London/Doha to Pattaya

[Rawhide2 1,343]

 

Why? Swampy is running at passenger levels much higher than it's design capacity...... Getting through Immigration/security means long waits....

 

Last month on my last day we were booked to fly from Chiang Mai to Swampy on Thai, before flying back to the UK with Qatar.... Thai interlined us all the way through to Manchester..... Immigration at Chiang Mai took seconds...... certainly beats waiting in queues at Swampy.....

 

Am not sure checking in at Chiang Mai has any relevance to the thread to be honest. I dont see these huge queues at Swampy either possibly because I aim to be there 3.5 hours before take off to check in first and get to lounge early. Yes on occasion the queues can be longer at immigration to depart but rarely more then 10 minutes tops. Its a big airport minor delays just part of our experience

Only my opinion but same take on Heathrow. People complain incessantly but never a problem outbound or inbound 10 minutes tops at scanners and inbound immigration

Edited July 7, 2018 by Rawhide2

[jacko 8,814]

 

Am not sure checking in at Chiang Mai has any relevance to the thread to be honest. I dont see these huge queues at Swampy either possibly because I aim to be there 3.5 hours before take off to check in first and get to lounge early. Yes on occasion the queues can be longer at immigration to depart but rarely more then 10 minutes tops. Its a big airport minor delays just part of our experience

Only my opinion but same take on Heathrow. People complain incessantly but never a problem outbound or inbound 10 minutes tops at scanners and inbound immigration

Sorry to say my last trip there were long queues leaving Thailand at Swampy, and that was the Priority/ Premium lane, which they had opened up to people with kids. Whole departure hall was heaving with people. Getting there early doesn't alleviate the queues at immigration and security, just makes sure they don't make you late for the gate. If you arrive too early aren't you just waiting for the check-in to open?

 

I think The Fiend's point is that perhaps UTP will be like Chiangmai and less crowded.

Just a bit more choice... a pity Qatar aren't offering non-stop UTP to Doha on a nice new 787 as originally touted.

Edited July 7, 2018 by jacko

[awesum4 2,333]

The last time we flew into swampy we queued for 3 hours. Landed at midnight at the same time as 3 plane loads of Chinese. Leaving was fine as I always arrive early for departure, would rather wait at the airport than miss my flight

[TheFiend 1,181]

 

Am not sure checking in at Chiang Mai has any relevance to the thread to be honest. I dont see these huge queues at Swampy either possibly because I aim to be there 3.5 hours before take off to check in first and get to lounge early. Yes on occasion the queues can be longer at immigration to depart but rarely more then 10 minutes tops. Its a big airport minor delays just part of our experience

Only my opinion but same take on Heathrow. People complain incessantly but never a problem outbound or inbound 10 minutes tops at scanners and inbound immigration

 

So you don't see the huge queues at Immigration on arrival? The huge number of people waiting to check-in, the long queues at check-in?

 

On arrival I'm lucky as I go through the Thai Passport channels with Mrs Fiend, it's a lot quicker than joining the long snake for other nationalities.

 

BKK is overcrowded...... It was designed for 600 flights per day and 45 million passengers per year.... last year it was 60 million passengers and 800 flights per day.

 

Sorry to say my last trip there were long queues leaving Thailand at Swampy, and that was the Priority/ Premium lane, which they had opened up to people with kids. Whole departure hall was heaving with people. Getting there early doesn't alleviate the queues at immigration and security, just makes sure they don't make you late for the gate. If you arrive too early aren't you just waiting for the check-in to open?

 

I think The Fiend's point is that perhaps UTP will be like Chiangmai and less crowded.

Just a bit more choice... a pity Qatar aren't offering non-stop UTP to Doha on a nice new 787 as originally touted.

 

Yes, UTP will be a lot less crowded than BKK.

 

Have booked my October trip.... flying EDI-DOH-BKK with Qatar and then up to Sukhothai (THS) on Bangkok Airways, but our return is booked CNX-BKK on Thai then BKK-DOH-EDI with Qatar...

[teelack 9,638]

When we talk about the queues at Swampy I think that you have to remember that this can happen anywhere. My experience is that normally there is little or no waiting at immigration which is why I rarely use Priority Line which I am entitled to use. Yes it happens but I have been frustrated by immigration in the past at a lot of airports. Also remember that once you have your suit case there is no screwing about like x rays, dogs or bag inspections. Also on the time that it takes to travel to Pattaya. I get the Bell Bus from Pattaya to Swampy and have been doing so for years. It is rare that it is ever more than 90 minutes. I time it every trip. On this basis some of the drivers I use can get to my hotel one hell of a lot faster! Believe me! One other point about Utapou. A drive down there is interesting in that almost all the way there are massive earth works going on where new motor ways are being constructed. Think 5 years from now and the whole picture will have changed enormously.

 

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[Rawhide2 1,343]

Rather then individually quoting above posts no I dont see the huge queues at swampy because still 90% dont realise there are 2 immigration slopes.

The vast majority of arriving aircraft from Europe and middle east land to gates to one side of the airport

 

In short if you are approaching immigration signs and the slope up is on your LEFT and as per normal lengthy queues carry on walking another 150 metres and turn left at the second one

 

If you're approaching immigration and the first slope to immigration is on your right then bang you're already at the best one. Some will already know that but a lot wont. Makes huge difference time wise

 

Only just once since Swampy opened has my aircraft gate meant first immigration slope was too my right

Edited July 8, 2018 by Rawhide2

[TheFiend 1,181]

Rather then individually quoting above posts no I dont see the huge queues at swampy because still 90% dont realise there are 2 immigration slopes.

The vast majority of arriving aircraft from Europe and middle east land to gates to one side of the airport

 

In short if you are approaching immigration signs and the slope up is on your LEFT and as per normal lengthy queues carry on walking another 150 metres and turn left at the second one

 

If you're approaching immigration and the first slope to immigration is on your right then bang you're already at the best one. Some will already know that but a lot wont. Makes huge difference time wise

 

Only just once since Swampy opened has my aircraft gate meant first immigration slope was too my right

 

I've arrived at Swampy to find both immigration areas with huge queues on more than one occasion. ,....... on one occasion we were told to use the priority immigration channel as my wife was Thai and they let us through no problem.

[jacko 8,814]

Rather then individually quoting above posts no I dont see the huge queues at swampy because still 90% dont realise there are 2 immigration slopes.

The vast majority of arriving aircraft from Europe and middle east land to gates to one side of the airport

 

In short if you are approaching immigration signs and the slope up is on your LEFT and as per normal lengthy queues carry on walking another 150 metres and turn left at the second one

 

If you're approaching immigration and the first slope to immigration is on your right then bang you're already at the best one. Some will already know that but a lot wont. Makes huge difference time wise

 

Only just once since Swampy opened has my aircraft gate meant first immigration slope was too my right

I always check-in and arrive with the majority as you refer to them, it always seems like quite a walk to immigration on arrival whichever immigration I use, but normally it is the middle Priority area, I am exhausted by the time I make it there, another 150m, phew! Getting on a bit you know. The other area/end was used mostly by Thai Airways. Perhaps that was the case years ago and is no longer?? Never seem to come from the Domestic end, perhaps because Thai Airways are expensive for me?

Edited July 9, 2018 by jacko

[Fireman Sam 336]

As you approach each immigration zone there are TV screens (are they still there?)on the post/pillars that show the level of activity in the other zone. You can then make the decision if it’s worth walking the other 150 meters or so.

 

I’ve not had to exit/or arrive in the country in the last three years, so not sure if the screens are still there or not. I always had a premium lane pass so was never a problem for myself.

 

 

Regards

[Rawhide2 1,343]

Well I can only speak from extensive personal experience on the two immigration areas but I'll rephrase it in that have never ever seen the preferred immigration area that I'm referring to with a longer queue