Dear readers,

I'm flying to Bangkok with KLM on January 17. I land at 10.00am. Then I fly to Koh Samui at 12.00 noon. Now I only have hand luggage. I have booked individual tickets.

How is this going with the transfer to Suvarnabhumi? Can I go straight to the Bangkok Air gate or do I have to go through immigration first?

I keep reading conflicting messages.

Regards,

Moniek

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11 responses to “Transfer from Suvarnabhumi to Koh Samui, do I have to go through immigration or not?”

  1. Taste says up

    Upon arrival in BKK, follow the signs stating 'transfer' to Koh Samui, among others. After the security check of your luggage you can go to the gate. When you arrive on Koh Samui you have to go through immigration.

    • Moniek says up

      Does this also apply if I have 2 separate tickets? I can also check in there (if online doesn't work)?

      • Cornelis says up

        No, it does not apply, because in that case you simply have to go through Immigration at Suvarnabhumi, pick up your luggage, go through customs and then check in again.
        By the way, Gust's above response is incorrect: if you have a through ticket, you go through Immigration at Suvarnabhumi, and take your tagged luggage through customs in Koh Samui.

    • Ted says up

      You enter Thailand in Bangkok, so you have to go through immigration there and then take the domestic flight to Koh Samui.
      In Bangkok you can also go from the international airport to domestic for domestic flights.

  2. Wilba says up

    That depends on how you booked your trip. There are 2 possibilities:
    Option 1:
    You have booked the trip from AMS (Amsterdam) to USM (Koh Samui) as 1 trip with 1 operator. You will then only have 1 ticket “with a transfer to BKK”). In that case, your hold luggage will immediately be provided with the final destination Koh Samui (USM). In that case, you do NOT have to go through customs in BKK and can immediately follow the signs for “domestic transfer” after getting out. You will only see your luggage at your final destination Koh Samui.

    Option 2:
    You have booked 2 different trips and therefore have 2 tickets. When you check in you will only have 1 Boarding Pass with final destination BKK. Your hold luggage will be labeled with destination BKK. After landing in Bangkok you must indeed go through customs and collect your luggage. You will need to check in for the last part of your journey (from BKK to USM) and drop off your hold luggage. On Koh Samui you do not have to clear your checked baggage because that has already been done in Bangkok. Pay attention to the time it takes to pass customs in BKK and go to the correct departure hall (domestic flights). If your flight AMS > BKK is delayed, things can get quite tight.

    In short: it depends on whether you have booked 1 trip (AMS > UMS) or 2 individual flights (AMS > BKK and BKK > UMS). At Schiphol, make sure you pay close attention to what is stated on your luggage tag as your (final) destination. In any case: have a safe trip and have fun.

  3. Wilbar says up

    I see that you only have hand luggage: that doesn't change anything in principle. With 2 individual tickets you must get off in BKK, go through immigration and check in in the departure hall for Domestic Flights for part 2 of your trip.

    • Moniek says up

      It's all contradictory
      I only have hand luggage, why do I have to go through immigration first?
      Should I 'just' switch?

      • Cornelis says up

        Simple: you are transferring to a domestic flight, so you have to go through passport control at the airport where you enter the country. Whether or not you have checked baggage does not matter.

      • Eric Kuypers says up

        Moniek, you enter Thailand and they first want to see your passport. The Immigration Police does this in Thailand and you get a stamp there.

        You will then also pass through customs and your hand luggage can also be checked. Only then will you be in Thailand and walk to 'domestic' for a domestic flight.

      • Ron says up

        You must check in first.
        By the way, time seems tight to me. Landing at 10 o'clock is usually a bit later.
        A bit of a walk to Immigration, then probably standing in line there.
        No luggage so straight to Bangkok Airways to check in.
        Think check-in closes 45 min before departure..

  4. Cornelis says up

    Even with only hand luggage, if you have separate tickets, you will have to go through Immigration and Customs at Suvarnabhumi and then check in again. See, among others:
    https://www.thekohsamuiguide.com/post/bangkok-airport-transfer-flight-how-to

    Quote:
    'No checked luggage? Yes – I tried the obvious. Even with no checked luggage and an onward boarding pass for your second flight ready in hand, you are still not allowed to transit in Bangkok. No matter what, you have to exit through baggage claim in Bangkok and proceed through departures upstairs. Don't blame the messenger.'


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