Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

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ก้นconnoisseur

Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by ก้นconnoisseur »

Just want to get some opinions from seasoned fliers at Suvarnabhumi airport. On my next trip in February I have a four day window before a confirmed reservation in Jomtien (couldn’t get all the dates I wanted). I was thinking of using the window to visit Chiang Rai. I like the north, been to Chiang Mai many times and always been curious about Chiang Rai but never bit.

My incoming flight lands at 16:50. The latest flight I can get out of Suvarnabhumi departs at 18:50 on Thai Smile. That leaves a 2 hour window. We’ve all been on the notorious lines at immigration (I’ve spent an hour at times) and Feb is still high season; but sometimes I’ve gotten lucky and breezed through. Given the necessity to get to the check-in counter at least an hour before take off (I think, for domestic) and then go through security (again) and get to the gate all makes me nervous. I’m flying Thai in and never had a delay with them in almost two decades of flying.

The ticket is a budget price so I would have to eat the fare if I didn’t make it. But their terms for any fare are that changes must be made four hours prior to take off anyway, so not possible.

I have zero desire to go through the hassle of going to Bangkok for a night (gave up on BKK years ago) and schlepping right back to Suvarnabhumi.

Any opinions on the chances of making this flight?
fountainhall

Re: Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by fountainhall »

Roll the dice! There is no way of working out your chances, sadly. If the departure of your incoming flight is delayed for any reason, you could be screwed. If there are a lot of planes arriving at that time, your incoming flight could be stacked for 30 or more minutes (that has happened to me quite a few times). Again you are screwed. If a lot of incoming passengers are transferring at the same time . . . and so on.

I have never transferred at BKK. But travelling anywhere if I am on separate tickets I would always leave more than 2 hours for transfer problems. The only occasion I have transferred from flights using two budget tickets was 5 years ago. I was on a cheap BA ticket Edinburgh/London/Munich and then a €90 cheap LH return Munich/Dresden/Munich with the outward LH sector being the last flight of the day. I allowed 3 1/2 hours at Munich. Thanks to high winds at LHR, the first BA flight was delayed an hour. I missed the Munich connection. I was transferred on to the next BA flight to Munich but that was also an hour late departing. I arrived in Munich as my LH flight departed.

Having missed the outward LH flight, I lost that entire ticket. Although the flight time is only 40 minutes, the new round trip ticket cost €405 and a hotel around €80. Thankfully my annual travel policy covered the costs. I was livid with myself, but 3 1/2 hours for an inter-Europe transfer between scheduled airlines had always been plenty of time before.

If you miss the connection, you will similarly be stuck with a new airfare at a much higher price and a hotel near the airport. I cannot find any later flights from BKK. If there were I'd book a full price fully refundable ticket just to cover myself. On some sites Thai Vietjet ex-BKK has a flight at 9:40 pm but I cannot find it on the airline's own site. I guess all you can do is keep your fingers crossed!
Papa

Re: Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by Papa »

Sounds like you might have less than an hour to deplane, go through immigration, baggage collection, customs and check in for your inland flight. That would be a bit of a challenge for me.

It would be different if they allow you to check in all the way to your final destination, say you could clear immigration and customs at Chiang Mai.

Why not consider a night at one of the airport hotels?
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Re: Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by Undaunted »

No advice on your flight but totally agree on giving up on BKK..Having been to Chiang Rai you best give up on that too!
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
gera

Re: Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by gera »

You need to inquire about the option of going through immigration in Chiang Rai
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Re: Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by Gaybutton »

Undaunted wrote:Having been to Chiang Rai you best give up on that too!
I agree. I've been there too. There is very little to see or do in Chiang Rai, especially for 4 days. For me, 1 day in Chiang Rai would be more than enough. Your choice of course, but I think you're making a mistake.

With only 2 hours to catch your Chiang Rai flight - actually less because the plane will close its doors before the last minute - I suggest you have a "Plan B" in place in case you miss the flight. In my opinion the luckiest thing that could happen to you would be missing that flight.

The fact that you can't get the dates you want in Pattaya at Jomtien doesn't mean you can't go to Pattaya anyway. Personally I think you would have a far more enjoyable time by finding a room elsewhere in Pattaya and using the baht buses, taxis, motorbike taxis, or even trying GRAB to get around in Pattaya until the room you want becomes available.
fountainhall

Re: Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by fountainhall »

On reflection I suggest you call your incoming carrier to check if it has an interline agreement re baggage with Thai Smile. If it does, then you will be able to check your bag right through to Chiang Rai and that will save you a ton of time.

I have not been to Chiang Rai for many years but two of the cutest guys I know in Bangkok both come from Chiang Rai! I am sure the apps work extremely well there.
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Re: Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by Trongpai »

Undaunted wrote:totally agree on giving up on BKK..Having been to Chiang Rai you best give up on that too!
The Pattaya focused centricity of this board (and the others) knows no bounds. I like Chiang Rai and go there often. There's lots to do and see. It's not a commercial sex entertainment center like Pattaya but there's other attractions, historic and natural. BYOB or be adventitious. I also enjoy Pattaya and have a lot of fun there.

As for your transfer plan: Perhaps it would work out but why take the chance and have stress. You're on holiday to avoid stress, yes?
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Re: Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by Gaybutton »

Trongpai wrote:There's lots to do and see.
As for this board being "Pattaya-centric," I gave up trying to get people to post about areas other than Pattaya and Bangkok, with a little Chiang Mai thrown in once in awhile. I'd love for people to tell us the highlights of other areas. You, fountainhall, and ChristianPFC do most of that, for which I am grateful. Most of my own posting is about Pattaya because that's where I live and don't often go elsewhere.

How about some examples of what you enjoy seeing and doing in Chiang Rai.

If someone is interested in seeing a lot of temples, then Chiang Rai would be very interesting and worth a trip. Other than that, I don't know of anything of particular interest.
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Re: Suvarnabhumi two hour layover to catch a flight – too risky?

Post by Trongpai »

I'll consider a post on what to do and see in Chiang Rai province but as a new topic.
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