BKK airport waiting times

[mpdk78]

Hi all. Been traveling to Thailand for +20 years. Have been horrified sometimes by waiting times in Suwanabhumi airport immigration. So:
 

1) Is it acceptable at the moment? We will land around 08am. 

 

2) my wife has thai passport and me and my son danish. Can we go with her through the thai passport lanes?

 

Thanks😊

[stoner]

13 minutes ago, mpdk78 said:

Can we go with her through the thai passport lanes?

 

are you a thai passport holder ? 

[Bill97]

15 minutes ago, mpdk78 said:

Can we go with her through the thai passport lanes?

Generally that is no problem but horrified folks may encounter issues.  
 

 

[DrJack54]

17 minutes ago, mpdk78 said:

) my wife has thai passport and me and my son danish. Can we go with her through the thai passport lanes?

Obviously your wife will be with you.

Many have posted that they they used the Thai que. 

Think the Thai que is mostly electronic? 

[mpdk78]

24 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

are you a thai passport holder ? 

Danish

[mpdk78]

20 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Generally that is no problem but horrified folks may encounter issues.  
 

 

Haha, nice reply. I'll look for a more correct term, but it's pretty accurate when looking at a 2 hour que🤣

[impulse]

On 4 of my last 6 arrivals this year, I walked right up to the officer without even a queue.  The other 2, there may have been a 5 minute queue.  Visa exempt on US passport.

 

Which is great, except then I had to wait up to 45 minutes at the luggage carousel.

 

It's nothing like it used to be.  Almost sad, really, knowing how many Thai people depend on tourist money.

 

[DrJack54]

17 minutes ago, mpdk78 said:

Haha, nice reply. I'll look for a more correct term, but it's pretty accurate when looking at a 2 hour que🤣

At various airports you can arrange express service.

I landed Saigon airport Wednesday afternoon and it was horrendous.

 

[Olav Seglem]

If you 70+ there are priority lane to the right.

If go with thai pasdport holding wife, you and son can join her.

Was there this tuesday 10.30 and took 5 mins.

Dont worry :-)

 

[observer90210]

No point in rushing past immigration in 5 minutes and then having to wait 45 minutes at the carrousel for the luggage to arrive. Checked bags do not (yet) have an express delivery paid service I think !!

 

All depends on the time of arrival (or departure)  say many a travail guru.

 

But that never worked for me as in  the supposedly "calm" period it ended up once with almost an hour in the immigration lines of arrival.

[bkk6060]

Are you flying business class?

[Foxx]

When I arrived a week ago they had closed one of the Immigration halls, and only half the counters were staffed in the other hall.  Very poor service.

[gargamon]

2 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Checked bags do not (yet) have an express delivery paid service I think !!

Yes they do. It's called business class. Arrived last week. 5 minutes for immigration and my checked bags were both on the carousel within the first 30 bags. 

Btw, talking to a lady I know that rents scooters, she says very little rented compared to last year. Funny though it was quite difficult to find a condo. All pretty much full for a 5 month rental. 

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, Foxx said:

When I arrived a week ago they had closed one of the Immigration halls, and only half the counters were staffed in the other hall.  Very poor service.

 

What time of the day was this, and how long did it take you to clear immigration, get your bags, etc.?

 

I arrived a week past Thursday at 17:00 and the west immigration hall appeared to be only for the Chinese tour groups that I skated past on the walk from gate F6. I got to the east immigration hall which was fully staffed with only 1 or 2 people in each queue. I was through in about 8 minutes and my bag had just popped out on the carousel. I was checked-in at the hotel and in my room by 18:00.

 

I LOVE Suvarnabhumi!!!

Edited October 28, 2023 by NanLaew

[AAArdvark]

6 hours ago, Olav Seglem said:

If you 70+ there are priority lane to the right.

If go with thai pasdport holding wife, you and son can join her.

Was there this tuesday 10.30 and took 5 mins.

Dont worry 🙂

 

The last time I went through, about 2 months ago, I saw the sign for the elderly express lane but there did not appear to be anyone manning it. So I used the regular lanes and it was about a half hour. 

[GypsyT]

BKK is nice airport compared to "Hell of LHR/Paris/Muchen/LAS/ LAX/Dallas etc" and so many others.

[khunjeff]

6 hours ago, observer90210 said:

No point in rushing past immigration in 5 minutes and then having to wait 45 minutes at the carrousel for the luggage to arrive.

 

In the immigration queue, you're stuck standing in a crowd, shuffling along with no break until you finally get to the counter. Once you get to the baggage hall, you can sit down on a bench, go to the restroom, look at duty free, or whatever. I know where I would prefer to spend my 45 minutes.

 

3 hours ago, gargamon said:

It's called business class. Arrived last week. 5 minutes for immigration and my checked bags were both on the carousel within the first 30 bags. 

 

Totally depends on the airline. Some are very good about prioritizing business class bags, and some don't even try. I arrived on business class last month, and hundreds of economy bags came out before mine (but the airline employee bags somehow magically emerged first...).

[gargamon]

31 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

 

Totally depends on the airline. Some are very good about prioritizing business class bags, and some don't even try. I arrived on business class last month, and hundreds of economy bags came out before mine (but the airline employee bags somehow magically emerged first...).

Please advise what airline did that? Do you use them all the time? EVA would never do that, and if they did I would need to find a new one. BTW, my flight consisted of three segments, and even after that my luggage was still front of the queue in BKK. Did your airline advise you of the fast track immigration for business class? 

[NanLaew]

5 minutes ago, gargamon said:

42 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

 

Totally depends on the airline. Some are very good about prioritizing business class bags, and some don't even try. I arrived on business class last month, and hundreds of economy bags came out before mine (but the airline employee bags somehow magically emerged first...).

Please advise what airline did that? Do you use them all the time? EVA would never do that, and if they did I would need to find a new one. BTW, my flight consisted of three segments, and even after that my luggage was still front of the queue in BKK. Did your airline advise you of the fast track immigration for business class? 

 

Since neither EVA or any of the airlines operate baggage handling systems at any airport, not sure how you can assert anything about EVA. Most times if you are flying 'front of the bus' your bags will pop out first. However, it's not guaranteed. I had the very recent experience of my (economy class) bag coming down the chute at the very end with the 'LAST BAG' sign showing... followed by the Priority tagged business class stuff.

 

Not all airlines qualify for (or pay for) the fast track immigration service for their Business Class pax at Suvarnabhumi immigration.

Edited October 28, 2023 by NanLaew

[Toby1947]

4 hours ago, gargamon said:

Yes they do. It's called business class. Arrived last week. 5 minutes for immigration and my checked bags were both on the carousel within the first 30 bags. 

Btw, talking to a lady I know that rents scooters, she says very little rented compared to last year. Funny though it was quite difficult to find a condo. All pretty much full for a 5 month rental. 

Tough luck, I have travelled economy to Thailand on many occasions and twice my bag has been first to appear on the carousel 😅🤣😅

Edited October 28, 2023 by Toby1947

[pe747]

Last Thuesday, 10:30am, followed my Thai wife to thai section (me Swiss passport, she asked politely) around 5 minutes waiting.

[marcho]

Yes, you can go with your wife, no problem. Been doing it with mine, pretty quick.

[vangrop]

11 hours ago, mpdk78 said:

Hi all. Been traveling to Thailand for +20 years. Have been horrified sometimes by waiting times in Suwanabhumi airport immigration. So:
 

1) Is it acceptable at the moment? We will land around 08am. 

 

2) my wife has thai passport and me and my son danish. Can we go with her through the thai passport lanes?

imo you and your son have to take the international lane. I arrived on 17 th October from Doha around 400 people in the plane, together with another plane also around 400 people I guess. Waiting time peanuts, one person in front of me. They are superbly organized now and increased the immigration desks cosequently.

 

[gargamon]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I had the very recent experience of my (economy class) bag coming down the chute at the very end with the 'LAST BAG' sign showing... followed by the Priority tagged business class stuff.

 

Those priority tagged business class bags were from the next flight to use that carousel, not the flight you were on. 

[Denim]

I passed through from London at 3.30 pm on the 28th September . All the desks were fully manned and the queue at each deask was not more than 10 people ahead of me. I was through in about 10 minutes. Only carrying hand luggage so straight through to the train downstairs and was at Phya Thai 30 minutes after leaving immigration behind me. Pretty good. I think the fare into town was 50 baht if I remember correctly.

[proton]

Had to wait 2.5 hours for bag 2 years ago, and I'd gone through fast lane, broken belt was one of the excuses.

[Stocky]

I came through Suvarnabhumi 3 weeks ago, arriving about 1pm on a Qatar flight from Doha. Immigration Zone 1 was closed so herded through Zone 2. But the desks were fully manned, so although fairly busy I was through within 15 minutes. Total time from getting off the plane, clearing immigration, collecting bag and getting into a taxi was about 45 minutes. So no complaints.

[Jaggg88]

You and your son are allowed to accompany your Thai wife to the Thai passport section on the right but not the electronic gates. I have done this many times over the last 15 years with my wife and as mentioned anybody over 70 can use the fast track for free.

[geisha]

12 hours ago, khunjeff said:

 

In the immigration queue, you're stuck standing in a crowd, shuffling along with no break until you finally get to the counter. Once you get to the baggage hall, you can sit down on a bench, go to the restroom, look at duty free, or whatever. I know where I would prefer to spend my 45 minutes.

 

 

Totally depends on the airline. Some are very good about prioritizing business class bags, and some don't even try. I arrived on business class last month, and hundreds of economy bags came out before mine (but the airline employee bags somehow magically emerged first...).

Agree , I fly business with emirates and Swiss air and my bags have never come out first unfortunately. And I’d rather wait at the belt than in a stagnant queue for an hour. Tourists can exchange money if need be , and handy for using the loo.,

[buick]

12 hours ago, gargamon said:

Please advise what airline did that? Do you use them all the time? EVA would never do that, and if they did I would need to find a new one. BTW, my flight consisted of three segments, and even after that my luggage was still front of the queue in BKK. Did your airline advise you of the fast track immigration for business class? 

 

is the fast track lane that you used  in between the other two immigration halls ?  i believe the fast track is hall 2, while the other two are halls 1 and 3.  when i arrived in early May this year, hall 2 was closed down.  i left (via EVA) in September and return next week.  wondering if fast track is open in it's usual spot (hall 2) or has it moved somewhere else ?  the business class seats on EVA's 787-10 are excellent !!  i do carry on so can't comment on the luggage service.