Domestic transfer to U.K. from khon kaen

[scottyp1980]

Hi

just wondering if any one can help me with some thing I've never had to do before. 

Im due to fly out tonight from khon kaen to the U.K. for work with Thai airways all the way. What's the procedure for clearing immigration once in bkk?

normally I fly KLM or other airlines she obviously have to collect my luggage once landed from khon kaen and then check in again at the other airline counter and go through immigration as normal. 

But since I'm flying Thai all the way can I just transfer through the airport without having to leave domestic terminal and then in to the international departures?

im actually leaving in a few hours as my work booked last minute flights so any quick helpful answers would be greatly apprenticed.

 

cheers

 

scott

[NanLaew]

Although the OP is now probably, happily (?) at work, the vagaries of interlining on TG would be interesting to know. A few years back, I flew TG to LHR and on to ABZ with BA and my bags were interlined all the way; no buggering about shufffling bags at LHR. However, on the return hop, BA in Aberdeen could only check my bags as far as Heathrow and I had to collect and recheck them with TG for BKK.

 

AFAIK, KL have never managed to extend their inter-lining beyond the 5 'premier' Thai domestic destinations of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Samui, Phuket and Krabi.

 

Last January, I flew Thai Smile from Udon to Yangon via BKK but despite same-day connections and same carrier, I had to collect and recheck the bag at Suvarnabhumi. Coming back, TG had taken over the RGN-BKK sector but once again, I had to collect and recheck my bag at BKK.

 

It's a bit of a lottery really.

Edited March 13, 2018 by NanLaew

[Argus Tuft]

Will be interested to hear back from the OP on this.

 

NanLaew - have often wondered the same thing.  Thai seems to tie their interlining to those 'premier' destinations you mentioned, yet it defies logic that a domestic-international connection on a single ticket doesn't seem to allow thru-checked baggage from the other airports.

 

Are they basing it on needing to do immigration clearances at Bangkok for the other airports?  Even if this was the reasoning behind it, I still can't understand why the bags can't be thru-checked given it is the same airline on the same ticket

[josephbloggs]

I am pretty sure bags would be checked all the way through from KK to London but you would need to clear immigration and pass through security again in Bangkok.  This wouldn't mean exiting and checking in again but using the transfer counters.  Would be interested to hear from the OP is this is/was the case (I am not saying this is definitely correct).

[vaultdweller0013]

Although Thai owns Thai Smile, its technically not the same airline.

 

In my experience, Thai/Thai Smile cannot issue tickets for the other, even if the trip is booked as a single itinerary. Along these lines, I have never been able to get bags checked through between the two, and I have Gold status with Thai, so if it were possible, they should have done it for me. 

[josephbloggs]

8 minutes ago, vaultdweller0013 said:

Although Thai owns Thai Smile, its technically not the same airline.

 

In my experience, Thai/Thai Smile cannot issue tickets for the other, even if the trip is booked as a single itinerary. Along these lines, I have never been able to get bags checked through between the two, and I have Gold status with Thai, so if it were possible, they should have done it for me. 

If you go to the TG website you can book a single ticket right through from KK to LHR.  Even though the domestic leg is Thai Smile surely they can offer you a single itinerary as Thai Smile is a wholly owned subsidiary.  I can't believe they can't check your bags all the way through.

[vaultdweller0013]

Just now, josephbloggs said:

If you go to the TG website you can book a single ticket right through from KK to LHR.  Even though the domestic leg is Thai Smile surely they can offer you a single itinerary as Thai Smile is a wholly owned subsidiary.  I can't believe they can't check your bags all the way through.

Nope, they won't.

 

Personal experience on SIN <-> BKK <-> KKC, which I do about once per month.

 

I would be very happy to be proven wrong, as it would make my life much easier.

[josephbloggs]

2 minutes ago, vaultdweller0013 said:

Nope, they won't.

 

Personal experience on SIN <-> BKK <-> KKC, which I do about once per month.

 

I would be very happy to be proven wrong, as it would make my life much easier.

Wow, that's is very surprising, or perhaps not so surprising actually.  Definitely not doubting your first hand experience, it just seems totally illogical.  But there you go.

[vaultdweller0013]

Just now, josephbloggs said:

Wow, that's is very surprising, or perhaps not so surprising actually.  Definitely not doubting your first hand experience, it just seems totally illogical.  But there you go.

Yep, and its pretty annoying given that most Star Alliance airlines are really good about these sort of things. I have never been denied interline baggage on *A, even with separate tickets and a 22 hour layover. But that is the crux of the matter: Thai Smile is not *A -- likely for cost cutting on small margins, as this could *slightly* increase operational expenses in BKK.

 

[scottyp1980]

Thanks for all the replies, and yeah I'm at work now.

But just for your info I had to collect my bags in bkk and also check in again in bkk for the LHR Flight even though I was flying TG to LHR as they couldn't issue boarding pass in KK!!

In bkk though my bags were checked all the way to Inverness although I didn't get a BA boarding pass in bkk, I got this via checking in online so it wasn't a big deal.

just a bit strange that you have to check in and collect your bags again in bkk as it's the same airline. I do understand that kk isn't a international airport and therefore no immigration. 

Aslo when I arrived at bkk the bags took almost 45 mins to reach the carasoul so was cutting it quite fine for time.

 

Thanks for every ones replies.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2018 by scottyp1980