Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport and how to get to the city center

Airport in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi is one of the largest airports I have seen. There it would be necessary to use golf cars for movement, otherwise as long as you get from one end to the other, the day will pass. Once upon a time, before active travel, I read blogs of various travelers and came across photographs of Suvarnabhumi, then I still could not imagine that I would not just be in this airport, but visit it ten times and every year I will go to Thailand for the winter. This is how it happens, you read, draw some pictures in your head, and then once - and you yourself saw it all.

The content of the article

Suvarnabhumi airport

How many airports are there in Bangkok? There is also a second airport in Bangkok called Don Muang (Don Mueang / Don Muang). It is used more for low-cost companies. But today we are only talking about Suvarnabhumi Airport..

How to fly to Bangkok

Suvarnabhumi is the country's main airport. It accounts for most of the international flights. Many people fly here first, and then fly to resorts with local low-cost airlines, it may turn out to be more profitable. But in any case, it all depends on the specific dates. And when buying tickets in advance, you can, for example, it is very profitable to fly to the same Phuket than to make a transfer in Bangkok.

Tickets to Thailand are best monitored through flight search engines such as Aviasales.com and Skyscanner.com. Then you can see offers from all airlines in one place. Below in the calendar you can estimate prices in different months.

Online board of departure and arrival in Suvarnabhumi

Below is an online scoreboard with arriving and departing flights. Information on the scoreboard is displayed in real time and you can always see which flight is expected, which is delayed, etc..

Arrival and departure

In order not to get confused between the floors, since at first it is a little difficult, given the numbering of the floors, save yourself a picture on your phone.

On the 4th floor there is a departure area (Departures). There, both international flights and local.

There are restaurants serving Thai and European food on the 3rd floor, as well as a waiting area, although it is small.

On the 2nd floor there is an arrivals area, there is passport control, baggage claim. After leaving the baggage claim area, you can buy a SIM card, exchange money, withdraw money from an ATM, find a car rental counter and access to a free bus that takes you to Don Muang.

On the 1st floor there are ticket offices for buses and minibuses to Khaosan, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Ko Chang. The counters between gates 7 and 8. Also near these counters is the entrance to the Food Court with cheap Thai food..

On the 0th floor (B floor) there is a metro station from which you can get to the center of Bangkok.

Floor numbering at Bangkok airport

Filling out an immigration card

Even on the plane, you will be given an immigration card, you must fill it out. There are two parts, an arrival card and a departure card. The first one will be taken away from you by the border guards, the second must be kept before departure. When filling out, you don't have to worry too much, they don't look too much. We wrote about a fake hotel and the fact that we don't work anywhere - and everything is in order. But in connection with the latest tightening, it is better to write some position, some manager, or take.

Immigration card - example of filling

Immigration card - example of filling

Passport control

Arriving at Bangkok airport and getting off the plane, it makes sense to move faster in order to be among the first at passport control. Sometimes there are queues and we once stood for 2 hours. Follow the Immigration or Baggage claim signs. It may take a long time to walk, so there are moving paths everywhere..

As you see the blue carpet, from which a little dazzling in the eyes, you are in place. Your window labeled Foreign. You can try to stand in the rightmost queue, from there people are sometimes redirected to the windows intended for Thais, especially if you are with a child. And if the child is small, then you can ask yourself. By the way, you've probably heard that Thailand is the land of smiles. So, this does not apply to the Bangkok airport, and especially to the border guards. There are some wrong Thais.

The entire arrivals area is located on the second floor of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. When you get your luggage, look around, there are counters where you can get a free map of Bangkok. Also, after leaving the baggage claim area, you can take a local sim card, exchange currency or withdraw money from an ATM. Dollars / euros in Tai are not accepted in shops, so you need to have baht. More on this below..

Travelators help you get to passport control faster

Reverse departure

Now let's consider the option when you need to fly from Suvarnabhumi airport. The departure area is located on the 4th floor of Bangkok Airport. If you take a taxi, you will be taken to this floor immediately. If you are on the metro, you will need to take an elevator or escalators from the ground floor to the very top, do not miss it, it is the last.

On the fourth floor, there is a common area for International Flights and Domestic flights from Bangkok Air and Thai Airways. Let me remind you that since October 1, 2012, AirAsia and other low-cost airlines have been moved to Don Muang airport. Consider this when planning your transplant!

On the 4th floor there are several 7/11 type shops and Family Mart. Only three entrances to passport control - two for international and one for local flights.

Departure area of ​​Suvarnabhumi airport

Where to get a SIM card at the airport

On the second floor in the arrivals area, after receiving your luggage and exiting through the green / red corridor, you can buy a local SIM card with the Internet package you need: DTAC, AIS, True move. I usually use DTAC.

It also happens that everyone at the exit is given free SIM cards from True Move, so then there may be problems with them if you need the Internet, and you yourself understand that free SIM cards contain a minimum balance, you still need to connect the required Internet package.

Buy a local Thai SIM card in advance on the Klook website (for Bangkok and for Phuket) and get 4G internet for 8 days for just 131 baht instead of 299 baht.

Simka DTAC is 2 times cheaper, Bangkok>

Simka DTAC is 2 times cheaper, Phuket>

DTAC and AIS desks in the arrivals area of ​​Suvarnabhumi Airport

Where to change money at the airport

Exchange offices are hard to miss here, there are different banks on every floor. The rate is quite normal for exchanging currency for baht if you have small amounts. Likewise, when departing from Thailand, you can change baht back to dollars / euros at the airport so as not to carry baht with you..

But! If you have a large amount or want to save money, then look for the SuperRich exchanger. It is located on the ground floor, level B, where the Airport Link metro exit is. Best course! And exactly the same as in their branch in the center of Bangkok. And usually it is SuperRich that is advised as a good exchanger.

Read my recommendations for choosing bank cards for travel, Perhaps you, like me, do not like to take packs of cash with you, and prefer to withdraw money from ATMs and pay for purchases with a card. And here's another link, just in case., how to withdraw money in Tai. The airport is full of ATMs where you can withdraw money. There are also USD / EUR ATMs in the transit area, but access to them is possible only when departing from Thailand.

Currency exchanger at Bangkok airport

Dollar ATM in Suvarnabhumi Transit Zone

Free Wifi at Bangkok Airport

Free Internet is given for 2 hours, for this you need to connect to the AirportTrueFreeWiFi wifi network, enter your data, register and log in.

If 2 hours is not enough for you, then the Internet can be bought. I would suggest it is better to use the mobile Internet by buying a SIM card with a traffic package for a day or a week. On the second floor in the arrivals area there are DTAC, AIS and True Move counters, where you can easily buy a SIM card and select the required amount of traffic. Mobile 4G and 3G are great at the airport. More about tariffs DTAC, AIS, True move. I usually use DTAC or AIS.

Where to eat at the airport

In the departure area on the 4th floor, there are shops like 7/11 and Family Mart: rolls, chocolates, noodles and boiling water in addition, tea, coffee, dried fruits, yogruts, etc. There is also ready-made food (rice with something) that will be warmed up in the microwave for you..

On the ground floor there are 7/11 and a couple of cafes. But if you want to have a full meal, then you need to either go to the 3rd floor, where all the cafes are located, or to the Food Point on the 1st floor. If you love Thai food and know what Thai food courts are, then I would recommend that you go to the food court. It is located near exit number 8, prices are Thai, you can eat for 50-100 baht per plate. Usually Thais and airport workers themselves eat here..

Food court on the 1st floor of Suvarnabhumi Airport

Luggage Storage Suvarnabhumi Airport

Luggage storage at Bangkok airport costs 100 baht per day. It is located on the 4th floor in the departure area. There is also another luggage room on the 3rd floor..

Where to sleep at or near the airport

If you need a normal comfortable overnight stay during transit, there is a budget hotel not far away. Nasa vegas, it is literally 20 minutes by metro to get to it, and it will be right next to the metro station. I have stayed in it several times for 1-2 days.

If you want even closer, then see the map RoomGuru, there are a lot of options. But keep in mind that you will need to get there by taxi and in total, it is not a fact that it will turn out much faster than by metro. The closest hotel is Boxtel, it is located right at the airport itself, consider it too. By the way, it can be booked for half a day..

Bangkok hotels>

Actually I have stayed in Bangkok many times and in different hotels. I will not provide links to all my reviews, I will add a few more: Rajata - a good place to spend the night near Khaosan, and Bless residense located on Sukhumvit in the city center.

Nice hotel in Bangkok for Nasa Vegas transit

I hope you know that in Asia you should definitely look at Agoda, only Booking’but you are not enough, and just such aggregators are convenient for this, they have everything at once, but the best thing is RoomGuru. If you need to find a hotel in Bangkok, then choose accommodation through this service, it will show all the discounts, and then you will already book where it is more profitable.

Also, at the airport itself, you can take a nap on skymeks for free if you need to wait for your flight for a short time. There are plenty of them in the departure area, but they are also found on almost all floors. And if you are a backpacker with a sleeping bag and a rug, then there are relatively secluded places under the escalators on the lowest ground floor. A bonus will be the sockets on the walls, if they have not been removed yet..

VAT refund or VAT refund

At Bangkok Airport before departure, you can get a tax refund on purchases made in Thailand. Previously, when making a purchase in a store, you must draw up a paper for a tax refund. True, this opportunity is not available in all stores and the amount of purchases for paperwork must be at least 2,000 baht one-time..

Also, purchases must be made no more than 60 days before departure from Thailand. I wrote about this in more detail in this article. VAT refund in Thailand - we save on purchases.

Bangkok airport map

The main building, where you will arrive, has a rectangular shape and 5 floors, connected by escalators and elevators. There are sleeves adjacent to this building, along which you will move from the plane to passport control..

Note that the numbering of the floors is a bit non-standard for Russia: there is a zero-ground floor (called B) and floors 1 through 4. The ground floor is underground, has no exits to the outside and you can take the metro to the city from it.

1st floor. All buses leave from here

2nd floor. Arrivals area

3rd floor, intermediate. Except for a cafe, nothing interesting.

4th floor. Departure area

How to get from the airport to Bangkok

Metro and bus

  • The metro (Suvarnabhumi Airport City Line) costs 15-45 baht to the city center (depending on the number of stations). City Line working hours from 6.00 am to 12.00 am.
  • The same as the previous option, only the express without stops (Suvarnabhumi Airport Express), following to the final station of Phaya Thai. The cost is already 150 baht.
  • There is an option with buses for 35 baht, but to be honest, I have never used them. There, first you need to take a shuttle and get to the bus terminal near the airport, and only then go by bus.
  • Before Khao San, tickets can be bought on the 1st floor between gates 7 and 8, there is a sales counter. The minibus will go from there.

I'll tell you about the metro separately. There is a direct independent line from Bangkok airport to the city center, it is called the City Line and as such it has no relation to the rest of the metro lines, so you will have to pay again when changing trains. Lies above the ground and allows you to enjoy views of the city of Bangkok. To get on the metro, you just need to go down the escalator or elevator to the lowest floor (ground), following the signs, To City / Train to City / City Line.

Follow the signs and they will lead you where you need to

City Line metro fare

This is what the ticket counter to Khaosan looks like.

Once you have taken the City Line to the center of Bangkok, there are different options depending on your goals..

  • To get to Hua Lamphong Train Station, you will need to change at Makkasan Station (change to MRT subway).
  • In order to get to the bus station in Bangkok Mo chit, the transfer is done at the final station Phaya Thai (transfer to the BTS Skytrain metro).

Just in case, remember that tickets for intercity buses and train tickets can now be bought in advance online only at 12Go.asia. Payment by card or PayPal. In the case of a railway ticket, you must definitely get your hands on it - either by mail or in one of the offices.

Tickets for buses and railways>

You can read more about the types of metro, about the railway and bus stations of Bangkok, as well as how and where to get, you can read in the articles on link.

Taxi

A taxi to the city center will cost an average of 300-500 baht and more, depending on traffic jams and distance. The most important thing is to go by the meter, then you get a normal price. If you are traveling together or three, it is already easier by taxi than by metro. Read more about taxi in Bangkok and driving on the meter read in this my article.

You will need to go down to the first floor and follow the Public Taxi signs to the street through the glass doors. You can leave from any exit, it will be even easier to navigate there on the street. Right after the exit you will see signs and terminals with coupons, and, possibly, a queue. Take the coupon and then follow to the board with the desired number. It's not difficult, you can figure it out on the spot. By the way, you can take a taxi directly to Pattaya, Hua Hin, etc., but the price is likely to be fixed and not every taxi driver wants to take it, because it's far.

Taxi counters and queues on the street on the 1st floor of the airport

Transfer via the Internet

Those who want a minimum of body movements can order a transfer online at Kiwitaxi. That is, you order a taxi in advance via the Internet and you will be met in the arrival hall with a nameplate, take your luggage, put you in the car and take you to the right place. The method is good because there are no problems at all. A transfer can be ordered not only to the city center, but also to Pattaya, Ko Chang, Hua Hin, etc..

I have already used this service several times and described my personal experience, read.

Bangkok city center shuttle>

From Suvarnabhaumi to Don Muang Airport

I decided to write in detail what are the ways to get between the two airports in Bangkok and therefore wrote a separate post on this topic - From Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang and back. Free bus, metro, taxi, etc..

Free shuttle bus from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang

How to get to other cities

Instructions

I have a lot of information here on the blog, and in particular, how to get to this or that city if you arrived in Bangkok. Here are the main links to my detailed instructions.

How to get to Pattaya
How to get to Koh Chang
How to get to Koh Samui
How to get to Koh Phangan
How to get to Phuket
How to get to Krabi
How to get to Hua Hin
How to get to Chiang Mai

Car rental

I've already taken a car 10 times at Bangkok airport, both upon arrival and while living in Bangkok itself. Details about all the nuances of renting in Thailand in my post - Car rental in Tae, based on many years of experience.

The car is very comfortable and gives you great freedom of movement. You book in advance, you get it immediately upon arrival, and when you return the car to the airport, you can always go somewhere further from the airport by buses or to Bangkok itself by metro / taxi. After the child has appeared and there are more things, I prefer to drive by car, and not by public transport. And in general, I have tried something by road travel and now I also almost always go by car now..

Discount car rental in Bangkok>

It is best to book through Economybookings. On one site you will see offers from all major distributors and the price will be 2 times lower than directly. Arrive and you will have your own car right at the airport. I save so much all the time.

Rent a car at Bangkok airport

Suvarnabhumi airport on the map

This airport is located in the east of the city, one might even say outside the city. Therefore, it takes about an hour to get to the center. But if you are on your way to Pattaya, to Koh Chang, etc., then it is even closer to you to go than it was from the city center from the bus station.

Suvarnabhumi airport

Suvarnabhumi airport
The most important international airport in the country and in Bangkok. From it you can get to the city by metro, taxi, transfer.
More details.

The most important international airport in the country and in Bangkok. From it you can get to the city by metro, taxi, transfer..

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