Business Lounge Upon Don Muang Arrival

[scrunchielaura]

I'll be travelling business class via Thai Airways to BKK before, um, er, Suvarnabhumi is opened. Upon arrival I'd like to pop into the business class lounge to clean up after my long flight from LAX. Some questions:

Do they even allow lounge access upon arrival, or are only departing and connecting passengers allowed in?

It looks like all the lounges are gateside of the security/passport check - and checked baggage claim is outside. Can I go out, collect my checked bags, and return gateside to a lounge? I guess I could use the lounge first, and collect my bags later - but that would mean they'd be sitting unguarded in baggage claim.

[Soju]

There is no way you can collect you luggage and then go back to the departure area unless you have an onward ticket and pay the 500 Baht departure tax to go back through immigration.

There is a path from the arrival area to the departure area which was unmanned when I went through it last month. Passengers were freely going back and forth, but don't know if that's always the case.

I've never tried to use a lounge on arrival so don't know if they'd permit it or not.

There are dayrooms available in the arrival area, and I think also in the departure area, but nothing after you've gone through immigration and collected your luggage. The rate was something like 1,400 Baht per 4 hours.

I believe there is some sort of a lounge that you can pay for access to in the departure area, but I've never used it before, so maybe someone else has some details on that.

Once you've gone to the baggage area, your only option would be a nearby hotel.

Edited July 1, 2006 by Soju

[Axel]

Thereis one lounge (in each terminal) just before passing the arrival exray machines onn the right side. Nothing exciting but can stay there until somebodyu brings your luggage. Used, e.g. by Elite-card members.

[scrunchielaura]

There is no way you can collect you luggage and then go back to the departure area unless you have an onward ticket and pay the 500 Baht departure tax to go back through immigration.

OK, that's a definitive answer.

Once you've gone to the baggage area, your only option would be a nearby hotel.

That means I'll have to wait a few hours till I get to my hotel.

Thanks.

[thohts]

When you depart the plane, do have *have* to go straight to immigration?

Isn't it possible to reach the Thai Royal Orchid lounge on the 3rd floor from the arrival floor (1st)?

[tartempion]

i don't get this, usually it takes me less than one hour from landing to a Sukhumvit hotel, why bother?

[scrunchielaura]

i don't get this, usually it takes me less than one hour from landing to a Sukhumvit hotel, why bother?

1) The flight is 17 hours.

2) The flight arrives at dawn.

3) My destination is not Bangkok. My destination is two+ hours away. (Ground transportation is being arranged for me.)

4) I may have a full day of things to do before getting to check in.

I recently learned I will have a traveling companion who could collect the baggage while I remain gate-side and duck into a lounge.