Bangkok International airport
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at 08:29 by K1ngston.
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K1ngstonParticipantI noticed when I was ploughing through the BBC I player that there is a programme on at the moment about Bangkok International Airport where they call it the airport of smiles … God knows how! I would like to nominate it for the literally one of the worst airports in Asia and potentially the world.
I had the misfortune to have to fly Thai today, a quick dash from BKK to PNH and for the 55 minutes I would fly Thai albeit I don’t have any status on Star Alliance!
This morning at 6am there was queues outside the door almost and 3 people on the ticket desks WTF is all that about, so got my ticket at 6.50am I then went to security which was 15 mins, and then passport control to leave the country is a minimum of 2-3 minutes per person which also took 25 minutes, this is the 21st century why tell me does it take so long to go through, and then a mish mash of shops walking directly to the gate to get on my flight due for take off at 7.50am a full 2 hours to get to the gate!
The whole process in Singapore would have taken about 5-6 minutes here took 2 hours from the point of arriving to passing through immigration. So I am changing the name from Airport of Smiles to Airport of Miles and miles of unhappy queuing people a badly managed and thought out disaster…
You want more people you have got to do something about the airport a disgrace
26 Jan 2015
at 09:56
MartynSinclairParticipant@K1ngston…. as long as you have my sim card :)))
This is thailand… didn’t the Westin provide you with a Fast Pass..
I will give you one next weekend…..
26 Jan 2015
at 17:47
TerryMcManus24ParticipantSounds like you may have had issues with Thai Check in rather that Suwana…maybe wrong… if so sorry.
I like the “Golden Land”airport and believe they are going ahead with expansion…which should make things even better but you never know with this lot.
Gave up on TG a couple of years ago after they left me up the proverbial creek..etc although still use the Royal Oci Club lounge with my Etihad Card.
Flying down on Thursday with Lion Air and off to Honkers on Saturday ( Emirates) so will have an update….
27 Jan 2015
at 03:25
TheRealBabushkaParticipantBKK and TG is a disgrace!
Smooth as Silk my a*se!
And what horrible location for lounges! The poor CX agents were so apologetic.
27 Jan 2015
at 05:57
K1ngstonParticipantMartynSinclair I have your SIM card have no fear and will see you on the weekend. No they didnt did not know one existed, so will happily accept that for the chore of lugging your sim card all the way to UK 🙂
MrMichael you are right it is very American in their DGAF attitude and speed at immigration albeit the new ESTA (ETSA) machines at MIA are brilliant until you come to the customs guys (don’t get me started) is very slow laborious I not sure if its the systems or Thais are generally nosey and want to look at every stamp in everyones passport??
TerryMcManus24 I am in Honkers this Thursday using CX (ahhhhh) to LHR the only way to fly!!
27 Jan 2015
at 06:03
TerryMcManus24ParticipantBit of News from TG…
Thai Airways to Downsize and Reduce routes
The State Enterprise Policy Committee has approved Thai Airways International’s rehabilitation plan discussed in a meeting on Monday chaired by the prime minister.
Measures will include a reduction of the airline’s staffing by 5,000 and cancellation of its non-performing routes.
In the first nine months of 2014, the airline suffered losses of Bt9 billion and Bt12 billion in 2013.
The rehabilitation plan will see its workforce slashed from 25,000 to 20,000.
Decisions on routes that do not make a profit but are considered to have potential will be made in the fourth quarter.
Under the plan, THAI’s will sell 22 old aircraft and decommission 14 Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A 340-600 craft.
THAI also plans to sell its stakes in Nok Air, BAFS , Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel,the Amari Airport Hotel and Royal Orchid Sheraton…(abbr)
27 Jan 2015
at 07:04
MartynSinclairParticipantThe worrying point that came across from the BKK Airport docu, which naturally will never happen to any of us busy executives in the comfort of business/F or even on Private Jets, is the horrific thought of losing ones travel documents before departure in a foreign land.
On my last trip to BKK I left a mobile somewhere, sure I was upset, but all was replaceable and backed up.
The issue about having to show a credit card but not a debit card was also interesting (yes that had happened to me in HKG 2 years ago…. luckily I had a photocopy of the Amex card, which had been stolen/lost a few days before hand…
But to lose a passport and credit cards………. at the airport ………. I did feel for that guy and it has caused me to create a new recovery plan(if it happens to me)…. part of which will be to renew my second passport…
27 Jan 2015
at 10:19
TerryMcManus24ParticipantJust been watching the BBC Bangkok Airport doc…not bad …but some people should really stay at home….
Re;CC ets..Got all mine photo copied including passport /travel ints/Insurance agreements downloaded to docs on my computer/internet provider.
Passport also laminated credit card standard and fits wallet
Bad enough if they get “nicked”but at least if you can at least retrieve the info…especially with PP/Visa…it..takes the potential pain away…a bit.
Could always have the info tattooed somewhere “safe” in reverse..that you could read with a mirror…
27 Jan 2015
at 12:14
traveldocParticipantLove living in Thailand; HATE having to use Suvarnabhumi!! Will use Don Muang whenever possible, as it’s a much better experience. With both SIN and HKG locally you’d think the Thais could have seen what worked and emulated it, but in typical This style they did their own thing and have this disaster of an international airport as a result. Immigration is an embarrassment, unless you can use Fast Track.
28 Jan 2015
at 03:00
IanFromHKGParticipantI also agree that BKK airport is terrible. The shopping areas are very nice, and fortunately I normally travel J so can use the Premium Lane, and even if I’m not I have an APEC business travel card so still get to use the Premium Lane! However, the miles and miles one always has to walk down dreary corridors with lots of bare concrete really takes the fun out of the experience (transiting, especially between international and domestic, is a particular nightmare), and every lounge I have been into there is pretty poor (although I will admit to a soft spot for the PG lounge – you have to love a lounge that is accessible to economy passengers, even if it is a bit poor by busines class standards!). The only time I went to the THAI J lounge I was horrified at how bad it was – I really can’t understand the good reviews I have seen of it. To cap it all, now that BA have abandoned their lounge, there isn’t a single oneworld-operated F lounge in the place, which seems astonishing. Let us hope that the new CX lounge is an improvement on the current offering (the QF lounge is the best of the bunch, but it can get very crowded at certain times)
28 Jan 2015
at 03:49 -
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