Sorry for the new thread, but the other threads didn't seem to answer this question.

 

This is the first time I'm collecting a relative flying in from abroad and he will need a wheelchair. The inbound airline has already been informed at point of origin, and it's a direct/non-stop service. I understand the airline should arrange point of check-in wheelchair service at city of origin and arrange with Suvarnabhumi Airport for wheelchair at the gate for arrival (fast-track through Immigration, etc.).

 

But where does the service end? After Immigration, do they push the passenger through baggage hall and through Customs? Once through Customs and on landside do they fold up the chair and say goodbye to the passenger, or do they bring the passenger to the 'meeting point' where I will be waiting (and is that Door D?).  I've never had to greet a relative in a wheelchair, and I know we aren't allowed to stand outside the door of Customs... which would be the best.

 

Grateful for any first-hand knolwedge about this -

Common sense would suggest the wheel chair service is 'point to point'... 

i.e. check-in to airport exit. 

 

It wouldn't make sense to strand someone who needs a wheel-chair at immigration or the baggage hall. 

 

The service would 'end' at the point where onward travel from the airport is secured. 

 

i.e.

If you have your own wheelchair and meet at airport arrivals hall - then thats where the service ends.

Otherwise - the wheel chair service would 'end' at the point of transport (i.e. wheeled to your car at the car-park / or wheeled to a taxi).

- That also depends on actual degree of mobility - many people who use 'wheelchair service' may do so while semi-mobile (i.e. in a cast on crutches etc or someone older who struggles to walk distances through an airport but could walk from arrivals hall to a taxi or the car park etc).

 

So ultimately - I'd say the 'wheel-chair service' ends where you want it to end - they are not going to abandon an immobile person at the airport.

 

 

 

 

when i entered sweden, they would keep pushing me until i said stop

28 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Common sense would suggest the wheel chair service is 'point to point'... 

i.e. check-in to airport exit. 

 

It wouldn't make sense to strand someone who needs a wheel-chair at immigration or the baggage hall. 

 

The service would 'end' at the point where onward travel from the airport is secured. 

 

i.e.

If you have your own wheelchair and meet at airport arrivals hall - then thats where the service ends.

Otherwise - the wheel chair service would 'end' at the point of transport (i.e. wheeled to your car at the car-park / or wheeled to a taxi).

- That also depends on actual degree of mobility - many people who use 'wheelchair service' may do so while semi-mobile (i.e. in a cast on crutches etc or someone older who struggles to walk distances through an airport but could walk from arrivals hall to a taxi or the car park etc).

 

So ultimately - I'd say the 'wheel-chair service' ends where you want it to end - they are not going to abandon an immobile person at the airport.

 

 

 

 

So in other words you don't know...just a guess you had 

 

....you spend 15 minutes writing that when you could of been washing the dirty dishes you have piled up in the sink !

I used it at BKK several years ago when I had a foot injury. Walking was painful but not impossible. The guy cleared off at baggage claim.

I have never seen anyone on the line to the check out immigration in a wheelchair, perhaps they use the fast track lane ?

Without sounding racist prejudice and judgemental , I have noticed a certain nationality using the wheelchair service !

8 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

I used it at BKK several years ago when I had a foot injury. Walking was painful but not impossible. The guy cleared off at baggage claim.

Thanks that's useful. My guy doesn't have checked luggage just a carryon. Hopefully they will wheel him right through Customs. But how to know?

2 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

I have never seen anyone on the line to the check out immigration in a wheelchair, perhaps they use the fast track lane ?

Without sounding racist prejudice and judgemental , I have noticed a certain nationality using the wheelchair service !

Yes, they take them through fast-track Immigration. But after that? Less clear to me.

A good corollary question would be whether there are fee based services for people who need more than what the airport may provide for their limited mobility passengers? 

 

Seems to me that, with all the medical tourists I see at Bumrungrad, Samitivej, etc, there must be a way to get non-ambulatory passengers all the way to their hotel and onto the hospital.

 

 

I suggest for a definitive answer call the airline that your friend is flying with.

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

So in other words you don't know...just a guess you had 

 

....you spend 15 minutes writing that when you could of been washing the dirty dishes you have piled up in the sink !

 

I've had the Wheelchair service ye-dim numpty... 

 

I didn't need it all the way and walked (with crutches) to a car from the arrivals hall. 

The Ops situation is slightly different - as he'll need to be wheeled all the way to a car.

 

 

But, by all means - post a useless comment when the Op is looking for advice - right on par with your usual levels of inanity. 

1 hour ago, Upnotover said:

I used it at BKK several years ago when I had a foot injury. Walking was painful but not impossible. The guy cleared off at baggage claim.

 

Did they tell you to 'get out of the wheel chair' - or were you already on your feet so the figured they were ok to go ?

 

Ops sitation seems a little different - its seems his friend might need the wheelchair all the way to transport - which IMO - should be fine as they are not going to tell him to get out.

1 hour ago, ronnie50 said:

Yes, they take them through fast-track Immigration. But after that? Less clear to me.

 

Do you have your own wheel-chair for him to switch across to ?  Would he need that ? 

 

Or.. is he semi-mobile and could walk a short distance ?

 

 

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

Without sounding racist prejudice and judgemental , I have noticed a certain nationality using the wheelchair service !

 

Lots of Middle Eastern Governments have direct ties to major hospitals in BKK - thats why you see a plenty of Arabs using the wheelchair service at the Airport.

27 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Did they tell you to 'get out of the wheel chair' - or were you already on your feet so the figured they were ok to go ?

 

Ops sitation seems a little different - its seems his friend might need the wheelchair all the way to transport - which IMO - should be fine as they are not going to tell him to get out.

As he'd seen me walk off the plane and hop into the chair I think he reckoned I was ok. I'm sure if the OP's friend needs the chair to move around they'll deliver him wherever he wants.

On 12/2/2025 at 9:07 AM, LosLobo said:

I suggest for a definitive answer call the airline that your friend is flying with.

 

The services are provided by the airport not the airline, so OP would be better to phone them, but good luck with that.

Just now, treetops said:

On 12/2/2025 at 12:07 PM, LosLobo said:

I suggest for a definitive answer call the airline that your friend is flying with.

 

The services are provided by the airport not the airline, so OP would be better to phone them, but good luck with that.

 

Thats incorrect - the Airline arranges the wheel-chair service.

 

The request for wheelchair assistance (PRM”  Persons with Reduced Mobility) is always routed through the airline not the airport directly.

32 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Thats incorrect - the Airline arranges the wheel-chair service.

 

The request for wheelchair assistance (PRM”  Persons with Reduced Mobility) is always routed through the airline not the airport directly.

That was my experience. Short flight from KUL to BKK and sorted easily with a quick call to TG a day or so ahead.

3 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

That was my experience. Short flight from KUL to BKK and sorted easily with a quick call to TG a day or so ahead.

 

Another point - when / IF dealing with TG for such matters - do so by phone as e-mails go ignored.

It’s common knowledge the wheelchair is pushed to the nearest massage parlour

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Thats incorrect - the Airline arranges the wheel-chair service.

 

The request for wheelchair assistance (PRM”  Persons with Reduced Mobility) is always routed through the airline not the airport directly.

Yes, that's been done at the point of departure directly with the airline when the reservation was made. No confusion on our side about that. But the question remains, where does the service end in BKK. Just outside the exit from Customs (near the AOT Limousine counters)? Or do they push the chair to the 'meeting point' where a hundred or 200 people are waiting - many with signs?

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

do so by phone as e-mails go ignored.

Yes, in my experience, it's been rare for any Thai company to respond (in English) to an email. King Power was an exception. So was Board of Investment (BOI).

8 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

do so by phone as e-mails go ignored.

Yes, in my experience, it's been rare for any Thai company to respond (in English) to an email. King Power was an exception. So was Board of Investment (BOI).

 

Two reasons for that...

a) It places an individual responsible (i.e. person who responded)

b) It leaves a 'paper trail' and sets accountability.

 

This lack of response is common in countries and industries were people can more readily get away without being held accountable.

 

 

I had a friend who lived in Pattaya and was wheel-chair bound.  The service staff at Swampy always took him through Immigration (fast-track) and Customs to either the airport-designated meeting point or a vehicle pick-up point outside, depending which my friend wanted.  It's 100% sure they won't leave him at Immigration or Customs unless for some reason he wanted to be left there.

20 minutes ago, Evil Penevil said:

I had a friend who lived in Pattaya and was wheel-chair bound.  The service staff at Swampy always took him through Immigration (fast-track) and Customs to either the airport-designated meeting point or a vehicle pick-up point outside, depending which my friend wanted.  It's 100% sure they won't leave him at Immigration or Customs unless for some reason he wanted to be left there.

Thanks - most useful to know. That's what I'm trying to understand.

1 hour ago, ronnie50 said:

Thanks - most useful to know. That's what I'm trying to understand.

 

Most airlines have a special telephone number for passengers with disabilities.  I know Thai Airways did (does).  My friend said the staff who answered took they jobs very seriously and were extremely helpful to passengers with disabilities.   They upgraded him to Business Class without cost whenever they had a free seat.  Check to see if the airline your friend is flying has such a number and make the arrangements for a wheelchair through that number.  He may get some extra perks.

21 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thats incorrect - the Airline arranges the wheel-chair service.

 

The request for wheelchair assistance (PRM”  Persons with Reduced Mobility) is always routed through the airline not the airport directly.

 

My post was accurate.

 

Yes it's booked through the airline, but it's the airport that provides the service, employs the staff, provides the wheelchairs etc. for all the airlines hosted there.

1 minute ago, treetops said:

21 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thats incorrect - the Airline arranges the wheel-chair service.

 

The request for wheelchair assistance (PRM”  Persons with Reduced Mobility) is always routed through the airline not the airport directly.

 

My post was accurate.

 

Yes it's booked through the airline, but it's the airport that provides the service, employs the staff, provides the wheelchairs etc. for all the airlines hosted there.

 

Sorry - No... your post was not accurate - You told the Op to contact the Airport - thats not the way to arrange the Wheelchair service - the request / booking has to be routed through the Airline.

 

The airport provides the 'hardware' - but that cannot be reserved / booked directly by the public.

 

21 hours ago, treetops said:

The services are provided by the airport not the airline, so OP would be better to phone them, but good luck with that.

 

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Sorry - No... your post was not accurate - You told the Op to contact the Airport - thats not the way to arrange the Wheelchair service - the request / booking has to be routed through the Airline.

 

The airport provides the 'hardware' - but that cannot be reserved / booked directly by the public.

 

He's not asking about booking the service, he's already done that.

 

On 12/2/2025 at 7:48 AM, ronnie50 said:

The inbound airline has already been informed at point of origin, and it's a direct/non-stop service.

 

He's asking about the details of the service and the airport is the place that'll have that information.  Getting hold of contact information for them may be a stumbling block.

 

On 12/2/2025 at 7:48 AM, ronnie50 said:

But where does the service end?

 

A fiend of mine needed wheelchair assistance for departure from BKK to MAN last month. I told him to book it via the airline app but he's app-averse. He told them at check-in that he'd just got out of hospital the previous week and couldn't walk and stand for more than a few minutes. The staff called up AoT assistance and he was wheel-chaired through security and immigration to the gate where he got priority boarding. Qatar provided a wheelchair during his Doha stopover and plane change and again on arrival at his destination. They took him through immigration and baggage claim (he only had hand carry like the OP's friend) and they dropped him off at the taxi desk.

 

For most airlines, I would assume it's from check-in to kerb side and vice versa. Booking in advance is probably best but per the above, they'll probably do it on request.