powerplay1

Would anyone be able to advise how early we should arrive at the Bangkok Aiport:
1)For Domestic flight to Phuket
2)And for International Flight back to North America through Soeul.

Also at Phuket airport for flight back to Bangkok.

What time you you arrive at the airports?
Should we encounter long lines?
Thanks

Cicerone

What day and month is your flight? What class is your flight? i.e if you are flying over a major Thai or Asian holidy like Chinese New Year or last week which was Golden Week in the PRC and Japan my answer would be very different than if your flight is at 6 am on a Sunday morning and you are flying business class.

Kathie

In general, you should arrive an hour and a half ahead of time for an international flight and an hour for a domestic flight. These guides will be on the airline website.

powerplay1

Thanks for the info so far.

The further info is Business Class on all segments.
Early Departures on all segments (ie. 7am and 8am).
No major Holiday.

We figure 1.5hrs in advance is enough, would you agree.

LA_FadeAway

That should be okay; however, I always allow more time just to be safe. For example, the domestic check-in at Thai Airways in Phuket took almost an hour a couple weeks ago (Saturday morning). You just never know how long the lines will be. I personally would do 2 hours domestic and 2.5 international.

Cicerone

Of course check the website for your airline and see what they recommend, but if you are in business class, IMO 1.5 hours should be fine for your US-bound flight and I think 1 hour is all you need for Phuket and possibly for your flight TO Phuket.

If you are flying business class you will generally find very short, if any lines for check-in at any of the airports which will be a big time savings. LA Fadeaway with regard to the 1 hour check in line in Phuket, was that for economy or for business class? I suspect it was for economy.

I have not flown from the domestic airport in Bangkok to Phuket (only from outside Thailand to Phuket) so can't speak about flying out of that airport, but as you won't have any immigration to go through I think 1 hour should be more than enough. However, I don't really know that airport having only flown into it a very few times, so others may have better reccos about flying out of it.

Phuket's airport quite small and on flights back to Bangkok there aren't any immigration lines to worry about, so that is why I think 1 hour is enough.

For your flight back to the US, currently at the existing international airport in Bangkok, passengers must put their own luggage through the security check before actually getting to the check-in counters. There are sometimes line of people waiting to put their bags through. However, as you are going business class, what you can do is skip this screening area if the line is long, go to the check-in counter and ask someone at the counter to take your bags over and have them screened while you finish checking-in. (If you will be in Bangkok by the time the new international airport opens I don't know what the baggage screening procedures will be, perhaps they will be more modernized and have that done after you hand the bags over at check-in. The new airport may be open sometime in July, that is the latest I have heard.)

As you have an early morning flight and it is not over a holiday, it is unlikely you will have long lines at immigration when you are departing for your US flight from Bangkok, but it is possible. There is not a lot you can do about that, there is no fast track for business class passengers. That is where being early is helpful. As you are business class if you are checked-in and are through immigration early you can go to a lounge for the waiting period. Thai Airlines has PCs with free internet in their lounge. They are all the way in the back corner on the opposite side of the entrance.

LA_FadeAway

Cicerone makes good points about Business Class. Those lines did look much shorter now that I think about it.

Tedkarma

Phuket has special security precautions in effect, so a good hour is all you will need if flying business class.

http://phuketdelight.com/Phuket_Airport.htm

There is sometimes a delay getting in th main door - due to special screening - but never more than a ten minute wait. It is a small airport so not problem covering distance from the check in desk to the departure gate.