Suvarnabhumi outbound very busy

[tamada]

WE9 (Thai Smile) was late as usual plus it took around 40 minutes for the first bags to pop out on the carousel which is pretty poor since we were bussed in from the stands.

I had already checked in online for my flight to Hamsterjam which was smart as printing my own boarding passes and baggage labels at bag drop took less than 10 minutes. Easily the fastest and most efficient bit of the trip. The KLM check in lanes were an oasis of calm compared to the mayhem around Qatar's lanes.

Then I joined the conga line for the single departure immigration hall open, taking 20 minutes just to get on the escalator out of the check-in area. From bag drop, through security and immigration took a full 90 minutes and I only managed twenty minutes in the lounge before boarding. It was glacial but well managed as we shuffled along. Some Chinese biddies tried to cut to the front of the passport line but were loudly discouraged by AoT staff.

If anyone is catching the last Thai Smile flight south to connect with an international departure, based on tonight's performance, it's going to be a very, very close call if your outbound flight leaves before midnight. Mine was 00:40 but still departed only 10 minutes behind schedule. It's crazy busy.

I will be back next week after a dawn arrival on Qatar so will post on that experience. With about six hours to connect to the UTH flight, it should be a walk in the park.

[deankham]

Landed into Swampy at 1pm and arrival gate was about 500m from immigration number 3.

After a power March from the gate was very pleased with a very small queue. They have all the barriers ready fir when it gets busy. Was 5 minutes from hitting the queue to being processes. No landing card required anymore which is a bonus.

I'm just on visa on arrival and noticed its 45 days (UK passport).

Waited 30ins for my bags though !

Checked in for Thai Smile flight and was zero people in the queue! The check in lady said was very busy in the morning with people complaining about.the time taken.

So all in all a pleasant experience.

[tamada]

I have arrived international at BKK three times in as many months and also haven't had issues with immigration queues with bag delivery being the slowest stage. They have a new layout at arrival immigration halls and things seem faster than before? I departed through the westernmost immigration halls last night and they're unchanged, still cramped and half-staffed. Maybe the eastern departure immigration hall was closed because it's getting an upgrade like arrival immigration? Fingers crossed.

Spinning my wheels with a 5 hour layover in Amsterdam. It was quiet when we landed at 7 am but it's heaving now with long queues for all eateries. Did my duty free shopping and went to the Aspire lounge (Priority Pass) to be told it's full and wait downstairs. Went online and upgraded my hop to Manchester to Business class so now in an Air Cloggie lounge.