In transit.

[malt48]

G'day all.

I realize this is a pretty basic question... but then, I'm a pretty basic guy.

Next week I'll be travelling from Brisbane to BKK, in transit for 2 hours & then onto Chiang Mai. All my previous trips have been to BKK where I've made my way to wherever, no in transit.

My question... when arriving in BKK do I go to a transit lounge ? Go straight to departure lounge for Chiang Mai flight ? Do I have access to duty free shops at the airport, while in transit, without having to go in & out of immigration ?

Any advice will be most appreciated..... thanks in advance.

Mal.

[Mario2008]

Transit will be no problem, if you fly with the same company.

If you do not fly with the same airline, check that you arrive as the same airport as your flight to CM will leave from.

Also check if you have to go through immigration at BKK or that the airine will ship your luggage through to CM and oyu will go through immigration there.

[dundas]

If you are flying Thai Airways on both sectors - no problem. Just make sure your luggage is checked all the way through to CNX. You'll clear customs etc in Chiang Mai. I can't remember if Thai Airways issue both boarding passes in Australia, or whether they issue the BKK - CNX boarding pass at the domestic transfer area in Bangkok. Regardless, it's not a major hassle. When you reach Chiang Mai, you'll be an "international arrival" and you'll clear Customs there.

One minor problem: if your flight is an overnight flight arriving in BKK early, you'll find the gates from international arrivals to domestic aren't staffed until around (from memory) 6 am. There's not much to do in the international arrivals area except hang around until the place opens - there's very little you can access in the way of duty free shops (and I tend to avoid duty free shops at BKK in any event - not competitively priced and full of scams).

If you are flying different airlines on the two sectors and you have only hand luggage and assuming your connecting flight to CNX is on Thai or Bangkok Airways (the only choices from BKK as far as I'm aware), you can get the boarding pass for your BKK - CNX flight at the domestic transfer check-in (the airlines have check in counters there for arriving international passengers, and then you can go through a security check or documentation check, before going into the area for domestic departures. You will clear Customs in Chiang Mai.

If you are flying different airlines (Brisbane - BKK, and BKK - CNX), and have check in bags, you can still avoid clearing customs in Bangkok if the two airlines involved have an interline agreement.

You'll find out at Brisbane check in if there's an interline agreement (if they check your bag all the way through to CNX, there is), or you could call your travel agent or airline in advance and ask.

Worst case - there is no interline agreement, in which case you can only check your bags to Bangkok, where you will clear Immigration, collect your bag, clear Customs etc. Arriving in BKK on Jetstar or some other low cost carrier, for instance, there are no interline agreements that I'm aware of, meaning that you have to complete all the arrival formalities in Bangkok and then check in and come back through security, and fly from BKK to CNX as a domestic passenger.

Clear as mud?

[hellodolly]

If you are flying Thai Airways on both sectors - no problem. Just make sure your luggage is checked all the way through to CNX. You'll clear customs etc in Chiang Mai. I can't remember if Thai Airways issue both boarding passes in Australia, or whether they issue the BKK - CNX boarding pass at the domestic transfer area in Bangkok. Regardless, it's not a major hassle. When you reach Chiang Mai, you'll be an "international arrival" and you'll clear Customs there.

One minor problem: if your flight is an overnight flight arriving in BKK early, you'll find the gates from international arrivals to domestic aren't staffed until around (from memory) 6 am. There's not much to do in the international arrivals area except hang around until the place opens - there's very little you can access in the way of duty free shops (and I tend to avoid duty free shops at BKK in any event - not competitively priced and full of scams).

If you are flying different airlines on the two sectors and you have only hand luggage and assuming your connecting flight to CNX is on Thai or Bangkok Airways (the only choices from BKK as far as I'm aware), you can get the boarding pass for your BKK - CNX flight at the domestic transfer check-in (the airlines have check in counters there for arriving international passengers, and then you can go through a security check or documentation check, before going into the area for domestic departures. You will clear Customs in Chiang Mai.

If you are flying different airlines (Brisbane - BKK, and BKK - CNX), and have check in bags, you can still avoid clearing customs in Bangkok if the two airlines involved have an interline agreement.

You'll find out at Brisbane check in if there's an interline agreement (if they check your bag all the way through to CNX, there is), or you could call your travel agent or airline in advance and ask.

Worst case - there is no interline agreement, in which case you can only check your bags to Bangkok, where you will clear Immigration, collect your bag, clear Customs etc. Arriving in BKK on Jetstar or some other low cost carrier, for instance, there are no interline agreements that I'm aware of, meaning that you have to complete all the arrival formalities in Bangkok and then check in and come back through security, and fly from BKK to CNX as a domestic passenger.

Clear as mud?

I believe what ever air line you come in with if they have an agreement with Bangkok air for luggage transfer. Bangkok air has a lounge you can wait in for your flight to Chiang Mai where you can clear customs.

When we went to Siem Reap we just went through the international area.

[malt48]

Sorry, I should have been more specific.
I'm flying Thai on both legs.
Cheers.... Mal.

[Thailand]

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

I'm flying Thai on both legs.

Cheers.... Mal.

Then you will have rapid transfer and will be able to clear immigration in Bangkok before flying on to Chiangmai.

[uptheos]

Everything in Chiang Mai is cheaper than in the duty free shops.