give fast track cards to their biz or first passengers.

I have been flying to LoS lots and lots and lots of times for more than 25 years,

always in biz or first class, been using lots of different airlines.

I've never ever even seen a fast track card before I arrived on a Qatar Airways flight last December.

That's a lot of 'lots'

I am flying out on 13th to Sydney Emirate airlines around 1900 hrs. Anyone know How long the queue is at that time of night in general? Ok I realise that it could be diffrent from day to day. Looks like check in well before 1500 hrs is best thing to do.

I am flying out on 13th to Sydney Emirate airlines around 1900 hrs. Anyone know How long the queue is at that time of night in general? Ok I realise that it could be diffrent from day to day. Looks like check in well before 1500 hrs is best thing to do.

And therein ls the problem, most Airlines don't open their check-in desks until three hours before departures. Would be tight even if you're first in line when check-in opens, why don't they open earlier than this ???

Hope you make you're flight, never departed at this time of night before but will do later this year.

Regards

As you come out of arrivals and turn right, down beside the exit gates number three and four there are a multitude of hotel representatives with either your name or your hotel name on a board there. If you cannot see your particular hotel just ask some of the reps there, they are all pretty good at directing you to your pick up person/van.

Regards

I have a house in Nakhon Phanom and one in the UK.

I have 3BB 9MB/1MB connection in NKP which pretty much gives promised speed nearly all the time.

In the Uk I am supposed to be on 8MB/1MB, I have been running speed tests lately because of the slow speeds, download speeds best 3.5MB worst .5MB uploads never above .3MB. This is in a reasonable size town about one mile from the telephone exchange.

So which country has the third world infrastructure ??

All the best, enjoy !!

Make sure you are on the A380 and try and get 68K.... best seat in the house..on your own but close enough to the on-board bar. Fast track is great but allow your self enough time to enjoy one of the best Emirates lounges!! A few glasses of champers, late night boarding and off to sleep on the flatbed. .....enjoy

Slightly misleading, 68 A,K as 81 A,K are the best seats in the house on Emirates A380 when you are travelling in economy. If you are in business upstairs on the A380 the seats beside the bar upstairs are numbered 26, much prefer further forward myself a lot quieter IMHO.

Definetely no Limo for departure in Thailand, fast track card no great benefit just now as the queues are quite short at present. Emirates lounge in Swampy is pretty good, plenty food and drink also showers available. Nice flat bed on board, make sure you get a mattress from the flight attendants, helps comfort.

Regards

"We are ready to help the Thai government with airport development if they ask for it.

"We have special experts on airport development as well as renovation," he said.

But not as many as are on Thai Visa.

Looks like they have just introduced their new website (great timing) as well to add to the confusion.

I have been trying to book a flight to Swampy from either Sakon Nakon or Nakhon Phanom for next week. Their new site will not accept my credit card from the UK, so I had to do the booking online and then go and pay at a 7-11, which worked okay really, but not much use if you are not in Thailand when booking.

The flights to Nakhon Phanom are suppose to re-start on the 9th December, still only showing one a day for both Sakon and Nakhon Phanom but at least it's a service, as long as the plane turns up. :whistling:

See they reckon they will be operating from Swampy until at least 24th March, hope they stay there permanently myself, make my life a lot easier.

Or you could fly into/from Sakon Nakhon, closest airport now. Nok Air have a once daily service now from swampy departing 12.00 hrs.

No sign of a return to Nakhon Phanom in December schedules on NokAir's website.

Regards

As long as my Sukhunvit condo is not flooded, I don't care if they open up the BBB or not.

Such a humanitarian soul ???

Boycie is correct, Nok Air are the airline who fly to Nakhon Phanom, however, at present due to the relocation to Suvarnabhumi they have suspended flights to Nakhon Phanom.

You can at present fly once per day to Sakon Nakhon, closest airport. Not sure when the full service will be reintroduced keep checking Nok Air's website flight schedule.

Regards

I travel through Dubai Airport at least ten times a year, as the other posters have said there is no savings to be made on electronic goods there.

Last year I purchased a Macbook Pro, after pricing Thailand, Dubai, and online I found the best deal at Dixons shop in Birmingham Airport UK. Don't think they're even called duty free any more, as you can purchase from them even if you are flying within the UK, as long as you have a boarding card.

If you want to you can purchase on you're way out and they will hold the item for you on you're return, or even post it for you within the UK. Also will take an order over the phone, as in my case.

Regards

Thanks Steptoe.

This is madness, that "duty free" is no longer "duty free" cuz the greedy beggars just load the price in pursuit of more profit. Whatever happened to law and order? I'm "old-school" and can remember when the savings on stuff picked up at duty-free could pretty much pay for the flight (as well as being old enough to remember watching Steptoe & Son - on a black'n'white TV).

What sort of percentage saving did you make on your Macbook? Cus if it's not much, I'm better off just buying my £200 phone than spending hours trawling the net to save a pittance.

Disappointedly yours.

Seb.

Okay SebD,

I have dug out my receipt from last year to illustrate the savings in Dixons UK Airport shops.

Initial cost then of MacBook Pro 15 inch. 1469.00 (sorry no pound sign on this keyboard)

Airport adjustment - 218.79

Managers discount - 42.82

Applecare for above 3 years 279.00

Airport Adjustment - 36.39

Total 1450.00

So really I got the Applecare thrown in for free or thereabouts.

You are not alone in remembering Steptoe on a Black and White TV.

Best Regards

I travel through Dubai Airport at least ten times a year, as the other posters have said there is no savings to be made on electronic goods there.

Last year I purchased a Macbook Pro, after pricing Thailand, Dubai, and online I found the best deal at Dixons shop in Birmingham Airport UK. Don't think they're even called duty free any more, as you can purchase from them even if you are flying within the UK, as long as you have a boarding card.

If you want to you can purchase on you're way out and they will hold the item for you on you're return, or even post it for you within the UK. Also will take an order over the phone, as in my case.

Regards

Just come through immigration (21.30 hrs on 22nd Sept) , waited about twenty minutes with about 9 people in front of me, as always choose the slowest queue.

I was in the hall behind check-in desks S and T.

Regards

One year ago, i arrived at about 8 am and nobody was there, I was the first one. When I left the situation was completely different, the queue lasted almost 2 hours...

Thanks for the up to date information.

Regards

Flooding has persists in many provinces while, a search is ongoing to find a missing person in flood and landslide in Mae Hong Son.

Please tell me whoever wrote this didn't go to an English language journalism school.

Let's see your report in perfect Thai.

Regards

Up here in Nakhon Phanom for a main course I like a bit of Golden or Black Lab nice and filling, or if i"m really hungry then maybe a bit of Rottweiler or Golden Retriever, but normally only around pension day as they can be quite expensive. Just for snacking maybe a back leg of a Jack Russell or Poodle type dog.

In BKK: 2 min and officer had an angry face, no greeting; also 3 people in front of me.

Don't believe you !!!

It's the airport of smiles, it says so on all those banners !!!!

Wife had a wisdom tooth removal done at AEK Udon hospital dentistry department a few years back.

Not the cheapest joint in town, but she seemed reasonably please with the service provided, all the work done by a female dentist, sorry can't remember her name.

Cheers

Ffsake they can't even manage an immigration queue, some way to go I think.

Thanks

Hi, are you aware that there is a Cycling sub-section in the Sports, Hobbies and Activities Section on this website, you might get some more hints and tips if you post this there, or have the mods move it over for you ??

Regards

Happy cycling

yE, hiss satandard of eNglish could be Gooder !!!!!!!!!!!