aluo0804

I am visiting Bangkok next week, and my flight arrives in Bangkok at around 2:40 am which is an a awkward hour. I would very much prefer to do some shopping in the duty free shops and go into town in the early morning when most of the places are open. Will I get myself into any trouble for not going through the immigration until say 4 or 5 hours later? Ddid anyone have the similar experience?

Guenmai

You go through immigrations right after you get off the plane. The shops come after immigrations. Happy Travels!

Guenmai

I doubt if anything is open at that hour anyway. Happy Travels!

aluo0804

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking of the duty free shops upstairs for the passengers that are flying out of the country. I remember there's not much after you go pass the immigration. But, if there IS a resting area, that will still be great. I just don't have the desire to take the cab by myself late at night. Thanks again!!

MichaelBKK

There are plenty of duty free shops before you get to immigration, and there's nothing to stop you from going upstairs either.

The main issue will be your baggage. If you don't claim it, who knows where it will end up?

aluo0804

Thanks, Michael, that's very helpful.
I usually travel light so I don't have the baggage problem. I just didn't want to get myself into any trouble going with the Thai immigration. Thanks again!!

rhkkmk

michael did not mention it but i doubt too many things will be open at that hour....

Kathie

I think all the King Power duty free shops are open 24 hours.

MichaelBKK

I haven't had the 'pleasure' at the new airport, but at the old one, some (not all) of the duty free shops were open at all hours.

Frankly, shopping would be the last thing on my mind at that hour. The first thing I need after a long flight is a long hot shower.

aluo0804

I have transferred in Bangkok several times before. Honestly, I'm not so keen on shopping in the Duty Free shops there. Just don't feel comfortable about taking the taxi by myself (a single female traveler)at the wee hours. And I hope the airport Immigration officers are not going to make a fuss about me not going through the immigration until 4 hours after my arrival.

Thanks all, really apprecial all your advices.

Cicerone

The immigration officers aren’t going to care what flight you just came off of, so don’t have any worries there. However, I am not sure that you actually CAN get from the main shopping area BACK to the arrivals area and to the Immigration line. Usually the only way to be allowed into the shopping area is if you are (i) an outgoing passenger or (ii) “in transit” which means people who are changing planes and continuing on an international flight (which you seem to have done before). I don’t know that there is a way to go from the shopping area INTO Immigration. I don’t think there was a way to do this in the old airport, and I don’t know the new airport well enough to say, but I would doubt this. There is no way to do it at most airports with which I am familiar, i.e. Hong Kong. (The shopping and immigration areas are on different floors and the public can’t get between them.) For customs and immigration reasons, they don’t want outgoing and incoming passengers to mix. Sometimes there is a very small shopping area for incoming passengers, like in Singapore where there is a small duty free area where you can buy liquor and cigarettes. But to the best of my knowledge incoming passengers aren’t allowed into the main shopping areas.

I would be very careful about following “in transit” signs when you get off the plane. While this will probably allow you into the shopping area, you may have some convincing to do before anyone lets you into the Immigration area. You might want to look at a map of the airport to see if there is any way to get from the shopping areas to Immigration, go to http://www2.airportthai.co.th/airpor...p2.asp?lang=en. From my quick look, it appears that the shops are on Level 4, and Immigration is on Level 2. You had better be sure there is a public access between those floors. There are some shops on Level 3, but these appear to be after Immigration, these as I recall are mostly restaurants, as Level 3 is the arrivals hall.

If you are concerned about taking a cab, then have your hotel arrange to send a car for your, or arrange for a limo service yourself. Several have been recc’d on threads here, run a search or post a new question.

MichaelBKK

There is definitely a way from the second floor (arrivals) up to the third and fourth floors. There was at the old airport as well. It just wasn't well marked (and there were only two or three places where you could do it). I don't recall ever seeing anyone checking at these points, so it seems possible to me.

mrwunrfl

Sounds like what the OP needs is advice on finding safe/reliable transportation that she would feel comfortable about taking. Her follow-up posts make it clear that DF shopping isn't really the issue.

Cicerone

Yes, you can always go UP to the shopping, I am just not sure you can go back down to Immigration...the OP should ask at any check-point if she will be allowed back into Immigration.

In any event, as I have already said, if she does not want to take a taxi at that hour, she should either arrange for a hotel car, or search this board for a car service recco, or post a question asking for reccos for a car service. There is also a car service desk in the arrivals hall which will get her a car on the spot (this is a limo service, not a taxi and names of passengers and destinations are recorded and you pre-pay).

Kathie

alou, I'm not sure what your concern is about taking a taxi in the middle of the night. I've travelled alonw many times and I consider Bangkok a very safe city for a lone female traveler. I wouldn't hesitate to take a taxi. But if you are nervous, take one of teh "limo" services, pre-arrange with AAC, or take the limo from the desk after immigration, AOT.

aluo0804

Yes, Kathie, I agree that Bangkok in general is a pretty safe city. I've been there several times and always enjoyed my stay. However, I personally had a very bad experience with the cab driver in the city 2 years ago, fortunately it was during the day and we were in the area I was familiar with.
I brought up this question because I was just wondering if I could stay in the DF area for a few hours and then take the airport bus into the city. The bus only costs something like 100 Baht and I'd feel a lot more comfortable. Besides, that could save me about 1000 Baht for the limo and 2,500 for the Hotel.

aluo0804

Sorry, I sent the reply too quickly.

Just want to thank you all for taking the time to reply, and I really appreciate all the advices and info you you have kindly provided. At least now I know where I can get a limo at the airport if I decide to do that.n Thanks!!!