Returning to UK.....

[Oishii]

Hi All, I'm returning to the UK for a couple of months, (don't know why I choose to go at the coldest time of the year). My flight from Udon Thani arrives at Swampy at 09:45. My BA flight to the UK is scheduled for 11:15. 2 questions:

1, Am I gonna make it?

2, Any tips on getting me through quicker?

Thanks for your polite, (555), answers in advance.

[473geo]

Might save a bit of time if you have baggage for the hold and you can book it straight through

[Oishii]

Might save a bit of time if you have baggage for the hold and you can book it straight through

That would be a bonus, but sadly, no deal between Thai and BA. I may resort to hand luggage only. I can check in online, but don't know what advantage that gives me.

[JoePai]

Are you not supposed to check in for international flights 2 or 3 hours before ?

[Gsxrnz]

Check in online means you technically can check in 30 minutes later. But the main advantage is that bugger-all people do that so the "checked in online" queue is always empty, meaning you can get your baggage checked and seat allocated without queuing. I'd recommend you definitely do this as you have a tight timeframe.

Edit: But at that time of the morning, I'd say you'll be lucky to clear baggage, re-check the baggage, get through passport control, and meet the required boarding time. Try as I said above, but just take hand luggage. You can also print your boarding pass and select a seat before you leave home and skip checking in at all, just go straight to passport control and then the gate.

Wear jogging shoes and jai yen-yen

[Oishii]

Check in online means you technically can check in 30 minutes later. But the main advantage is that bugger-all people do that so the "checked in online" queue is always empty, meaning you can get your baggage checked and seat allocated without queuing. I'd recommend you definitely do this as you have a tight timeframe.

Edit: But at that time of the morning, I'd say you'll be lucky to clear baggage, re-check the baggage, get through passport control, and meet the required boarding time. Try as I said above, but just take hand luggage. You can also print your boarding pass and select a seat before you leave home and skip checking in at all, just go straight to passport control and then the gate.

Wear jogging shoes and jai yen-yen

Yes, I know the recommended 2 hour check in, but these flights were booked with an online agent.

I will take only hand luggage. I have most of what I need in the UK anyway.

I will check in and book my seats online, print boarding pass, etc before leaving home. I just hope there is no delay from Udon Thani.

[wooloomooloo]

I just hope there is no delay from Udon Thani.

Then you would be stuffed.

Whenever my wife and I return to UK we fly to BKK the day before and stay overnight. Then it's just a matter of a leisurely short drive to the airport in the morning. Missing our return flight to the UK doesn't bear thinking about.

[Oishii]

I just hope there is no delay from Udon Thani.

Then you would be stuffed.

Whenever my wife and I return to UK we fly to BKK the day before and stay overnight. Then it's just a matter of a leisurely short drive to the airport in the morning. Missing our return flight to the UK doesn't bear thinking about.

That would have been a better idea, but everything booked now.

Just found this:

Q :

What is the latest time to check-in at the airport?

A :

In Thailand, one hour before international departures and 45 minutes for domestic departures. At airports abroad, check-in times vary, but generally no later than 1 hour prior to departure.

[transam]

You might have made a miss calculation with your booking times but they don't want to lose you sooooooooooo I hope all is well.

[SantiSuk]

If you do go to a check-in desk then you will not be issued a ticket if you get there less than 45 minutes from the departure time of an international flight.

If you had to wait for your luggage to come off the domestic leg I would rate your chances of making the connection as 50%only (including my assessment of the likelihood of your domestic leg arriving late. With hand luggage only I rate your chances as better than 80%.

That would still not be high enough for me if it meant there was a 20% chance of losing the international flight cost without compensation. To be honest I would never put myself open to the level of stress you have been put to by the online consolidator - I would book another domestic leg and sacrifice the (2,000 ish baht?) I had already paid for the far too late domestic leg.

Are you aware that if you travel as a single man with hand luggage only on an international flight you will be profiled as a "customs/security risk" (paedophiles, terrorists and drug runners apparently travel light! Expect a lot of questioning and your bags to be searched (and maybe a bit of delay) at UK Border on arrival; there has been a recent thread reporting that laptops might even be temporarily impounded if you travel that way*

Frequent through traveller from Ubon (Air Asia before DM days and latterly Thai) to Swampy to Manchester. Nowadays I mostly prefer to stop in my BKK condo overnight like the other respondent

*Anyone got contrary experience of travelling with hand luggage only on a transcontinental flight and not being frisked on arrival?

[Chivas]

Unless you can rebook the BA flight in event of delays I wouldn't bother chancing it. Surely it would be better and not a great deal different cost wise to get a taxi from Udon Thani.

Cant imagine even Peasant Class on BA is cheap enough to missing it being no problem ?

[Chivas]

*Anyone got contrary experience of travelling with hand luggage only on a transcontinental flight and not being frisked on arrival?

No never..........

Edited......Not sure what happened to quotes here

[wooloomooloo]

To be honest I would never put myself open to the level of stress you have been put to by the online consolidator - I would book another domestic leg and sacrifice the (2,000 ish baht?) I had already paid for the far too late domestic leg.

Agreed. Also consider that failure to arrive on time for the international leg would constitute a no show.

I would seriously consider dumping the domestic leg and having a BKK stopover as previously advised.

If you arrive for the domestic flight and it's cancelled then there's no possibility of making the international flight. Even just a little late will surely result in a similar outcome.

It's your choice. My wife and I quite enjoy our overnight stops in BKK, trying out new hotels and restaurants. We have a nice lie-in in the morning and decent breakfast then hail a cab to the airport. It's all very civilised.

I can't stomach any stress prior to a twelve and half hour flight to Blighty. Can you afford the cost of a rescheduled international return journey?

[SantiSuk]

*Anyone got contrary experience of travelling with hand luggage only on a transcontinental flight and not being frisked on arrival?

No never..........

Edited......Not sure what happened to quotes here

That provides some balance. My advice of the risk of travelling without hold-checked baggage was not based on personal experience (I always have a hold bag), but on some reasonably authoritative-sounding recent thread on Thaivisa contributed to by several apparently frequent travelers

(now I've written that "reasonably authoritative-sounding thread on Thaivisa" sounds like an oxymoron!)

[Oishii]

To be honest I would never put myself open to the level of stress you have been put to by the online consolidator - I would book another domestic leg and sacrifice the (2,000 ish baht?) I had already paid for the far too late domestic leg.

Agreed. Also consider that failure to arrive on time for the international leg would constitute a no show.

I would seriously consider dumping the domestic leg and having a BKK stopover as previously advised.

If you arrive for the domestic flight and it's cancelled then there's no possibility of making the international flight. Even just a little late will surely result in a similar outcome.

It's your choice. My wife and I quite enjoy our overnight stops in BKK, trying out new hotels and restaurants. We have a nice lie-in in the morning and decent breakfast then hail a cab to the airport. It's all very civilised.

I can't stomach any stress prior to a twelve and half hour flight to Blighty. Can you afford the cost of a rescheduled international return journey?

OK. Thank you all for your messages. I have decided to get an evening flight to BKK and stay overnight. Can anyone recommend a nice hotel close to the Airport?

[wpcoe]

I recommend Silver Gold Garden Hotel with free shuttle service to and from the airport. I usually book via sawadee.com for the lowest rate, The hotel is clean and quiet and the staff friendly. There's a Tesco Lotus Express in front of the hotel, as well as a 7-11.

[Oishii]

Thanks for all of your replies guys, but now I have another problem.

I am a practicing Buddhist. I attend a temple about 20k from where I live. The Luang Por there has been impressed with my attendance and the amount I have learned since attending. He has given me an amulet to wear and a couple of months ago he presented me with a Buddha Statue. He told me that he has had it for 40 years and that it was presented to him in Cambodia. I pray in front of this Buddha at least 2 times every day and I would love to continue to do this in the UK. My question is:

Can I legally take this to the UK with me and bring it back when I return to Thailand?

[Bpuumike]

I just hope there is no delay from Udon Thani.

Then you would be stuffed.

Whenever my wife and I return to UK we fly to BKK the day before and stay overnight. Then it's just a matter of a leisurely short drive to the airport in the morning. Missing our return flight to the UK doesn't bear thinking about.

Makes much more sense.

[Jay Sata]

Thanks for all of your replies guys, but now I have another problem.

I am a practicing Buddhist. I attend a temple about 20k from where I live. The Luang Por there has been impressed with my attendance and the amount I have learned since attending. He has given me an amulet to wear and a couple of months ago he presented me with a Buddha Statue. He told me that he has had it for 40 years and that it was presented to him in Cambodia. I pray in front of this Buddha at least 2 times every day and I would love to continue to do this in the UK. My question is:

Can I legally take this to the UK with me and bring it back when I return to Thailand?

Technically its illegal. If you get stopped at Customs, the minimum would be confiscation of the object, but worse could also happen.

Why risk losing it?