Hi,

 

I have a domestic flight into DMK and then a little under 2 hours to collect my bag, check into international flight, security and immigration.

 

Anybody recently exited through DMK immigration and know how slow the process is?

 

Thanks

 

 

Exit immigration at DMK is fast, even if it looks very crowded. With your schedule, I'd be more concerned about a delay of your domestic flight than about slow immigration.

Your problem will not be Immigration. As already mentioned, your domestic flight may arrive late. An early morning flight will typically be OK unless there is bad weather. However, by the afternoon, there is a very real chance of the flight being late. A second issue is check in for the international flight. Some airlines at DMK on some days have totally insufficient numbers of check in staff. Since you apparently will have checked baggage, I think you are taking a significant risk.

I would only do a minimum of 3 hours with checked luggage. That can mitigate problems of a late flight and your bag being the last one off the belt. For international flights, you must be at the check in desk a minimum of between 45 minutes and an hour before departure. 

Which airlines are the worst when it comes to delays? I know that Vietjet is horrible, but they don't operate at DMK.

9 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Which airlines are the worst when it comes to delays? I know that Vietjet is horrible, but they don't operate at DMK.

Irrelevant.

The OP asked a specific question and as others have indicated pretty foolish plan. 

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Irrelevant.

The OP asked a specific question and as others have indicated pretty foolish plan. 

Why is it irrelevant? A flight delay is the biggest risk for OP's plan. That's why I asked about the airlines.

9 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Why is it irrelevant? A flight delay is the biggest risk for OP's plan. That's why I asked about the airlines.

You mention Vietjet that operate out of BKK.

All flights are subject to delay for all airlines. 

Hence most replies have suggested OP plan foolish. 

Even more so when the first leg is domestic and followed by international.

Other way round not huge concern.

 

The OP plan seems very naive. Especially with check in baggage. 

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

You mention Vietjet that operate out of BKK.

I mentioned them because they are the worst when it comes to delays. Since the OP don't use them (as they don't operate at DMK), he may be fine. 

5 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

I mentioned them because they are the worst when it comes to delays. Since the OP don't use them (as they don't operate at DMK), he may be fine. 

Stop. 

Very little to do with domestic flight. 

His timeframe is poor at best, especially with second leg being international.

Added issue is check in baggage. 

 

BTW your worst claim for a particular airline is from what. One time personal experience. Rhetorical.

 

I flew out and in Thailand for 7 years prior to covid every month. 

Any flight can be delayed. 

 

most airlines seem to base their plane out of Bangkok, so the first few legs out to the provinces, then back to dmk in the morning on 'fresh' plane is less likely to be delayed to technical issue

the delays/cancellations are probably occurring more in the late afternoon 

17 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

BTW your worst claim for a particular airline is from what. One time personal experience.

A lot of people told me that this airline is sh*t. I didn't care before I personally had a bad 2 hour delay the very first time I used them to fly domestically. Then I checked their stats on flightradar, they are really horrible.

OP can you check your bags through to next destination? Wouldn’t hurt to ask and would avoid 

worries. 

To all, thanks for the advice.

 

It's a short regional flight so if things fall apart it's not a huge deal.  But yes, pain in the bum.

 

I'll write a quick update post-travel.

17 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

A lot of people told me that this airline is sh*t. I didn't care before I personally had a bad 2 hour delay the very first time I used them to fly domestically. Then I checked their stats on flightradar, they are really horrible.

Yo Jose, He is not flying Viet Jet, he is not flying out of BKK, but DMK. Sorry you had a bad experience but it has nothing to do with this thread. 

My very recent experience using flying Nok from UTH via DMK to SGN r/t with no checked baggage.

 

Outbound: Red-eye out of UTH and late morning departure for SGN. Both flights on time. I had 3 hours 10 minutes between arrival and departure at DMK so I waited to be the last pax off. I did observe that the baggage was already on the carousel so that delivery seems faster than BKK domestic baggage delivery. Five minute stroll to T1 and if I had checked bags, it would have been less comfortable as there was several large Vietnam groups checking loads of suitcases and boxes. That was keeping the (only) three open check-in desks very busy.

 

Inbound: Mid afternoon departure from SGN delayed 45 minutes but I already had 2 hours 50 minutes for the terminal change at DMK. However, immigration at DMK was very busy with large Vietnamese tour groups taking ages to get their biometrics logged (fingerprinting). I didn't pay any attention to the baggage delivery this time. Luckily the onward domestic flight was delayed 1 hour so I still managed some lounge time.

 

That would confirm what some have offered already that morning flights should be on-time with the likelihood of schedules slipping as the day progresses. It's also worth forking out the few hundred baht extra at the time of booking to get priority boarding/seating.

 

6 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Outbound: Red-eye out of UTH and late morning departure for SGN. Both flights on time. I had 3 hours 10 minutes between arrival and departure at DMK so I waited to be the last pax off.

A red-eye flight leaves the night before and arrives in the morning.  Yours doesn't sound like that?

- update -

Domestic flight landed 10 minutes late at 1:30pm .... giving me 1hr 45min until intl flight took off.

At 2:12 i had collected bag, walked to T1, checked-in, immigration, and finished security.

I'd consider doing it again given the same circumstances ... but not if i was flying far and/or had time constraints.