Richard1148

We will be arriving in BKK from an international flight and want to go directly to Phuket. I have searched and read a few posts that are not definitive about whether we would have to go through customs and immigration in BKK, or if we can wait until arrival in Phuket (HKT). I want to have enough time between flights, but not way over do it. I would think that as BKK-HKT is considered a domestic flight, we would have to clear at BKK, otherwise how would they know at HKT which passengers need to go through customs and immigration and which can simply go out the door. Please advise.

MichaelBKK

You probably can't find anything definitive because it depends on which airline(s) you're flying. If your flight into Thailand is on Thai and you're connecting to a Thai flight to Phuket, then you can check your bags through and go through customs in Phuket.

If your flight to Bangkok is on another carrier, but your flight to Phuket is on Thai, you may still be able to check through. You have to check with the carrier.

If either flight is on a budget airline, then you definitely can't check through.

Scotters

I may be wrong but it is my understanding that now all international passangers landing in Bangkok have to go through immigration. If their bags have been checked through to another domestic airport that is considerered an international one (Chiang Mai, Phuket for example) you will clear your luggage through customs at that point. Be aware that the bags will be in the international section of the baggage claim area.

Kathie

Scotters, is this a recent change? In the past, if I flew Thai into Bangkok and continued on Thai to a domestic destination, they always had me go through customs and immigration at my destination city in Thailand.

Scotters

Kathie - This is what I head from friends in the travel business in Bangkok. It was to be put into effect this year. Knowing how things are done in Thailand this may have not have happened as yet or may never happen.

My clients do not fly into and outof Bangkok on the same day so I have had no offical feedback. Perhaps if anybody has done this recently they could let us know the situation.

glorialf

I have a friend who was able to check her bags through to Chiang Mai from Hong Kong a month ago. She flew Cathay to Bangkok and thai to chiang mai. Over the phone from chicago they told her it wasn't possible. I urged her to try it anyway and she did with no problem. Did not have to go through immigration in Bangkok. Now obviously if the flights are in two different airports you'd have to.

Richard1148

Thanks for the responses so far. To complicate matters, I didn't intend to check any bags. We only take as much as we can fit in our carry on bags. I am using award tickets, booked currently on China Southern in business class. I have not flown them before and will be trying to get another carrier in the SkyTeam group, but just to make sure we could get there, I went ahead and took China Southern. So what would be your answers if we have no bags checked through or have to claim?

MichaelBKK

The is you will probably have to go through immigration in Bangkok, because I don't think China Southern has any relationship with any other carrier in Thailand.

You didn't say what airline you were booked with to Phuket. Again, if it's a budget carrier, you have to go through immigration in Bangkok because they don't have any relationships with other carriers to check in.

smartcookie

I did this last week. Flew into BKK on EVA Air from LA, arriving at 2am. Had to go through customs there. Took almost an hour (lots of flights getting in). Then walked over to check in for the 7:55am Bangkok Airways flight to Phuket. Check-in started at 4:30am or so. BA has an amazing huge lounge with around 10 free computers with internet, and some food and drinks. Thai Air also has one.

Richard1148

I haven't booked the flight to Phuket yet, as I wanted to find whether we needed to clear customs and/or immigration, to know about how long to allow between flights. As it appears that we will have to clear and then check in with whatever airline, I will allow 2-3 hours. Does that sound about right?

KimJapan

I'd say 3 hours minimum. And if you book a budget carrier to Phuket, more time, as you will not be able to just take a later flight if you misconnect...you will have to buy another ticket.

Incoming flights can be delayed, immigration lines can be long, luggage often takes time to come out, customs has always been a glance for us, but I've seen people with their bags emptied there. You need to check in at least 45 minutes prior to flight departure time for the budget airlines (maybe Thai and Bangkok Air are less tiime, not sure). Gates are often a fair distance from the check in counters.

If you book all on one ticket with full service carriers that can interline you will have an easier transit...just do immigration/customs and go to transit desk rather than having to check in all over again.

Richard1148

Thanks everyone for the help. I think we will take Thai even if they are a little more expensive that Air Asia.

Richard1148

I wish we could edit our posts for typos. I meant to say "than" Air Asia.

AskOksana

If you were flying on Thai Air to BKK & then on Thai Air to HKT (Phuket) you could check your luggage to HKT & do customs there. That is what we are doing in Feb. and I have been told this by Thai Air ticketing. We have 90 min. in-between flights & TA is fine with that... but your situation is different.

Since you are changing carriers, then you will go through immigration in BKK. Since you do not have to retrieve luggage it will not take as long, but you should really check the on-time reliability of your Chinese carrier, because if it's habitually late, you may miss your connecting flight to HKT anyway.

Asia Air is notoriously unreliable.

Richard1148

The Thai flight is almost 4 hours after our scheduled arrival time on China Southern. That is more time than I want to wait, but it should avoid worrying if we are late to BKK. There is also a Thai flight to HKT after that, so I think I will spend a few extra dollars for a flexible ticket in case we are really late.

smartcookie

4 hours is really not a lot of time. by the time you get off the plane and go through immigration, almost 2 hrs will go by. then you have to get your bag. That will be just enough time to check in for your next flight.