'Guys, I asked if anyone yet knew how far and how long it takes to get from International Immigration/baggage reclaim to the Domestic departures ?

Whilst your posts are interesting they don't answer the problem. Help please from anyone who has some knowledge to answer the question.  Thanks'


You exit from gate B or C at International arrivals level 2 go right take the escalator moving stairs for luggage and trolleys is fine 30 yds or lift to floor 4 Departures.  Domestic departures is over on left towards the Thai  set of departure check ins.  Domestic Entrance gate is behind them. Time getting thro public crowds is the only problem say 10 minutes on a good day.
Maps and help at hand with pictures.

Boxers Airport Guide

This will be pinned for a while and available thereafter in the resources forum.

Boxer wrote:

'Guys, I asked if anyone yet knew how far and how long it takes to get from International Immigration/baggage reclaim to the Domestic departures ?

Whilst your posts are interesting they don't answer the problem. Help please from anyone who has some knowledge to answer the question.  Thanks'


You exit from gate B or C at International arrivals level 2 go right take the escalator moving stairs for luggage and trolleys is fine 30 yds or lift to floor 4 Departures.  Domestic departures is over on left towards the Thai  set of departure check ins.  Domestic Entrance gate is behind them. Time getting thro public crowds is the only problem say 10 minutes on a good day.
Maps and help at hand with pictures.

Boxers Airport Guide

Thanks Boxer, mine was the original query you quote above, in another thread. I was directed to a thread in Thai Visa which gave much the same answer as you, apart from the time estimate.

I will be passing through on tuesday if anyone wants me to check anything specific out.

The 6am BBC news this morning carried a report with a few seconds footage and called chaos at bangkoks new airport.  Thousands of passengers left with no luggage at the weekend!  Looked really crowded!

There is no accurate answer to the original question. The connection time depend on:

1. how far your incomimg international flight is from the immigration hall (allow up to 20 minutes if you are deplaned by bus, or 15 minutes otherwise)

2. How long it takes to get through immigration (this is down to pure luck - can take 45 minutes if you're unlucky)

3. How long it takes to negotiate through the airport and check into your domestic flight (allow 15 minutes just for negotiating the airport as there are lots of bottle-necks. Check in queues depend largely on the airline, would be foolhardy to rely on it being less than 20 minutes with Air Asia though)

4. how far your domestic departure is from the departure hall (mine was from gate A6 and took a good 15 minutes - distance abou the same as from Dom Muang international to Domestic terminal, though there are travelators).

5. How long the security screening queue is at the gate. Screening is now more thorough and involves removing laptops and some other equipment from bags, though no advance warning is given of this. Slows the sreening down no end. Allow 15 minutes.

Thus, if you're unlucky, you may take Two hours to make an international to domestic connection.

justin wrote:

There is no accurate answer to the original question. The connection time depend on:............Thus, if you're unlucky, you may take Two hours to make an international to domestic connection.

I fully realise all the permutations which will affect the overall time but purely wanted to know the rough distance and walking time from International baggage retrieval to Domestic departure check in, due to reports that the new airport was so large.

Have now got the answer.

Thanks VM

While it may be stuck in the middle of nowhere, passengers and visitors at Suvarnabhumi Airport need not worry about finding a decent place to eat
Bangkok Post
STORY BY VANNIYA SRIANGURA, PHOTOS BY ANUSORN SAKSEREE

Dining is one of the new airport's highlight features with a range of sophisticated sports bars, trendy restaurants and world-class gastronomy available.

Thanks to the Thai sanook attitude, the new airport has unintentionally become the city's newest and, of course, biggest recreational site. While the airport terminal lures crowds of curious, fun-loving visitors who want to check out the modern facilities, departing Boeings grab people's attention just like spaceships blasting off. And the airport's futuristically designed building itself has become a favourite backdrop for streetside picnics for many locals.

Situated some 30 kilometres to the east from downtown Bangkok, the one-week-old Suvarnabhumi Airport that sprawls across 20,000 rai may be what we should to get to know better. With concerns like where to eat and what to do while there, totally unprepared passengers may expect a muddled start to their trip. But that should never encourage any of us to visit the airport for leisure, unless you are a passenger.

From its ritzy "international" interior to its plethora of global brands, the 15 - billion-baht-invested Suvarnabhumi is definitely inspired by overseas airports, making it hard to distinguish it from other big city airports. But look on the other side and keep your mind open, the good thing is that Suvarnabhumi is trying to offer what Don Muang lacked and perhaps that means an international flavour and diversity.

Perhaps you can say that Don Muang didn't need such things. Just a stone's throw from the parked airbuses are shopping centres, restaurants and markets. But here in the middle of nowhere, where would a passenger at Suvarnabhumi go for food, especially with the potential of a delayed departure? Well, that's one thing they'll never have to worry about.

Rest assured, dining is one of the selling points at Suvarnabhumi. Gone are Don Muang's humdrum dining atmosphere and odds-and-ends snack bars. Sophisticated sports bars, trendy restaurants and world-class gastronomy are what Suvarnabhumi features proudly. And if you want to dodge the crowds of visitors or are looking for a four-star hotel service, just step away from the airport terminal and walk through the parking lot, and you'll find the Novotel Suvarnabhumi where more dining choices await.

As I'm writing this, I'm also keeping my fingers crossed. The Airport Authority, who recently came out and asked people not to use Suvarnabhumi as a sightseeing ground, has claimed that every flaw will be corrected by the end of this month - and that should include its smelly toilets problem, too. Otherwise, my dining tip for people coming to the new airport would be, "Don't eat or drink too much."

Fascinating numbers, sufficient choices and, perhaps, mundane flavours

Some 50 dining venues dot the 25,000-square-metre airport terminal. While more than 30 of them offer comfortable seating areas, only half a dozen are proper dining restaurants.

Here, the dining business is well-planned and restaurants are carefully selected according to the preferences of the clientele and the destinations they are flying to. For example, the eastern concourses (A, B, C and the east side of D), with gates occupied by Japan Airlines and Thai Airways, house several Asian eateries, while the western concourses (E, F and the west side of D) offer more European-style cuisine because that's where the gates to Europe and the US are situated. And while most shopping stores close at midnight, all dining venues operate 24 hours.

Full article
http://www.bangkokpost.net/061006_Realtime/06Oct2006_real005.php

Bus - Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport and Return as at 12th Oct 2006.

Here is the latest information on the above bus services.  I went to Pattaya Northern Bus Station on Pattaya Nua today and spoke with the office of Bell Travel Services Co Ltd who are running this service under license from the Government.
The office is in the Bus Station at the top by Bus Park on the right in a separate building.  Busses are new blue and white Air-Con coaches which look very comfortable.  There is also an air-con waiting room. Email: rrc_bus@hotmail.com  

Pattaya - Bangkok Airport is 150 baht.  Booking recommended Tel: 038-370-055-6
Timetable
06.00 am
09.00 am
13.00 pm
17.00 pm
Bangkok Airport – Pattaya is 200 baht.  Booking recommended Tel: 02-747-4673
Timetable
09.30 am
13.30 pm
17.30 pm

The lady in the office spoke English and said you will be dropped off at the Airport Terminal Departures Level 4 direct NOT at the Bus Station, in the Transportation Centre.  Pick up will be on Level 2 Arrivals Door 10, but please phone 02-747-4673 as you arrive to confirm pick up service is required.