2 Hours For Connecting Flight

[Billfo]

Hi Everyone,

I'm landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport in about a month at 6:40pm with Emirates, I want to get upto Chiang Mai ASAP as to avoid paying for a hotel room in Bangkok. I have found an Air Asia flight from Suvarnabhumi to Chiang Mai at 8:40pm the same evening. I reckon I could make the Air Asia flight but it might be cutting it a bit fine. Can anyone who has been through the airport recently tell me How long has it taken them to get through immigration and bag collection etc? Trying to work out if its worth risking 1,200(ish) baht.

Cheers!

[jingjoe]

You might make it, but any delay on your inbound flight, and you're up sh-its creek, no flight, no refund, no-where to stay.

A comfortable room nearby might cost you 800 baht, and you can be pretty sure it'll be there when you get there.

Billp's list is worth considering.

Sananwan Palace, very nice and friendly almost-new guesthouse about 20 min by taxi from the terminal, with pool under 500 Baht. My personal favourite. This thread has some of my pictures.

And here's the newest discovery: S.P. Power Lodge A/C, sat TV, 1300-1900 baht, 2-way airport transfers included.

Convenient Resort. Newly-built 4-story hotel at Lat Krabang, about 5-10 min. drive from the airport. 1000-1200 baht.

Floral Shire Resort is just on the edge of the airport, maybe 5 minutes from the terminal. 1200-1300 baht. Brand new. No pool. Sort of motel style.

Queen's Garden Resort only 5 - 10 min. from the airport. New, no pool, said to be pretty basic, not very clean. 900 baht.

Grand Inn Come, sort of a typical Thai small-town hotel on a noisy street, no pool, 20 min. from airport, 1800 baht. "Let out professional masseuses treat and pamper your stiff and stressed."

Avana Hotel, sort of the kind of suburban upscale hotel where Thais hold weddings and conferences. Pool and all the usual amenities, 1200 baht. Maybe about 25-30 min. from the airport.

Ibis Hua Mak Chain hotel about 30 min from the airport with reportedly small boxy rooms and gruff, unfriendly staff. Pool, 800-1200 baht.

Rachana Place, a hostel off the Bangna-Trat highway AWAY from the city centre, self-described 25 min. from the airport, 350 baht. Free WiFi.

On Nut Guest House, backpacker hostel about 35-40 min. from the airport and within walking distance of the end station of the Skytrain/BTS line.

Nasa-Vegas Hotel, many recommend. Said to be 15-25 min. from the airport. 590 baht, 900 baht rooms have a jacuzzi. No pool. At the moment, construction of the Airport Rail Link is taking place right next door.

[britmaveric]

Won't make it - I suggest you get a hotel and take the morning flight out.

[Kerryd]

Try travelling with just a carry-on. Take just the essentials and buy what else you need when you get to CM.

Try to get an aisle seat on the Emirates flight, as close to the front as you can. Get and fill out your TM card before the wheels touch down in Bkk. Once you are off the plane, power march it all the way to Immigration. Knock the little old ladies out of the way as you barrel along those "walk-a-lator" things.

If things go smoothly, you could be through Immigration and on your way upstairs to the departure area in 30-40 minutes after you arrive.

How ever, you are cutting it pretty thin. Any delay in taking off from Dubai, or being unlucky enough to have another planeload of passengers beat you to Immigration, and you could add an hour to that previous 30-40 minutes.

I think Domestic Departure check-ins close 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. That only leaves you (maybe) 90 minutes from your scheduled arrival time until the check-in closes.

Have you scoped out any other flights from Bkk to CM ? On other airlines perhaps ?

What about taking the earlier Emirates flight (that leaves Dubai at 03:50 and arrives in Bkk at 12:25 Thai time) ? That's the one I'll probably be one, unless I take the ThaiAir/Emirates code-share flight that leaves at 22:40 and arrives in Bkk around 08:05 in the morning. That's the one I took last time.

[Billfo]

Thanks for the replies.

Well it looks like I'll bed down for the night, I suppose it'll be better arriving at CM in the day anyway. Kerryd, I did try and get the later flights but they were way more expensive than the later flights, apparently because its half term. Nevermind.

Jingjoe, thanks a lot for the list of hotels, guesthouses, I'll have a look through them.

Cheers!

[jingjoe]

You can thank Billp for those, he went to a lot of trouble to make that list. Have a great holiday.