Lack Of Complimentary Internet At Suvarnabhumi?

[robkey69]

Having traveled all over the world I really surpised the airport doesn't have free internet. In this day and age of smart phones, tablets etc you would think even some of the airlines would feed internet to reduce questions and make everything flow smoother.

Buf then again this is Thailand...I should know better after 20 years,,,555555

[candid]

Airside about 7 weeks ago, I had free internet, forget who provided it

[Ohyesuare]

There used to be free Internet but last time I was there couldn't access it, someone said you only get 15 minutes now?

[TheWalkingMan]

Last time I asked, May 2012 (I think), they told me that the time was limited to 15 minutes. I did not even bother to ask about logging in.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Having traveled all over the world I really surpised the airport doesn't have free internet....

Buf then again this is Thailand...I should know better after 20 years

Thanks for your globetrotting world traveller CV......how hard did you look for internet at the airport.

Were you land side or air side? Granted - there is no free internet land side, but air side AOT provides free wireless internet throughout the concourses. Vouchers are available from any information booth - you just need to show your passport/boarding pass (takes 30 seconds - its not a drama)

The voucher lasts for an hour. You can go back and get as many as you like....

Personally I find it a bit slow - I use the AIS wireless and just get AIS to sms me a login code.

And rather than just post this as is, heresay only - I'll attach a photo of the actual voucher.....

SVB

[David Barker]

Go and sit outside anyone of the card holder lounges works in any airport

[smokie36]

Go and sit outside anyone of the card holder lounges works in any airport

If you have the wifi password.

[JoePai]

Domestic air side : go and buy a coffee in MacD and they will give you the password

[Crossy]

BillionZone at the C end of departures has free WiFi, buy a beer and get the key

[emilyb]

The notion that they provide free internet throughout the airport or even throughout airside, or even throughout much of the airport is simply untrue unless something's changed in the last month. I fly in and our for work at least once a month, will be again in a few days, and I work online, so I'm familiar with having to hunt and peck for airport internet in different destination airports. You can fly into dinky joints like Phnom Penh and massive places like Changi and access points are simply pervasive to the point where you check your iPhone or computer and it's always right there. In Suvarnabhumi you have to peck around quite a bit and often it's easier just to sit in a restaurant that has it or next to a lounge that has it (there are a few open routers in some lounges).

I know someone will reply saying, "I've never had trouble." and my response is, "You're misrepresenting the situation entirely." Just because you know which gate or concourse or restaurant to go to to get the signal out of muscle memory doesn't mean it's handled well or widely available. I know enough after many trips to get around fine, but the system is ridiculous for a major airport in this part of the world. It's not as bad as at many US airports, though, thankfully.

I should note, I don't really mind BKK, but it's a bit of a loser when it comes to Wifi.

[CP3]

Agree with those things above.. This airport has been serving so many travelers yet the basic needs are not there. I have been to China airports be it major or minor cities, there are booths for charging and free wifi everywhere.

[JohnC]

Well I travelled through swampy last month and all it took was one question at the information booth where I was informed you have to pay in the main area but once you are through and in the departure area it is free and as already posted I just went to the information booth and got a password. Compare this to Brussels where everything closes at 9pm and when they opened in the morning they wanted 10 euros per hour for wifi! I thought swampy was quite good in comparison , my first stopover was Mumbai, but that's another horror story!

[lomatopo]

I do not believe that free WiFi in airports is anything close to universal, at least not in the airports I frequent. Even in airports which offer free WiFi one can imagine that with such a high concentration of users, I travel with four (4) WiFi-capable devices, in such a small space the network would get saturated and become pretty much useless for all. Even advertising support, which the airport authority might sell, is challenging as most users are departing, and thus a less desirable target. Even in the TG lounges at BKK there are so many people (sometimes) that I end up using my 3G connection as the WiFi is useless.

That said, I am pretty sure AoT offers free WiFi at SBIA for at least 15 minutes, and I do see some people leeching lounge WiFi at certain spots.

[Dibbler]

You can register for limited free wifi access inside the terminal once you get past immigration. Go to any information desk and you sign the register with your name and passport number and get a user name and password. I believe the access is limited to 15 or 30 minutes once you have registered through the web portal.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Its an hour...60 minutes - free internet

See my earlier post on this thread, there's even a photo of the actual voucher.

Sent from my ALCATEL_one_touch_918D using Thaivisa Connect App

[IMA_FARANG]

As someone else has already posted there is free Wifi access at Suvarnabhumi but it is only on the "air" side....after you pass through immigration.

You need to sign up and get a username/password....but there is no cost.

You can access it from the departure lounges...so you can get the latest status on your flight or flights.

I once used it while waiting for a flight to the U.S. that transited thru Narita Japan...and I new there was some bad weather in Japan...so I checked on my Japan to U.S. flight and found it would likely be delayed at least two hours by the weather.

And that was done while waiting in the departure area at Suvarnabhumi.

If your on the "land" side...there is the usual Starbucks, McDonalds, etc. places that will sell Wifi access just for buying a cup of coffee or a cold Coke/Pepsi/whatever there.

I once was delayed 10 hours arriving in Suvarnabhumi due to plane problems in San Francisco. I arrived in Suvarnabhumi at 2 a.m. in the morning. My pre-arranged family pickup was long gone by the time I finally arrived.

So I waited until 6 a.m. drinking McDonalds so-called "goumet coffee" and eating their gag-a-burgers up on the 3rd floor until until I finally got myself a taxi to my home in Bangkok....reading the news and chatting on the net while waiting for the morning light.

[drdoom6996]

Lack of internet, how about the lack of immigration officers at the arrival hall at 8:30 pm on a Friday evening. One hour and ten minutes to get through.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Nowhere in the title, or the OP - nor anywhere else in the thread for that matter - does it say anything about immigration. Kindly find another thread.

[djvolak]

Go and sit outside anyone of the card holder lounges works in any airport

If you have the wifi password.

I never needed one for the United lounge in Tokyo or Houston. Not sure about the Thai lounge in Swampy but I have used the internet inside the lounge. Just go outside any of them and I am sure at least one of them will be open. I have done the same outside of hotels.

[geriatrickid]

I find the availability of wifi at BKK superior to North America and EU airports. I was on a first class ticket last week in some of the airport lounges and no wifi availability. I can give you a rant about how much I hate the Rome FCO or Paris CDG airports and how i think BKK is wonderful in comparison. Sometimes, I wonder if people actually travel and have experienced the lines and lack of service that graces the typical US or EU airport. FRA, AMS, MUC are rarities. The world's airports have more in common with the horrible conditions at Phuket than they do with BKK.

[Pseudolus]

When I was last there in 20 days ago, on the pop up thing on your computer when you find it and try to connect, it said Free for 2 hours. Just assuming that in the future they will start charging after 2 hours? Not as bad as the Mandarin in KL though! 350 baht for 24 hours WiFi in the room, or 750 for 3 days. I actually wrote them a letter to complain about that lol

[PattayaParent]

I always head for the free computers that are available in the concourses and then get to the boarding gate early and use the free computers there.

[brewsterbudgen]

Try finding free internet at Heathrow! I've never had difficulty finding it at the departureboarding areas at BKK. It might not be a perfect airport, but this is an unjustified moan!

[SeaVisionBurma]

I've never had difficulty finding it at the departureboarding areas at BKK. It might not be a perfect airport, but this is an unjustified moan!

I couldn't agree more - some of the posters seemed to be on a major rant, without much justification....others obviously didn't read everything before posting..

(take note emilyb...)

Never heard back from the OP either....

[Rob8891]

Yup, there is free internet, as already described by previous posters. IMO, the airport wifi gives longer access than MacD's, but I found it did not work well in the food hall in domestic departures.

Airport Information desk staff were helpful when I was through last month, as I had a flat phone battery. They directed me to where I could find a power socket to recharge the phone. If you are in the same position, look for the (public/internet) phones. Below each one there is a power socket.... there are a few others dotted around, but not many as far as I could see.

Apologies for the egg-sucking lesson to all the frequent flyers, but if it helps someone else, it's worth it.

[bkkjames]

I am too busy looking for these award winning toilets to be looking for wifi.

[SeaVisionBurma]

I am too busy looking for these award winning toilets to be looking for wifi.

Simple. Log on using the free airport wifi, then google for the location of the award winning commodes.

Sent from my ALCATEL_one_touch_918D using Thaivisa Connect App

[citizen33]

Can confirm that the free 60 minutes internet at Swampy is working fine - used it each week for the last three weeks, It is a pity that some of the regional airports like KK don't have something similar - the old free arrangement ended a while ago.

[candid]

Was there on the 28th August. Just register your name and show boarding pass. Pretty fast too

[HidyHo]

I know someone will reply saying, "I've never had trouble." and my response is, "You're misrepresenting the situation entirely."

Actually, you are misrepresenting the situation since even this idiot (me) can do it. As many already pointed out, once you've passed immigration, go find the information booth, sign up and get the user id and pw for free internet connection.

I go through once or twice a month and do check my work emails at the airport using this. It ain't fast but it is free.