is it possible these days to snag a taxi going downtown  on the level where the departure passenger access the terminal??

Yes you can. I witnessed this as recently as two months ago. 

There is a rickety one way turnstyle a body can wriggle through unless hugely obese. Large luggage may cause a problem, There was a old man guard there, not stopping the foreigners from jumping the turnstyle but trying to shoo away taxis that were waiting. I watched for at about 25 minutes. I noticed looking down to the lower level at the time, no queue at all at the official Taxi rank. When the guard walked off the culprit/s got in a Taxi just alighting. Then the guard came back and blew a whistle but the Taxi took off with the scofflaws. There are security pick-up trucks patrolling up there also. One pulled a Taxi over after he had picked up an Indian. The taxi stopped for a minute while the Truck announced something from a loudspeaker then the Taxi sped off! 

 

Obviously law enforcement is not strict enough to prevent this anachronistic and illegal practice. Appalling behaviour on behalf of guests to the Kingdom IMHO why is following the rules so difficult for some?

 

 

I always get a taxi at arrivals. I avoid the taxi drivers who are standing at the turnstile waving at farangs trying to get a fare. They are the ones most likely to try to scam. Ignore them and just walk up to a taxi that has just dropped someone off. Much faster than using the taxi queue downstairs.

To the OP: is it really your intention to post this in the Chiang Mai forum?

At swampy there is a free shuttle that comes by every five minutes that will take you to the public bus terminal with a park and a minimart and bank....for free.  It is very close to the cab yard, too.  I go over there and hangout if I have a short overnight layover...got a sim card and did beers in the park one night waiting for a 6am flight on TG....quite pleasant.

which airport in bangkok? 

BKK is Swampy....DMK is Don't Mueang...

2 hours ago, BuddyDean said:

Don't Mueang

I did intend to post on CM. They might travel through BKK as much as any and I had my answer.

 

 "Appalling behaviour on behalf of guests to the Kingdom IMHO why is following the rules so difficult for some?"

Rules were made for the mass of people who need to be shown a path in life, others are " free range".

On 10/4/2017 at 4:07 AM, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Obviously law enforcement is not strict enough to prevent this anachronistic and illegal practice. Appalling behaviour on behalf of guests to the Kingdom IMHO why is following the rules so difficult for some?

 

LOL. :)   Nice one. 

 

Anyway I mostly use Uber these days out of BKK.  Call one as you're walking towards the exit and it'll be there in a minute or two.

2 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

LOL. :)   Nice one. 

 

Anyway I mostly use Uber these days out of BKK.  Call one as you're walking towards the exit and it'll be there in a minute or two.

Where do you get Uber? Arrivals or Departures levels?

And in my post #3 above, I meant to say I always get a taxi at Departures level. I just caught that. I am an eediot.