advice on flights
 

Phuket is our last stop in Thailand before we head home. we have to fly out of Bangkok to head back home--do you recommend staying one night in Bangkok the night before the flight or would you just fly in the day of the flight early and wait at the airport? Our flight leaves at 3pm.
One option we were considering was also to split our Bangkok time to stay two days when we get there and then the last two days there. Just curious what most of you have done.

Personally, I like splitting my time in Bangkok because the big city intensity and pollution get to me after a couple of days. In addition, there is the advantage of last-minute shopping, where your purchases do not have to be carried anywhere except onto the plane.

But with a 3pm flight, you could just as easily stay in Phuket the last night. Less moving around, and one more day in paradise. It's really do-able either way -- your choice.

i also like splitting things up...i prefer to be near by before my international flight which is another reason i would be in bkk the day before...the bkk is boring so you don't want to spend anymore time there than you have to...also going from the domestic terminal to the international terminal is a trip---no a/c on the bridge between them, even though they are side by side...

also if you are coming from very far on your arrival day in thailand, you will be quite tired and won't accomplish very much until you recover from the flight and adjust to the intense heat and humidity...another reason to have days in bkk on your way home...

fyi...you have to plan on at least one hour to and from bkk airport, although oftne it will take less time and sometimes more time...pick your hotels carefully for easy access to the highway to the airport...jw marriott is the best in my opinion...

thank you! How far apart are the domestic and international terminals at the BKK airport? Lugging my luggage even a few blocks w/ no a/c doesn't sound that fun.
Given that our flight leaves at 3pm and it takes so long to get back and forth from BKK airport, we are leaning towards just flying in early and sitting at the airport until our flight. We'd need to check in between 12-1pm for our international flight anyway...so we wouldn't have much time that day.

The terminals are connected and it is air conditioned inside, so your walk will be all ac. But I think you can get a wheeled cart if you need one, or some assistance.

If you fly into BKK from Phuket the morning of your international flight, you will definitely want to stay at the airport.

And for any trips between downtown and the airport in BKK, be sure to tell the driver you want to take the toll road. It's a couple of bucks extra and a LOT faster. It has usually taken us no more than half an hour.

Yes the Int'l and Domestic terminals are connected and air conditioned all the way - well over a mile apart and you have to go up/down an elevator or two. I know, as we did it, but would not do it again.

Only later did we learn that there is a shuttle bus that will take you from the Domestic to the Int'l terminal - this is a better option.

With a 3pm flight, you can spend the last night in Phuket and return to BKK late morning the day you are departing.

the terminals are not that far apart, maybe a 5-10 minute walk....unless something has changed the last time i did it we walked along an elevated bridge, which had no a/c and only small windows...it was very hot....maybe that has changed...i would not do it again...there must be a bus as mentioned above...
if you are on the same airline they will probably transfer your luggage...

Which airline? If it's Thai you check-in and do Immigration at Phuket.

James, we are flying Thai Air within Thailand then Thai Air from BKk to HK then Singapore to SFO. The domestic portions are completely different tix--Does that affect anything--I hadn't even factored in immigration--I thought that wouldn't happen until we got to HK.
With our flight to HK leaving at 3pm out of BKK--we were leaning towards staying in Phuket the last night--but am wondering if its safer to just be in BKK the day before the flight...

You do have to go through immigration (passport control) as you leave the country. It doesn't take long - not even as long as it took coming into Thailand. You simply pay your airport tax and go through passport control, where they will remove your departure card from your passport and place an exit stamp in your passport. This should not figure into your decision about whether to fly from Phuket that day or to fly in the night before. (Obviously, if you fly from Phuket the night before, they won't put you through immigration in Phuket.)

Unless you are staying in Hong Kong, you will not go through immigration there - you'll simply be a transit passenger. You will, of course, go through US immigration at SFO.

mae -

The departure fee from BKK is 500Baht (about $12-$13). We find that it is a good idea to put a 500Baht note in our passport, sometime during our time in Thailand, so we don't have to exchange any USD at the last minute.

Good tip, sandi! I usually put it aside a few days before departure. I do this in other countries as well when there is a departure tax. With everything else going on at the airport, it's one less thing to think about/deal with.