Hi,

Came through this morning - the x-ray machines are now located directly after you have your passport stamped - with queue lines much like you see at a theme park. Although i think this is a better idea (i've seen many a passenger have their Duty free spirits confiscated as they were not in a KP clear bag). I did notice they are demanding shoes to be taken off and scanned - my trainers however, were allowed to be left on.

mostly thick sole shoes / boots will be scanned

Explorer

pain in the butt then............ its used to be cool - go down one level and pass the xray. Most tourists do not know of its existence, and as such there is hardly anyone there. Always sailed thru as the normal level ones where clogged up

Were you on the way in to BKK or on the way out?

out.

This is new. By 1:00am tomorrow (tonight) it will be completely implemented.

Today, it's just at the west end.

Saw that 2 days ago. In the end not too bad. You get scanned before entering the duty-free area, but not again before boarding. Works fine for me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely this is good news because it means you can buy bottled water duty-free side and take it on the plane for the journey?

http://www2.airportthai.co.th/airportnew/m..._EN.pdf?lang=en

Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely this is good news because it means you can buy bottled water duty-free side and take it on the plane for the journey?

Excellent news, if one can now buy a can of Coke from the D/F shopping-area, and carry it to consume while sitting at the Gate !

If we are to take all this business about carry-on security seriously this new step is a terrible idea.

The only thing being secured is what passes into the departure area at that point. What about when the shops get their deliveries, etc, how secure can that possibly be? No need to go into detail, you get the idea.

I've seen this in other airports as well, all it does really is boost business for the snack concessions.

all it does really is boost business for the snack concessions

Maybe, but I am all for boosting their business if I can have a beer or two whilst waiting for boarding . I flew out Monday and it was already in place

Just came through Suvarnabhumi last week with the family (Thai wife and our son). Tickets were from Manchester - Doha - Bangkok - Phuket

Noticed in Bangkok that after the 'transit' immigration counter all passengers who had bought duty free in Doha were having it confiscated at the scanner (as they headed to the Phuket gate).

Having just bought a bottle of Macallan Special Reserve and a litre of Bombay Sapphire (me and the wife) I refused to hand it over. The immigration officials then refused to let us back through to exit the airport. They must have had 16 bottle of spirits under the scanner from our Doha flight alone.

Eventually, after delaying the flight, we got our bags offloaded and a helpful immigration official let us get back through immigration and get out of the transit area, with the bottles, into the arrivals lounge in Bangkok to collect our bags. We just repacked the bottles into our check-in luggage, checked in again and got the next flight down to Phuket, but what a hassle.

Wonder what happens to all the booze confiscated from Doha?

Just came through Suvarnabhumi last week with the family (Thai wife and our son). Tickets were from Manchester - Doha - Bangkok - Phuket

Noticed in Bangkok that after the 'transit' immigration counter all passengers who had bought duty free in Doha were having it confiscated at the scanner (as they headed to the Phuket gate).

snip

Wonder what happens to all the booze confiscated from Doha?

Plenty of parties to supply.

Yes - seen a very unhappy lad have his JW Blue confiscated. Fk it, I'd poured it out rather than let those muppets get it!

Yes - seen a very unhappy lad have his JW Blue confiscated. Fk it, I'd poured it out rather than let those muppets get it!

Sounds a better idea. At least refuse to hand it over, go somewhere quiet and have a slug or two before depositing the rest down the toilet

Other, more vindictive, posters in the past have recommended going somewhere private and emptying out (drinking?) a bit of the whisky, and urinating in the bottle to refill it, before presenting it for confiscation.

Other, more vindictive, posters in the past have recommended going somewhere private and emptying out (drinking?) a bit of the whisky, and urinating in the bottle to refill it, before presenting it for confiscation.

Simply carry ten empty 100ml bottles and fill them with 1 litre of booze, then place the ten 100ml bottles into a plastic bag for scanning as per regulations.

Apart from the non-relevant alcohol deprivation, what's the latest on this new x-ray scanning location? I have seen huge bottlenecks on the land side of passport control late in the evenings so can imagine that passing through immigration AND security at the same time must add some time to boarding formalities.

I am catching UA's 'red-eye special' on Sunday so will let you know how that works out. I thought that most US carriers worldwide reserved the right to configure their own additional scanning and passenger pat-downs so if this means one security check immediately after immigration and no additional farting around for the Department of Homeland Paranoia, I am all for it.

Edited October 20, 200916 yr by NanLaew

Departed last week at 10pm - flying Egypt Air to Cairo in economy. Certainly cheap & nasty!

The passport lines were busy but the kind chap at the entrance directed me to the VIP line and I was through in 2/3 minutes.

Given the number passing through passport control I had visions of Heathrow style delays for the security check. But, absolutely no delays. All the x-ray lines in full operation. Computer out, belt off but shoes kept on. It was a breeze.

Maybe I struck lucky but have had no such luck during dozens of trips through Heathrow, even, more recently, the much vaunted T5.

So, my 1st impressions of the new system could not be better.

I am catching UA's 'red-eye special' on Sunday so will let you know how that works out. I thought that most US carriers worldwide reserved the right to configure their own additional scanning and passenger pat-downs so if this means one security check immediately after immigration and no additional farting around for the Department of Homeland Paranoia, I am all for it.

If you mean the one-and-only UA airplane out of Bangkok, which departs at 635am (as opposed to some other airlines' plane with a UA codeshare flight number), you *are* subject to an additional search (body wanding and carry-on baggage search) when you reach the gate, and they *will* take away any liquids/gels/creams/aerosols you have in excess to the 100ml-in-a-quart-size-ziplock-bag limit.

Was in departures after immigration and security check and wanted a last cigarette before the flight. Was in the E zone departure gate area and noticed the sign for the smoking room had changed from floor 2 to floor 3. Makes my way down to floor 3 but can't see a smoking room. Noticed an information board which tells you where every thing is and it says at the bottom smoking room floor 2. After having a smoke in the smoking room on level 2 i get somewhat confused. Where the hel_l is the escalators i usually use to get back to level 3. Found them behind some glass partioning and what looked like a security check area. Had to go through another security check, hand baggage xrayed everything out of my pockets etc before getting on the escalator back to level 3 then 4. Is there a smoking room on level 3 i missed ? or will smokers have to go through this everytime they want to pop down to level 2 for a smoke.

Was in departures after immigration and security check and wanted a last cigarette before the flight. Was in the E zone departure gate area and noticed the sign for the smoking room had changed from floor 2 to floor 3. Makes my way down to floor 3 but can't see a smoking room. Noticed an information board which tells you where every thing is and it says at the bottom smoking room floor 2. After having a smoke in the smoking room on level 2 i get somewhat confused. Where the hel_l is the escalators i usually use to get back to level 3. Found them behind some glass partioning and what looked like a security check area. Had to go through another security check, hand baggage xrayed everything out of my pockets etc before getting on the escalator back to level 3 then 4. Is there a smoking room on level 3 i missed ? or will smokers have to go through this everytime they want to pop down to level 2 for a smoke.

Yes you will! Isn't it great?

I am catching UA's 'red-eye special' on Sunday so will let you know how that works out. I thought that most US carriers worldwide reserved the right to configure their own additional scanning and passenger pat-downs so if this means one security check immediately after immigration and no additional farting around for the Department of Homeland Paranoia, I am all for it.

If you mean the one-and-only UA airplane out of Bangkok, which departs at 635am (as opposed to some other airlines' plane with a UA codeshare flight number), you *are* subject to an additional search (body wanding and carry-on baggage search) when you reach the gate, and they *will* take away any liquids/gels/creams/aerosols you have in excess to the 100ml-in-a-quart-size-ziplock-bag limit.

Yup, the 'daily' UA. I reckoned the US cariers would still dick around at the last minute. I have even seen them pull last minute passport checks and pat down in the bloody boarding tunnel. If a madman bomber or criminal has got THAT far, what use all the other checks, online logins, frisks and general pissing about?

Edited October 23, 200916 yr by NanLaew

Yes - seen a very unhappy lad have his JW Blue confiscated. Fk it, I'd poured it out rather than let those muppets get it!

Well that what is done in other countries: my friend passed through a check point and had two small bottles of water (medical condition supported by a medical certificate) but, nonetheless, were confiscated.

When handed over, the person in charge asked my friend to open the bottles, and threw them open into the bin.

At firts I had found the request odd but it does make sense

A quick passage through the scanners and on to the gate where the secondary inspection (for UA) was brief and polite.

All in all, a much better idea getting scanned just after immigration so thanks to AOT and/or the security staff and airlines for this thoughtful change.

If we are to take all this business about carry-on security seriously this new step is a terrible idea.

The only thing being secured is what passes into the departure area at that point. What about when the shops get their deliveries, etc, how secure can that possibly be? No need to go into detail, you get the idea.

I've seen this in other airports as well, all it does really is boost business for the snack concessions.

At manchester airport you have to buy a £1 bag for any liquids you have. They won't give you one like they used to.

So this profiteering garbage is nothing new I'm afraid.