Arriving Bkk 6 Hours Before Hotel Check-in. What To Do?

[JBStuart]

Flight from LAX arrives in BKK at 6:30am. Will be booking a hotel in Silom or Sukhumvit, but most check-ins are between noon-2pm. I really don't want to be sitting around for 5-6 hours (especially after an 18hour flight) watching my luggage in a hotel lobby and especially not at the airport. Barring an early room availability, any ideas where I can safely park my luggage for a few hours? Do hotels offer this kind of service? Any ideas? I welcome all creative ideas

[keemao]

talk to the hotel. I think you'll find u can check in early. If the room is not yet available they should store your luggage and maybe even give you a meal while you are waiting. (if you ask)

[think_too_mut]

Flight from LAX arrives in BKK at 6:30am. Will be booking a hotel in Silom or Sukhumvit, but most check-ins are between noon-2pm. I really don't want to be sitting around for 5-6 hours (especially after an 18hour flight) watching my luggage in a hotel lobby and especially not at the airport. Barring an early room availability, any ideas where I can safely park my luggage for a few hours? Do hotels offer this kind of service? Any ideas? I welcome all creative ideas

Most hotels would store your luggage and even take it to your room when it is available, you don't have to be in the lobby for that.

(Now, it's the other end of "late checkout" perk that many hotels advertise - you'll be walking around sleepy while someone might be still sobering up or having fun until 4-5 pm in your room).

[Farma]

It will take you an hour or more from stepping off the flight to arriving at the hotel.

Go to your hotel and see if they have a room available. I’ve been lucky in the past and have been booked in at 0900. I think the latest I’ve been allocated a room was 1000.

Most shops will be closed until around 1000 so there’s nothing much you can do unless you take a walk and enjoy breakfast somewhere.

Although you may be a bit smelly you could also treat yourself to a massage while you wait for your room.

You can leave your bag with the bellboys until a room is allocated.

[britmaveric]

Early checkin - prob pay for an additional amount if u want to get in early.

[game4shame]

talk to the hotel. I think you'll find u can check in early. If the room is not yet available they should store your luggage and maybe even give you a meal while you are waiting. (if you ask)

agreed. talk to your hotel. if you can't check-in early, they'll probably still store your luggage until you can.

[enyaw]

Where is the Hotel?

[game4shame]

It will take you an hour or more from stepping off the flight to arriving at the hotel.

Go to your hotel and see if they have a room available. I’ve been lucky in the past and have been booked in at 0900. I think the latest I’ve been allocated a room was 1000.

Most shops will be closed until around 1000 so there’s nothing much you can do unless you take a walk and enjoy breakfast somewhere.

Although you may be a bit smelly you could also treat yourself to a massage while you wait for your room.

You can leave your bag with the bellboys until a room is allocated.

if you're really smelly, leave your luggage at the hotel then find your nearest soapy joint (if it's your cup of tea). kill a bit of time and leave fresh and ready for your first day in bkk.

hey presto.

[JBStuart]

Where is the Hotel?

Haven't booked one yet. Probably will be Silom, but it looks like wherever I do I shouldn't have too much of a problem. Thanks

[donna]

if the room is available most decent hotels will allow you to check in at whatever time you arrive. i certainly do this as a standard practice.

if not, the hotel will store your luggage until check in time.

[misterme]

Most hotels will let you leave your bags until your room frees up.

If you hotel has a pool, you may want t keep a change of clothes separate and a swim suit. After a swim, a lounge, and a shower, you're fresh and ready to go put for the last little bit until your rom is ready.

Email to the hotel that your flight arrives early is not a bad idea too.

[BeeZa]

absolutely agree with mistermee!I recommend Majestic Suite Hotel-has lots of activities. I really like restaurant in here.very yummy!

[fire and ice]

Flight from LAX arrives in BKK at 6:30am. Will be booking a hotel in Silom or Sukhumvit, but most check-ins are between noon-2pm. I really don't want to be sitting around for 5-6 hours (especially after an 18hour flight) watching my luggage in a hotel lobby and especially not at the airport. Barring an early room availability, any ideas where I can safely park my luggage for a few hours? Do hotels offer this kind of service? Any ideas? I welcome all creative ideas smile.gif

If you are due to land at 630am you will be off the plane at 650am if it is on time, then you will have to walk for 10 minutes (I suggest you run) to immigration. At this time of the day you will have to queue for about 1-2 hours (say 90 minutes), but if you come from LA (or anywhere in the USA) you will get no sympathy from me because every time I have been to LAX the immigration queue has been 2-3 hours!! LA has the worst immigration queues I have ever experienced.

Notably if you arrive later in the day or at night in BKK there are rarely any queues.

By the time you get your bag & are in a taxi it will be about 850am, then you are in peak hour traffic, although most is freeway. Lets say you stay off Sukhumvit, so maybe 1 hour all together in the taxi. You will actually check in at close to 10am.

The chances are very high that by this time the hotel will have your room ready so you can go strait to your room. Unlikely that they won't have it. In any case, even if you arrived earlier there is a reasonable chance the hotel will have an empty room from the night before, or an early check out (& knowing Thais they will fast track cleaning a room early just for you).

I have never heard of a Thai hotel that would not store your bags for you so you would not have to watch your bags even in the worst case scenario.

[Martin]

IMO, the best way to use up some spare time during the day in Bangkok, without being energetic in one way or another, is to go on the river.

If I had heavy luggage, I would take it to the hotel and leave it with the Bell Captain till my room was ready.

If that was going to be quite a while, I would take the BTS Skytrain to Thaksin Bridge.

Then, if I had a bit of money to spare, I would go over on their free ferry to the Peninsula Hotel and treat myself to their super buffet breakfast. It costs 750 baht, if I remember aright.

If I was a bit skint, I would buy some 'street food' and take one of the normal bus-type ferries up river and down again.

The Dusit Thani also does an excellent buffet breakfast, and you don't have to be resident. Again, about 750 baht, I think.

[farang2002]

Flight from LAX arrives in BKK at 6:30am. Will be booking a hotel in Silom or Sukhumvit, but most check-ins are between noon-2pm. I really don't want to be sitting around for 5-6 hours (especially after an 18hour flight) watching my luggage in a hotel lobby and especially not at the airport. Barring an early room availability, any ideas where I can safely park my luggage for a few hours? Do hotels offer this kind of service? Any ideas? I welcome all creative ideas

I have taken this flight many times and have had no problem checking in early at the Majestic Grande on Sukhumvit Soi 2. They will do bag storage for free if you decide to visit another city as long as you stay there on your return.

[Sporting Dog]

I've arrived early quite a few times and just go to the hotel, check-in and get the room without waiting. They've always had a room for me...often when you book they ask what flight you're on .... maybe they take it into account.

If they don't let you check in, slump in the foyer, crack open the duty free and start getting rowdy, I'm sure a room will become availabe.

[JBStuart]

Flight from LAX arrives in BKK at 6:30am. Will be booking a hotel in Silom or Sukhumvit, but most check-ins are between noon-2pm. I really don't want to be sitting around for 5-6 hours (especially after an 18hour flight) watching my luggage in a hotel lobby and especially not at the airport. Barring an early room availability, any ideas where I can safely park my luggage for a few hours? Do hotels offer this kind of service? Any ideas? I welcome all creative ideas smile.gif

If you are due to land at 630am you will be off the plane at 650am if it is on time, then you will have to walk for 10 minutes (I suggest you run) to immigration. At this time of the day you will have to queue for about 1-2 hours (say 90 minutes), but if you come from LA (or anywhere in the USA) you will get no sympathy from me because every time I have been to LAX the immigration queue has been 2-3 hours!! LA has the worst immigration queues I have ever experienced.

Thanks for the info. I went ahead and booked the Dusit Thani. They said no problem checking in early. I've had a couple of bad experiences in the past trying to check in early to hotels in other parts of the world, so I'm always a little gun-shy when it comes to the issue. BTW, I am from LA and cues at LAX for immigration, check in, or anything for that matter are horrible. NO sympathy needed

John B

[rob69]

Flight from LAX arrives in BKK at 6:30am. Will be booking a hotel in Silom or Sukhumvit, but most check-ins are between noon-2pm. I really don't want to be sitting around for 5-6 hours (especially after an 18hour flight) watching my luggage in a hotel lobby and especially not at the airport. Barring an early room availability, any ideas where I can safely park my luggage for a few hours? Do hotels offer this kind of service? Any ideas? I welcome all creative ideas smile.gif

If you are due to land at 630am you will be off the plane at 650am if it is on time, then you will have to walk for 10 minutes (I suggest you run) to immigration. At this time of the day you will have to queue for about 1-2 hours (say 90 minutes), but if you come from LA (or anywhere in the USA) you will get no sympathy from me because every time I have been to LAX the immigration queue has been 2-3 hours!! LA has the worst immigration queues I have ever experienced.

Thanks for the info. I went ahead and booked the Dusit Thani. They said no problem checking in early. I've had a couple of bad experiences in the past trying to check in early to hotels in other parts of the world, so I'm always a little gun-shy when it comes to the issue. BTW, I am from LA and cues at LAX for immigration, check in, or anything for that matter are horrible. NO sympathy needed

John B

Can remember first time i arrived in Thailand, went to my hotel in Bangkok (The Landmark, Sukhumvit Rd), and had no problem checking in just after 7am, without pre-warning them. Gotta love Thailand, as that would never happen in England!