Bangkok Stop Over

[louialive]

Me and Thai wife are flying with Thai Airways from UK stop BKK then fly to Australia to visit family over the Christmas break. On the way there it is 1 hour 20 minutes layover before connecting flight to Australia from BKK on the way back i.e. Australia to BKK it is a 22 hour layover in BKK.

 

I have UK passport wife has UK & Thai passport. On the way back would we be able to go through customs check in a hotel etc. like a tourist then come back for connecting flight next day without any issues.

 

As connecting flight is with same airline from Aus-BKK-UK then I assume luggage would be automatically transferred internally at BKK for UK leg. Or would we need to request it be unloaded and then check back in with luggage in BKK when we check in. We wouldn't need anything in the luggage as we could have in hand luggage anything required for overnight.

[degrub]

Have you talked directly with Thai about the options ?

 

[louialive]

Not yet thought I would ask here as would have thought others have done this in the past even if travelling to different country than the UK after layover

[degrub]

I’ve left my luggage when transiting at Changi for a quick city visit before, but that was over 10 years ago, a different carrier, and not to the UK or US for the follow on flight.

[louialive]

Just spoke directly with Thai Airways and they said I would need a Transit Visa.

 

According to the Thai representative I spoke to on the phone I would need to arrange this with UK Thai Embassy before the flight.

 

 

[soi3eddie]

1 hour ago, louialive said:

Just spoke directly with Thai Airways and they said I would need a Transit Visa.

 

According to the Thai representative I spoke to on the phone I would need to arrange this with UK Thai Embassy before the flight.

 

 

You're a UK citizen. Why would you need a transit visa to enter Thailand? Simply enter visa free. Your wife would enter as a Thai would.

 

[louialive]

2 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

You're a UK citizen. Why would you need a transit visa to enter Thailand? Simply enter visa free. Your wife would enter as a Thai would.

 

I have been to Thailand numerous times entering by visa on arrival form but wasn’t sure if it would be the same procedure if stopping as a transit passenger.

 

I appreciate its the same way out via customs but wanted to check if it would be seen differently as it was a transit visit as you can never be sure with these bureaucratic immigration people.

 

Just wondering if anyone had done the same thing.

[GypsyT]

12 hours ago, louialive said:

Just spoke directly with Thai Airways and they said I would need a Transit Visa.

 

According to the Thai representative I spoke to on the phone I would need to arrange this with UK Thai Embassy before the flight.

These people used to work at Jomtien Immi.

Listen to this forum gurus.

[markeewan]

If you are on a Uk passport you don't need a transit visa, not sure what that is about. 

 

I have had a journey break like this many times, just collect your bags, go off to a hotel and then re check in the next day. When you check-in tell them that you will be collecting your bags. The only thing you have to check is if your ticket does not include the 700 baht departure tax you will need to pay that prior to check in.

I have stayed at the Dusit Srinakarin several times and there is plenty to do around there, but you could equally take the ARL into the city and grab a hotel there.

[markeewan]

As I thought about it, it is possible that they mention the transit visa as that may exempt you from paying the 700 baht departure tax.

[louialive]

I'll apply for the Transit Visa as it looks straight forward enough and will try and remember to comeback here and say what the outcome was.

 

Never having done such a long layover before do they automatically remove luggage and you collect it as normal or is it held and transferred to the next leg of the flight.

[GypsyT]

1 hour ago, louialive said:

Never having done such a long layover before do they automatically remove luggage and you collect it as normal or is it held and transferred to the next leg of the flight.

I don't think they hold anything after 9/11.

When I book similar trip it says on the ticket "Self service for luggage transfer" or similar.

 

Please, let us know.

 

[degrub]

Does anyone know if there is secure luggage storage- either lockers or rooms - so you don’t have to haul luggage to hotel and back ?

[LukKrueng]

7 hours ago, degrub said:

Does anyone know if there is secure luggage storage- either lockers or rooms - so you don’t have to haul luggage to hotel and back ?

Yes, there is, at the departure level. If I remember correctly - they accept only cash payments in THB. Fee is per bag\suitcase according to size.

[louialive]

Just to update this I spoke to Thai Airways contact centre yesterday. We fly in a few weeks time.

I asked about luggage and what I was told is when checking in on Perth leg to BKK to only check in luggage for that leg of the journey. We then collect luggage at BKK when we land and then check in the next day when we go back to the Airport the next day.

 

If we check luggage in for the complete journey in Perth then we will not be able to leave the airport as we will be checked in for the complete journey I.e. Perth - BKK-LHR 

[NanLaew]

On 10/19/2024 at 6:53 AM, LukKrueng said:

Yes, there is, at the departure level. If I remember correctly - they accept only cash payments in THB. Fee is per bag\suitcase according to size.

And you can't have anything with batteries in the left luggage. They scan the bag and if they see anything with batteries, they will ask you to remove those items before accepting the bag for storage 

[treetops]

12 hours ago, louialive said:

If we check luggage in for the complete journey in Perth then we will not be able to leave the airport as we will be checked in for the complete journey I.e. Perth - BKK-LHR

 

They are just as wrong with their advice this time as they were about you needing a transit visa.

[richard_smith237]

Thai Airwasys have clearly given you flawed advice: 

 

#1 - With a British Passport you can enter Thailand Visa exempt for 60 days.

#2 - You do not need a transit Visa at all (TG are 100% incorrect with this).

 

On your return leg you can simply arrive and stay on your Visa Exempt Entry as any other Brit (without an excessive visit history that year). 

 

Regarding 'Stopover / Layover' vs transit - this varies from Airlines. 

Clearly on your outgoing leg - UK-BKK-AUS (with a 120m transit) - checked-in baggage goes through automatically to destination. 

 

On your return leg, the 'check-in baggage rules' may vary from airline to airline. 

We stop over a lot in the Middle East and the rules with Emirates and Qatar etc is based on 24 hrs from 'layover (<24 hrs) and a stopover (>24 hrs) - If stopping over for more than 24 hours we have to collect our baggage at the 'transit country'.

 

Thai Airways regulations vary and its difficult to get clear advice (even directly from the airline - as you have found out with the incorrect visa information).... Thus, erring on the side of caution would make sense.

- When checking in You can ask them to put your baggage all the way though - to be sure you can check the baggage tags they give you.

- Most likely  - with Thai Airways you'll have to collect your bags with a layover longer than 12 hours. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

13 hours ago, louialive said:

If we check luggage in for the complete journey in Perth then we will not be able to leave the airport as we will be checked in for the complete journey I.e. Perth - BKK-LHR 

 

Thats not true - there is nothing stopping you from leaving the airport. 

You will be issued two boarding passes at Check-in in Perth. 

When landing in Bangkok you can exit the airport along with anyone else (and if your bags are checked all the way though, no one will be the wiser).

When returning, to the airport the next day, there is no need to check-in, you simply pass through security and immigration again using the 'onward boarding pass' that you were issued with in Perth. 

 

It seems that whoever is on the Thai airways contact centre has absolutely no idea !!! 

 

Still - its best to err on the side of caution - baggage comes through fairly quickly on arrival, but it may slow you down in queues when checking in.

[Hawaiian]

11 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thai Airwasys have clearly given you flawed advice: 

 

#1 - With a British Passport you can enter Thailand Visa exempt for 60 days.

#2 - You do not need a transit Visa at all (TG are 100% incorrect with this).

 

On your return leg you can simply arrive and stay on your Visa Exempt Entry as any other Brit (without an excessive visit history that year). 

 

Regarding 'Stopover / Layover' vs transit - this varies from Airlines. 

Clearly on your outgoing leg - UK-BKK-AUS (with a 120m transit) - checked-in baggage goes through automatically to destination. 

 

On your return leg, the 'check-in baggage rules' may vary from airline to airline. 

We stop over a lot in the Middle East and the rules with Emirates and Qatar etc is based on 24 hrs from 'layover (<24 hrs) and a stopover (>24 hrs) - If stopping over for more than 24 hours we have to collect our baggage at the 'transit country'.

 

Thai Airways regulations vary and its difficult to get clear advice (even directly from the airline - as you have found out with the incorrect visa information).... Thus, erring on the side of caution would make sense.

- When checking in You can ask them to put your baggage all the way though - to be sure you can check the baggage tags they give you.

- Most likely  - with Thai Airways you'll have to collect your bags with a layover longer than 12 hours. 

 

 

Both Hawaiian and Japan Airlines (the two we fly on) always inform us that the bags have been tagged to our final destination or first U.S. port of entry.  We also confirm that by checking the baggage claims receipts.

[NanLaew]

With a one night stopover like the OP's, I would much prefer the bags be checked through to the final destination rather than faff about with baggage claim and re-check. A change of underwear and a fresh shirt doesn't take up much space in the hand-carry. Most hotels provide toiletries, toothbrushes and other amenities as a courtesy so no need to mess with the liquids rules in the hand carry either.

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

With a one night stopover like the OP's, I would much prefer the bags be checked through to the final destination rather than faff about with baggage claim and re-check. A change of underwear and a fresh shirt doesn't take up much space in the hand-carry. Most hotels provide toiletries, toothbrushes and other amenities as a courtesy so no need to mess with the liquids rules in the hand carry either.

 

Agreed - but it doesn't come down to personal preference. 

 

For example: When flying with Emirates: UK-DXB-BKK - we have a 32 hour stop over (i.e. land close to midnight, have the full next day, then fly out the following morning) - but as the stop over is more than 24 hours we have no choice but to collect our baggage, which is of course inconvenient. We would rather just stick with our carry on and have the baggage sent straight through to destination...  thus: for Emirates the 'cut off' is 24 hours.....  For other Airlines the cut off is different.

 

[nglodnig]

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

faff about with baggage claim and re-check.

Unfortunately there is a time limit at Bangkok airport for holding baggage - I think I was told something ridiculous like 6-10 hours. 

I

Certainly 24 would be nigh impossible - where are they going to keep it? Be prepared to reclaim your baggage and check in again.

 

And NO you dont need a transit visa that "thai representative" was talking out of their proverbial

[NanLaew]

19 minutes ago, nglodnig said:

Unfortunately there is a time limit at Bangkok airport for holding baggage - I think I was told something ridiculous like 6-10 hours. 

I

Certainly 24 would be nigh impossible - where are they going to keep it? Be prepared to reclaim your baggage and check in again.

 

And NO you dont need a transit visa that "thai representative" was talking out of their proverbial

Google's AI assisted search engine says the maximum transit time where checked bags do not need to be collected and re-checked at BKK is 24-hours. The OP has 22-hours transit and says they won't need anything from their checked bags. So, assuming BOTH boarding passes are issued in Australia, he gets a visa-exempt entry, same as his wife on her UK passport, unless she wants to use her Thai passport.

 

Keep in mind that the boarding pass for the second leg may not be issued at the point of origin, but may be issued at a Transit desk at BKK while still air-side (before immigration) so the OP better ensure they get their onward boarding passes BEFORE going to inbound immigration.

 

Sorted.

[louialive]

This is how it all went for us in the end. Checked in on line for Perth to BKK leg, went to Perth airport spoke to check in where we dropped off bags and got our boarding passes. They issued boarding passes for both legs. Perth to BKK and BKK to LHR.

 

I told check in desk that we were going to leave the airport and stay in hotel for the stop over. They checked our bags in for Perth to BKK leg only and we picked up our luggage at BKK and took it with us. I didn't ask about bags automatically transferring between Perth-BKK and BKK-LHR and us leaving the airport as we wanted to add stuff to our luggage that we were going to buy in Bangkok.

 

I went through passport control with my wife via the Thai lane I didn't have to pay any tourist tax or fill out visa on arrival form that I have in the past.

 

Next day just dropped the bags off at BKK as we were already checked in and had BKK-LHR boarding passes issued the day before.