Bangkok Airport Guide | Facilities Food Drink Hotels

Guide to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) – Bangkok Airport

Bangkok’s new international Suvarnabhumi Airport, also known as Bangkok International Airport, is Thailand’s biggest airport and a major gateway to South East Asia. Designed by the award-winning German-American architect Helmut Jahn with a unique lotus-shaped roof, Suvarnabhumi (pronounced “su-wan-na-poom”) has the world’s third largest single-building airport terminal (563,000 m²) and the world’s tallest control tower (132.2 m).

Created to replace the city’s congested Don Muang Airport, which is now only used for internal Thailand flights,  Suvarnabhumi experienced some teething problems and still receives some criticism for lack of efficiency (such as long queues at passport control) – but reviews suggest the situation is improving, and for those who have time to kill there, the terminal is modern, attractive, and offers a good range of retail and food outlets to keep you occupied.

Flights from the UK to Bangkok

Scheduled flights to Bangkok from Europe take about 11 hours 20 minutes, operated by several international airlines including Qantas, British Airways and Etihad. Many flights operate from London Heathrow, Gatwick and City airports, but there are also flights from regional UK airports including Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

For more information about Suvarnabhumi Airport (airport code: BKK), visit http://www2.airportthai.co.th/ (and click on the Union Jack flag to select the English version).

Location and layout

The airport is located 19 miles east of the city centre in Racha Thewa, in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province.

With the airport being so large, there can be a lot of walking involved in getting from one part of the airport to another – worth bearing in mind when it comes to reaching your Departure Gate.

Getting from the airport to central Bangkok

Taxis and buses can get you from the airport into Bangkok city centre. You can pre-order and pay for your taxi at the Arrivals Hall, and the journey takes about 40-90 minutes. Airport Express buses operate on four different routes into the city. A planned overhead rail link to the city centre is not yet complete.

Airport Facilities

Suvarnabhumi Airport offers duty free shopping for skincare, toys, electronics, tobacco, confectionary, alcohol, perfume, cosmetics, fashion accessories, watches, and pens. You can find all the usual major brands you’d expect to find at airport duty free, and there are some luxury and boutique shops selling more exclusive and designer goods on Level 4, Concourse D, where you can find brands such as Bally, Burberry, Bvlgari, Cartier, Coach, Dior, Dunhill, Hugo Boss, Mont Blanc and Swarovski. For Thai souvenirs head to The Royal Project & OTOP areas, also Level 4 Concourse D. Here, shops such as Chitralada and Mae Fah Luang sell hill tribe handicrafts, and Sai Yai Ra showcases some unique contemporary artworks. Look for the Royal symbol on products, which shows they have the Thai Royal family’s seal of approval – a show of good quality and craftsmanship.

Just a three minute walk away from the airport’s main terminal (connected by an air-conditioned underground walkway), the Hotel Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is establishing itself as one of the airport’s main dining and leisure areas, with several restaurants, a bar, a swimming pool, a beauty salon, a shopping arcade, a babysitting service, open atrium areas to relax in, and extensive spa facilities.

Eating and drinking

Inside the airport, there are more than 50 places to eat across the sprawling 25,000-square-metre terminal – most of them simple snack bars, cafés, fast food outlets and juice bars – although some offer proper seated restaurant dining.

The type of food on offer is geared towards the preferences of the main clientèle passing through – so for example the eastern concourses, with gates occupied by Japan Airlines and Thai Airways, house several Asian eateries, while the western concourses offer more European-style cuisine.

Hotels near Bangkok Airport

If you need hotel accommodation nearby, Hotel Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is on the doorstep, just three minutes’ walk away. There are countless other options for different budgets within a short distance of the airport, including Best Western Premier, Queen’s Garden Resort, Regent Suvarnabhumi, and Great Residence.