Suvarnabhumi Airport

Understand

Suvarnabhumi Airport has a huge terminal building serving domestic and international flights called the "Main Terminal" and a satellite terminal called "SAT-1",. Prior to COVID, it was handling far more than the 65 million passengers per year it was designed for. While tourist numbers have dropped due to restrictions, a second passenger terminal is planned and major expansion works are set to commence in mid-2022. Suvarnabhumi was intended to be the only commercial airport for Bangkok but the booming traffic forced the Don Mueang airport to be reopened to flights in 2007. Since then several budget airlines have moved their operations there, including Air Asia.

Getting around

Suvarnabhumi Airport is huge. By some measures it is the world's largest airport, so allow time for getting around. You will find yourself walking long distances while inside the airport. There are travelators to move people faster in the corridors. The floors are connected with lifts, escalators and some travelators. Long concourses with boarding gates radiate from the main building and it can take quite a while to get to the gate from duty free shops and bars. There are two immigration sections; if one looks very busy you may use the other one. Processing time can be lengthy, at least 30 minutes but on bad days it can reach 2 hours. Make sure you have the arrival card form filled in before joining the snake lines to the immigration counters.

Buy

Money ATMs are available after collecting your bag and clearing customs, and while it is advisable to arrive with a small amount of baht if possible (or US dollar and euros for exchange), you may obtain cash from an ATM after landing as well. However, most charge at least 200 baht for withdrawals. Alternatively, exchange money — though, all banks have notoriously bad rates, making you to lose up to 4-5% if you exchange there. Best to only exchange a small amount here. However, there is at least one money exchanger with superb rates (SuperRich) at the basement floor just to the left of the machines selling Airport Rail Link tokens. Rates here are not much different from their city offices, but they are open before 10:00.

Shopping There are a few shops in the check-in area, including a convenience store and a post office; however, the real shopping experience awaits travellers on the other side of immigration in the departure area, where the number of shops and duty free outlets leaves you wondering whether you are in an airport or a mall. The shops in the departure area have high prices compared to downtown. The Duty Free shops are poor value; many products including alcohol are cheaper downtown. The rates of the currency exchange kiosks are worst in the baggage reclaim hall, better after customs hall on the 2nd floor and the best on the basement floor where Super Rich and Value Plus offer rates as good as in downtown exchange kiosks. Arriving passengers can buy local SIM cards at the three mobile operator kiosks on the 2nd floor after exiting the customs hall. SIM packages including several gigabytes of data cost only a few hundred baht and you get also access to the operator Wi-Fi hotspots. Competition keeps prices and offerings very similar so if you are staying just some weeks you can as well pick the kiosk with the shortest queue. The advantage of buying at the airport is that staff will speak decent English and will set up your phone for you. You must sho

Sleep

There are plenty of hotels near Suvarnabhumi Airport. The transit hotel offers to transit passengers day room facilities marketed as Louis Tavern Dayrooms. Travellers looking for a free quiet place to doze undisturbed at night can use one of the benches on the basement floor of the terminal, which seem to be a popular choice with tourists and locals. If you want an overnight stay within 20 minutes of the airport, get a hotel along Lat Krabang Rd. The Tourist Authority of Thailand and other hotel and tourist agencies have counters on the arrivals floor of the main terminal. You can make reservations at plenty of hotels here. Check for special promotions and also whether the hotel offers an airport pick-up and drop-off service — especially useful for late night arrivals and early morning departures. As Suvarnabhumi Airport is in Samut Prakan, there are also some accommodation options close to the airport in that province.

Budget 1 Grand Pinnacle Hotel, 444/4 Lat Krabang Soi 11/5 (Soi Maecham) (Taxis have a difficult time finding it, so instead call the hotel for a free pick-up from the airport), ☏ +66 2 327-3876(-9). This hotel is right at the edge of the airport, but surprisingly it has little aircraft noise. The staff at the desk speak English well. There is no lift, so you have to walk up the stairs. Rooms are air-conditioned and have a room bar fridge, but the bathroom is a little cramped. A Western breakfast is included in the price, and while it is basic, it is satisfactory. There are restaurants on the road outside to the right of the hotel within a short distance. 800-1,000 baht. 2 Sananwan Palace, 18/11 Moo 11, Sukapibarn Road 5, Bangpli Yai, ☏ +66 2 752-1658. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. Family-owned budget accommodation with swimming pool, gym and 24-hour restaurant. Rooms have TV and high speed internet. A/C optional. About 20 minutes drive from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. 350-750 baht. (updated Nov 2016)

Mid-range 3 Boxtel, Suvarnab