Phuket

Wolf · #1 12-01-2006, 16:07

Hi guys and sorry for this question:

I will be flying via Bangkok to Phuket.
Where is the customs/passport control?
I should be in transit at Bangkok airport so I believe passport control should be Phuket?

Thanks a lot,

Lord_Farquard · #2 12-01-2006, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolf

Hi guys and sorry for this question:

I will be flying via Bangkok to Phuket.
Where is the customs/passport control?
I should be in transit at Bangkok airport so I believe passport control should be Phuket?

Thanks a lot,

Are you on the same airline??
If not, they may make you go through immigration in BKK, at least has been my experience.

barfly · #3 12-01-2006, 16:15

Although your luggage can go straight through

Wolf · #4 12-01-2006, 16:49

I am not sure yet but it looks like it will be either BA or Air France to Bkk and then Thai to Phuket.
I will try for Thai all the way but that looks much more expensive at the moment.

Thanks,

Wolf · #5 12-01-2006, 16:51

Hey Lord_Farquard,

love your aviator!
Are there some Thai BGs with the same interests?
Will have a look this Easter!

Lord_Farquard · #6 12-01-2006, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolf

Hey Lord_Farquard,

love your aviator!
Are there some Thai BGs with the same interests?
Will have a look this Easter!

Haven't the Olsen twins changed since they have "grown" up!

stevem · #7 12-01-2006, 17:32

If your arriving in BKK on any carrier other than Thai, then you will need to clear immigration and customs in BKK. How your luggage is tagged through to HKT and you collect it, as you arrive at the domestic side in HKT, is something I don't quite understand.

Captain · #8 12-01-2006, 17:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

If your arriving in BKK on any carrier other than Thai, then you will need to clear immigration and customs in BKK. How your luggage is tagged through to HKT and you collect it, as you arrive at the domestic side in HKT, is something I don't quite understand.

Same for me. As far as I know, if you arive with Star Alliance (Thai, or Lufthansa or SAS) and you fly Thai to Phuket, your luggage can be checked through and you can pass immigration in HKT. If you arrive with another airline, you have to pass immigration in BKK, then collect luggage and go to Domestic. I don't see how it is possible how you pass immigration in BKK and can get your luggage checked through to HKT. What about passing customs. Luggage reception is in another hall for Domestic travellers and people who just passed the immigration.

Wolf · #9 12-01-2006, 17:59

I will have about max 3 hours between flights in BKK!
Is that too short?

JAM · #10 12-01-2006, 18:04

if you land in bkk you will be entering the kingdom there so this is where you pass imigration
flights fromm bkk to phucket are demestic internal flights so you will have entred the kingdom through the bkk imigration ( these days luggage is checked through scanners not manually) its the 20th century or is that 21st
however i have seen the airline staff standing at the end of the exit/walkway directing some passengers to a different location to the bkk immigration/passport control but think this is for passengers in transit to such places like australia and not phuket
thanks
jam

stevem · #11 12-01-2006, 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAM

if you land in bkk you will be entering the kingdom there so this is where you pass imigration
flights fromm bkk to phucket are demestic internal flights so you will have entred the kingdom through the bkk imigration

Not quite correct, if your arriving in BKK on Thai, and you are transitting to Had Yai, Phuket, Chiang Mai and one other port (I cant remember) you will clear immigration and customs after arriving at the next airport, like Phuket.

faultytowers · #12 12-01-2006, 18:45

If you are using Star Alliance , you can be ticketed and checked through to Phuket . You stay "Airside" at Bangkok and you then clear passport control and customs at Phuket , when getting off the plane you are directed to "International Arrivals"

If you are arriving on any other airline , you cannot check your luggage all the way through. You must clear passport control and customs at Bangkok , then go to Domestic terminal and check-in for the Bangkok - Phuket flight.

Lord_Farquard · #13 12-01-2006, 18:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by faultytowers

If you are using Star Alliance , you can be ticketed and checked through to Phuket . You stay "Airside" at Bangkok and you then clear passport control and customs at Phuket , when getting off the plane you are directed to "International Arrivals"

If you are arriving on any other airline , you cannot check your luggage all the way through. You must clear passport control and customs at Bangkok , then go to Domestic terminal and check-in for the Bangkok - Phuket flight.

That is what I thought, but the folks at the EVA counter, and the United counter both said it could be done. I have always collected my stuff in BKK, but if they are so sure it can happen, I might try it when I have more than my carry-on.

We'll see.

geespot · #14 12-01-2006, 18:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by faultytowers

If you are using Star Alliance , you can be ticketed and checked through to Phuket . You stay "Airside" at Bangkok and you then clear passport control and customs at Phuket , when getting off the plane you are directed to "International Arrivals"

If you are arriving on any other airline , you cannot check your luggage all the way through. You must clear passport control and customs at Bangkok , then go to Domestic terminal and check-in for the Bangkok - Phuket flight.

correct!!! be careful when u check in ur home airport, they might not know the arrangement LOS, may ticked ur bags HKT but get off loaded at BKK & u thinkin u just need to get urself to domestic without bag

Coolhand · #15 13-01-2006, 03:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by faultytowers

If you are arriving on any other airline , you cannot check your luggage all the way through. You must clear passport control and customs at Bangkok , then go to Domestic terminal and check-in for the Bangkok - Phuket flight.

Sorry, but this is not always the case. I regularly fly lhr-bkk with BA, then BKK-HKT with TG and check my bags all the way from LHR to HKT. I arrive at BKK and clear immigration, go to domestic and check in, showing them my baggage receipt. On arrival at HKT I walk out of domestic arrivals and in to international arrivals, and wait for my bag to arrive, then I clear customs.

I know it seems strange, but TIT, and its a lot more convenient for me

geespot · #16 13-01-2006, 03:42

Coolhand

Fair enough!!!

Seems the whole thing is a bit confusing with no consistency of approach, ah well what am i saying its thailand

G

MajorTom · #17 13-01-2006, 04:13

I Arrive in BKK with Finnair this time and then BKK-HKT with Bangkok Air
Question: Is Bangkok Air in Star Alliance? Will i need to pick up luggage in BKK/Go through Immigration?
Earlier i always used Thai to/from BKK and passed right through as mentioned here.

Petter · #18 13-01-2006, 04:18

No they are not so i think you have to pick up the luggage in BKK

http://www.star-alliance.com/star_al...e/main_10.html

stevem · #19 13-01-2006, 04:35

I'll attempt to get a definitive answer on this one, as it does come up from time to time.

But it does appear that arriving BKK on Star Alliance carriers and connecting to Thai, you can transit BKK. I do recall previously someone saying that they also transited BKK connecting to Bangkok Airways to HKT.

MajorTom · #20 13-01-2006, 06:39

For the info: I booked all the flights on the same travel-agent website and paid one amount. They didnt mention anything special about the transfer issue.

Wolf · #21 13-01-2006, 15:09

Well, today is the day!
I'll go to the travel agent and see that I can get the ticket!!!

barfly · #22 13-01-2006, 16:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolhand

Sorry, but this is not always the case. I regularly fly lhr-bkk with BA, then BKK-HKT with TG and check my bags all the way from LHR to HKT. I arrive at BKK and clear immigration, go to domestic and check in, showing them my baggage receipt. On arrival at HKT I walk out of domestic arrivals and in to international arrivals, and wait for my bag to arrive, then I clear customs.

I know it seems strange, but TIT, and its a lot more convenient for me

Exactly right. I fly with China Airlines to BKK, go through immigration and walk to domestic for the Thai flight to Phuket. My luggage goes all the way to Phuket where you pick it up by the Internation Arrivals carousels.

stevem · #23 13-01-2006, 16:23

Here's the response I just got from Bangkok Airways head office. Appears all depends on the airline that you are flying into Bangkok on. If your airline can/does check your luggage through to Phuket, then you can clear immigration/customs in Phuket, otherwise it must be done in Bangkok. Looks a case by case situation.

Thank you for your interested in Bangkok Airways's service.

According to your e-mail, first of all, could you please kindly check
with the airline operates your international flight whether they can
check through the baggage for Bangkok Airways or not. Due to this
depends on the carrier operated your original flight which will have the
baggage check through agreement with us or not. Also, please be informed
that our check baggage allowance is 20kgs per person.

By the way, the imigration and custom clearance can be done at Phuket
International Airport in case of baggage check through.

Wolf · #24 13-01-2006, 16:54

Now my big question is: How long on the average does it take to get through BKK Immigration and to the plane in the Domestic terminal for the flight to Phuket?

Would 2.5 hours be too short?