Review: Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand

A Good Traveling Experience at Suvarnabhumi Airport Depends on If You're Traveling International or Domestic

I live in Bangkok, Thailand so am a frequent traveler out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Suvarnabhumi Airport has only been open for a couple of years and, during that time, has had a lot of problems. A late initial opening date was followed by computer problems at check-in desks, bad signage so travelers were confused, huge lines at immigration, not enough toilets being built, and finally a takeover of the airport by protestors against the government that put the airport out of commission for more than two weeks. Since it opened however, I've actually enjoyed traveling out of Suvarnabhumi Airport as I was traveling on international flights. That all changed last week, when I took a domestic flight. For international flights, Suvarnabhumi is an excellent airport. For domestic flights, it's one of the worst airports I've ever flown out of and this review explains why.

Design of Suvarnabhumi Airport - The actual design and architecture of the airport is beautiful. It's all steel and glass with absolutely enormous ceilings, a vast open feeling to every space and, at night, when it's all lit up in purples and blues, it looks gorgeous as you come in for a landing.

Traveling on International Flights - If you travel on an international flight from Suvarnabhumi, you're likely to be quite pleased. Overall, check-in is quick, immigration now moves fast and the international departures area is lovely. It has one of the largest international departure shopping areas I've ever seen at an airport. There are over 100 shops, restaurants and cafes selling everything from Thai silks to handicrafts, toys to books, perfumes to jewelry and much more. There are many choices for restaurants and cafes, and their prices are not much more expensive than in Bangkok itself. When I travel on international flights out of Suvarnabhumi, I always make sure I allow myself extra time to check out all the stores and get a good meal.