New Airport To Pattaya October 16

[gk10002000]

I just arrived from Tokyo narita via USA. 747 did not park at a gate. Walked down a rollaway staircase to the tarmac. Boarded bus to terminal, about a two minute ride. If the airport is going to continue doing that, then it has failed. Although I heard from others that they do not have adequate people moving stairs inside so one may have a very long walk from a terminal to their gate. Old people and wheel chairs could not get down this stairway, and if it is raining well...

Customs was easy and fast. Signs less than obvious. Saw immigration signs that pointed both directions. Maybe either way would have worked. I don't know. I followed the crowd and had no problems. "Way Out" sign does show where to go, but one has to look around to see it behind the baggage carousels.

Airport is spacious but bland. No style at all. Like a shiny new mall. No notion of being in Thailand. After leaving customs, I noticed the "taxi" sign pointing downstairs to level 1. The upper level had a crush of people as you leave immigration, not unlike Don Muang was. Two narrow squeeze points. I had carry on only, but had to wait as five or six people laborously pushed their luggage carts through. Two exit points only. No way except to push them out of the way to get through. Much less space than at Don Muang. Stores and outside wall are way too close to where you walk out of immigration. Lots of space in the airport, but not distributed in any sensical way. I was quite put off by it, because I am an engineer, and there is no need for such a congested exit.

Downstairs area was big and empty. Walked outside and there was a taxi table, no kiosk like at Don Muang. Told man I wanted Pattaya, girl gave me a slip of paper. I asked how much and he said 1300 Baht. OK and off we went in a taxi. Did not pay for taxi in advance like at Don Muang.

I was in and out of the airport in about 15 minutes and that included about 5 minutes to exchange some USD into Baht. Drive from airport to Pattaya Soi 8 took about 90 minutes so as expected it was faster than from Don Muang. We get on that elevated hiway pretty fast. Of course there was the usual stop to get gas!

[Paul3456]

I'll be arriving BKK Suvarnabhumi in a couple of days around 12 midnight and will want to take a taxi to Pattaya.

1. Is it best to go down to Level 1 and take a taxi from there rather than going to the transportation center?

2. Is the price still 1300bt plus I assume tolls and tip?

Thanks

Paul3456

[lomatopo]

gk10002000 What airline did you arrive on? On 40 or so arrivals on UA at Don Muang I got a bus gate 39 times. So far on two arrivals at Suvarnabhumi on UA I've gotten a fixed/jetway gate. Bus/remote gates can be a pain, moreso for elderly/infirmed passengers, and their use is based on several criteria. The airline itself may have made the decision to use a remote gate for economic/logistical/scheduling reasons.

After you clear immigration, retrieve any checked bags and clear Customs you are on level 2. To reach the official taxi stand you need to proceed down one level via the elevator or sloped moving walkway. I am not 100% certain but they may have a flat rate, for destinations other than Bangkok, for metered taxis departing the official taxi stand(s) on level 1?

If you exit at level 2 and proceed to the far curb you may find a few taxis waiting here. They will use the meter into the city, or negotiate for more distant locales. Negotiating might yield a fare to Pattaya of 1,000 THB, and you would pay the tolls. Alternatively you could head up to level 4 and try to netotiate with a taxi dropping people off?

[britmaveric]

Always a coach to the DM Terminal, with a roll away staircase!!

[gk10002000]

gk10002000 What airline did you arrive on? On 40 or so arrivals on UA at Don Muang I got a bus gate 39 times. So far on two arrivals at Suvarnabhumi on UA I've gotten a fixed/jetway gate. Bus/remote gates can be a pain, moreso for elderly/infirmed passengers, and their use is based on several criteria. The airline itself may have made the decision to use a remote gate for economic/logistical/scheduling reasons.

After you clear immigration, retrieve any checked bags and clear Customs you are on level 2. To reach the official taxi stand you need to proceed down one level via the elevator or sloped moving walkway. I am not 100% certain but they may have a flat rate, for destinations other than Bangkok, for metered taxis departing the official taxi stand(s) on level 1?

If you exit at level 2 and proceed to the far curb you may find a few taxis waiting here. They will use the meter into the city, or negotiate for more distant locales. Negotiating might yield a fare to Pattaya of 1,000 THB, and you would pay the tolls. Alternatively you could head up to level 4 and try to netotiate with a taxi dropping people off?

I arrived and departed United Airlines. Maybe "Falang" airlines get staircase!

I just returned home on November 10 on United Airways departing at 0640. Ticket counters were not hard to find. But on arriving in taxi outside, the signs for carriers was not that large. Keep your eyes open. I drove by the transportation center but did not use it. Taxi dropped me off right outside the departure terminal curbside. Inside a sign board pretty clearly showed what counters were for what airlines, and had big letters, A, B etc.. showing which part of terminal had your ticket counter. No big lines when I got there at 0500. 500 baht departure tax booth was just to the right where you exit the ticket counter area. I didn't see it at first and was looking for machines like Don Muang had. Lady simply turned me around and pointed me to it about five yards from the exit when I tried to go through without the departure tax receipt.

Airport is just not up to par. So noisy in gate area, one can not hear boarding section announcements. At Narita in Tokyo, you can see digital sign board stating what sections are boarding and clearly hear the attendant on the Microphone Public Address System. Long walk to terminal past all the crap mall shopping is a waste of my time and energy. Not obvious on my run out where the internet things were if any. Others have found them, but I don't want to browse. I was hoping something was on my way to my gate. Narita had a decent internet place near gate 31, in the massage and day room and shower shop. 300 yen for 30 minutes. They took 3 USD, so not the actualy exchange rate. Don Muang had a nice juice stall. Fresh banana and orange mix drink squeezed fresh. One of the things I enjoyed and helped lessen the pain of leaving the LOS.

Taxi from Pattaya was 900 baht inclusive of tolls. Friend of mine has a standard guy he uses and he showed up on time at my hotel at 0300.

[Paul3456]

Arrived a couple of days ago around 12 midnight on JL 707. Can confirm that there is no need to take a bus to the transportation center to get a taxi. You will exit customs on level 2. Simply go down to level 1 and exit the terminal. There are taxis waiting. Go to the table and confirm your destination. Flat rate to Pattaya was 1300 baht all inclusive. Pay the driver at destination, not at table at BKK.