Phuket Airport new terminal opening this week

[2fishin2]

This is normally correct but as there is no immigration at the domestic terminal you can't clear immigration unless you walk after your check in to the new international terminal to clear immigration.
As I don't have confirmation yet how this is handled now at HKT.

If you are leaving from terminal 3 (domestic) there is no immigration and that is normal. If you have a connecting international flight say in bkk or another international airport in Thailand, then Immigration will be cleared at that airport and not Phuket as your flight from HKT is considered domestic. Thats standard nothing changed.

You do not go to terminal one for immigration for connecting flights at another airport.


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[surangw]

how far into the future will all that parking be needed ?

[LivinginKata]

23 minutes ago, surangw said:

how far into the future will all that parking be needed ?

 

The multi level car park is always full almost since it opened last year. There is not nearly enough parking right now. Couple of months ago I had to shove a car out of my way. The custom is park behind/blocking the regular parked cars and leave handbrake off.

[stevenl]

8 hours ago, 2fishin2 said:

 

If you are leaving from terminal 3 (domestic) there is no immigration and that is normal. If you have a connecting international flight say in bkk or another international airport in Thailand, then Immigration will be cleared at that airport and not Phuket as your flight from HKT is considered domestic. Thats standard nothing changed.

You do not go to terminal one for immigration for connecting flights at another airport.


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Previously for international departures (connecting) I always cleared immigration in phuket.

[federicoP]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Previously for international departures (connecting) I always cleared immigration in phuket.

 

Me too, many many times !

 

Additional info from Bangkok Air site :

From 16th September 2016 onwards, domestic transfer passengers continuing to international destinations at Suvarnabhumi Airport can check-in at the new Phuket International Terminal located at Row E. For passenger traveling domestically, check-in counter and departure gate will remain at the Domestic Terminal.
 

 

[steelepulse]

12 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

The multi level car park is always full almost since it opened last year. There is not nearly enough parking right now. Couple of months ago I had to shove a car out of my way. The custom is park behind/blocking the regular parked cars and leave handbrake off.

 

Do they now allow parking on the ground floor, or are all those prime spaces still not being utilized?

 

I've never had a problem parking on the upper floors near to the terminal and just walking down 4 flights of stairs.

[LivinginKata]

24 minutes ago, steelepulse said:

 

Do they now allow parking on the ground floor, or are all those prime spaces still not being utilized?

 

I've never had a problem parking on the upper floors near to the terminal and just walking down 4 flights of stairs.

 

Think they built or are building airport offices on that ground floor. That's what the staff told my wife last time we parked there.

 

I've always had trouble finding a space since the parking building opened. I always have to drive up to the 4 th floor and circulate until someone leaves.  But never had to park on the roadway blocking parked cars and handbrake off.

Edited September 27, 2016 by LivinginKata

[merijn]

13 hours ago, 2fishin2 said:

 

If you are leaving from terminal 3 (domestic) there is no immigration and that is normal. If you have a connecting international flight say in bkk or another international airport in Thailand, then Immigration will be cleared at that airport and not Phuket as your flight from HKT is considered domestic. Thats standard nothing changed.

You do not go to terminal one for immigration for connecting flights at another airport.


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Off-course you clear immigration in Phuket if you have a connection international flight (for example in Bangkok) and don't leave the airport in Bangkok.

You check in and get both BP (one to Bangkok and the other one for the international flight)

The BP will be stamped with intentional stamp and a sticker for your body to identify yourself as intentional transfer and you are directed to the international side for immigration clearance.

In Bangkok you will be directed to the transfer security and go directly to the departure hall.

Your example only works if you want to leave the airport in Bangkok and re-check in again for the international flight (i do this as i don't like Phuket immigration waiting times) but it is not standard practice.

How they do it now as the immigration departure is in the new terminal i don't know yet.

[merijn]

51 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Think they built or are building airport offices on that ground floor. That's what the staff told my wife last time we parked there.

 

I've always had trouble finding a space since the parking building opened. I always have to drive up to the 4 th floor and circulate until someone leaves.  But never had to park on the roadway blocking parked cars and handbrake off.

Ground floor is indeed partly full with offices and the rest is still closed of from day one.

I believe that the top level is still closed off !! 

And part of level 2 is closed off for the car rental companies.

Hopefully that will be opened soon as the parking is almost always completely full.

[pistachios]

Arrived from Dubai a few days ago at the new terminal. Ground team probably needs training with the new equipment as it took them 15 minutes to dock the gateway to the plane. I had lost my pen and could not fill on the plane the annoying immigration forms that Thailand insist on using instead of an electronic system. But there was not a single pen in sight in the whole passport control room, had to borrow one from a duty free shop. Seems weird that nobody thought it could be useful to attach some pens somewhere.

 

On the bright side, luggages were already delivered, even though I cut through the pretty long immigration lines by going along my wife at the Thai nationals booth. Had also to xray my luggage but the officer could not care less and didn't even bother to look at the screen.

 

Could be usefull for some : the new motorbike parking is in the old terminal's parking and the entry is a bit before its exit.

[skatewash]

5 minutes ago, pistachios said:

Could be usefull for some : the new motorbike parking is in the old terminal's parking and the entry is a bit before its exit.

 

Extremely useful information.  Thanks!

[phuketrichard]

14 hours ago, stevenl said:

Previously for international departures (connecting) I always cleared immigration in phuket.

yes, thats the way its been for me the past 5 flights i have had departing Phuket,clearing immigration, transferring to the domestic flight to Bangkok, transiting Bangkok to another country on air asia

 

seems like good info that those of us dong this check in at new terminal.   I wonder how you get domestic flight to Bangkok??

Edited September 27, 2016 by phuketrichard

[Psimbo]

On 9/27/2016 at 6:22 AM, phuketrichard said:

yes, thats the way its been for me the past 5 flights i have had departing Phuket,clearing immigration, transferring to the domestic flight to Bangkok, transiting Bangkok to another country on air asia

 

seems like good info that those of us dong this check in at new terminal.   I wonder how you get domestic flight to Bangkok??

It hadn't opened before, as I flew out before the new terminal opened but the corridor after the gate but before getting on the aircraft  has a connecting door with the new terminal. I suppose it will be similar to walking down from the old International section but from the other direction.

[CHFarang]

On September 26, 2016 at 9:17 PM, 2fishin2 said:

 

If you are leaving from terminal 3 (domestic) there is no immigration and that is normal. If you have a connecting international flight say in bkk or another international airport in Thailand, then Immigration will be cleared at that airport and not Phuket as your flight from HKT is considered domestic. Thats standard nothing changed.

You do not go to terminal one for immigration for connecting flights at another airport.


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Actually I was just told by someone who runs limousine service that all travellers on domestic flights with international connection in bangkok will have to check in and go through immigration at the new terminal 1, then transfer over to terminal 3. Same arriving back from a connecting international flight through bangkok; arriving gate 3, but go get your luggage at terminal 1.

It's a big mess for limousine services because they often don't know whether guests come only from Bangkok or just connected in Bangkok.

I will experience it first hand this Saturday and can update. 

Edited September 29, 2016 by CHFarang

[Badrabbit]

Not been to the airport in a long time, going on Sunday, is the bike parking in the same place, to the left inside the entrance?

[skatewash]

22 minutes ago, Badrabbit said:

Not been to the airport in a long time, going on Sunday, is the bike parking in the same place, to the left inside the entrance?

 

According to an earlier post, it looks like it's changed:

 

On 9/27/2016 at 2:45 PM, skatewash said:

  On 9/27/2016 at 2:39 PM, pistachios said:

Could be usefull for some : the new motorbike parking is in the old terminal's parking and the entry is a bit before its exit.

 

[GiantFan]

Arrived from KL and immigration queue was over 1 hour.  Kiosks that hold 2 imm officers only had 1.  More staff needed.  A plane arrived from HKG 20 minutes before us and they hadn't cleared before we joined the queue.   What a circus.

[stevenl]

3 minutes ago, GiantFan said:

Arrived from KL and immigration queue was over 1 hour.  Kiosks that hold 2 imm officers only had 1.  More staff needed.  A plane arrived from HKG 20 minutes before us and they hadn't cleared before we joined the queue.   What a circus.

Yes, I had somebody arrive from Cologne/Bonn, took almost 2 hours to reach the exit. That was at 4 AM.

[schlog]

I hope the ebola line will be back soon.

Will try soon if fast track works now when fly out.

[merijn]

16 hours ago, schlog said:

I hope the ebola line will be back soon.

Will try soon if fast track works now when fly out.

Do they have a fast track for business class for departure and/or arrivals immigration ?

Edited October 4, 2016 by merijn

[schlog]

3 hours ago, merijn said:

Do they have a fast track for business class for departure and/or arrivals immigration ?

 Up to which airline you fly. Came in with qatar in business and there was no fast track. Will fly out now with Mas in business and they always have the cooperation with the coral lounge. This means fast track at immigration when you fly out. Never understood why Thai has no fast track on hkt for c-class but Mas or Etihad has.

I also prefer the coral lounge. Maybe the new Thai lounge is not more crampy like the old one.Will check this later this month.

 

You always can use fast track when book it at the coral lounge without c-class.

 

 

[madmitch]

2 hours ago, schlog said:

 Up to which airline you fly. Came in with qatar in business and there was no fast track. Will fly out now with Mas in business and they always have the cooperation with the coral lounge. This means fast track at immigration when you fly out. Never understood why Thai has no fast track on hkt for c-class but Mas or Etihad has.

I also prefer the coral lounge. Maybe the new Thai lounge is not more crampy like the old one.Will check this later this month.

 

You always can use fast track when book it at the coral lounge without c-class.

 

 

Interesting. I'm a Priority Pass member but have never bothered with the lounge at HKT. I wonder if Coral Lounge has a desk before immigration like they did at the old terminal?

[bearpolar]

Is T1 new or old?

[skatewash]

37 minutes ago, bearpolar said:

Is T1 new or old?

 T1 is the new international terminal.

T3 is the old, now domestic only terminal.

[Badrabbit]

New terminal security is a joke we should all be worried, turned up at the Malsayian section, bags were being put through the security scanner, meanwhile on the other side(same section) people were just walking into the section with there cases as there is no security scanner and no security staff, is that crazy or what?

[madmitch]

2 hours ago, Badrabbit said:

New terminal security is a joke we should all be worried, turned up at the Malsayian section, bags were being put through the security scanner, meanwhile on the other side(same section) people were just walking into the section with there cases as there is no security scanner and no security staff, is that crazy or what?

I"m sure I read somewhere that the bag scanning was going to be done after check-in, like it's done at most airports around the world, in order to avoid the big queues entering the terminal.

[Badrabbit]

If this is how they intend future security to be I can see a big problem sometime in the future, scanning some luggage whilst other luggage enters the area unscanned, that means a lot of luggage will be loaded onto the plane unchecked!

[Ian1980]

10 hours ago, Badrabbit said:

New terminal security is a joke we should all be worried, turned up at the Malsayian section, bags were being put through the security scanner, meanwhile on the other side(same section) people were just walking into the section with there cases as there is no security scanner and no security staff, is that crazy or what?

You right:the baggage check is not 100% complete and secure.This is freak me out a little.The problem,at the present moment,is belong to the fact that the x ray machine are "uncompleted":i mean few of them are still out of order as the filters that allow the x ray to work are still not fixed.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, madmitch said:

I"m sure I read somewhere that the bag scanning was going to be done after check-in, like it's done at most airports around the world, in order to avoid the big queues entering the terminal.

I pretty sure that the actual baggage check  / X-ray has always been inside of the authorized people only area. Even if they like to put 'security checked' labels at the entrance to the airport. 

 

The security checks when entering to the airport is only for to secure the terminal lobby itself. Many countries don't have any security checks when entering to the terminal lobby. IIRC neither Bangkok airports have it. 

 

 

[merijn]

At last i have now hand first hand experience with transfer from BKK.

arrived in BKK with Turkish and cleared immigration at the transfer section just before entering the domestic area where you still get the international sticker ( same as before)

Arrived in Phuket with TG domestic flight at domestic terminal.

When you come of the plane the domestic passengers go the normal old route and the international transfer passengers with sticker go to the right and via a connection door to the new international terminal arrival level and to the luggage arrival area.

Departure is the same, after clearing immigration and when boarding starts you enter the domestic departure level where the gates are again via an connection door between the international and domestic area.