Asian Airports
We have gathered information about the airports most commonly transited by guests coming to our rides in Asia. This information is most applicable to folks traveling from the USA and Canada, as flights from Europe, Australia and New Zealand tend to go direct to the Asian destination. If you have traveled frequently through any of these airports, feel free to add your tips about great food, a quiet nook or other helpful info, just use the “Add Your Ten Cents Worth” form.
Bangkok – Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)
Overview
Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced “Sue Wanna Poom”) has four public floors. The 4th floor is the departures level and is where city taxis or hotel shuttles will drop you off. As you enter, Check In Counters A – D are for domestic flights, E – Q are for international. There are displays showing which counter to check in for your flight at all of the entrances. The 3rd floor is food, with a variety of cafes, mini-marts and a drug store.
The 2nd floor is the arrivals level, with baggage claim, immigration and hotel and transport booking services. The 1st floor is for public transport, with the Airport Bus Service, Taxi stands and shuttle buses to the train station.
Foreign Exchange booths are located on the 2nd and 4th floors, with ATMs on 2, 3 & 4.
Transfers info
As you enter the transit area, you will see counters for the various airlines. If you do not have your boarding pass yet for the next leg, visit the counter for the airline you will be traveling with. Not all airlines have transit service desks, so you may have to proceed to the gate to get your boarding pass.
Long Layover options
There are no organized sightseeing options from Suvarnabhumi Airport, but if you have most of the day there, it is fairly easy to catch a cab to downtown and explore on your own. Allow yourself two hours each direction (especially if you are heading back near quitting time).
If you have a long night time layover between a domestic flight and international flight, There are now a number of choices nearby the airport. The Novotel is located right on the airport grounds, with rooms running from $150 on up. In nearby Lat Krabang town, there are a number of smaller hotels offerings rooms in $25 to $50 realm. Most of them offer airport pick-ups and drop-offs.
To check rates and make bookings:
• Suvarnabhumi Novotel – on airport grounds
• Silver Gold Garden – Lat Krabang town
• Floral Shire Hotel – Lat Krabang town
• Convenient Resort – Lat Krabang town
• Queens Garden Resort – Lat Krabang town
Food & Drink
There are a variety of food and drink options both inside the departure areas, as well as the main lobby area. For food in the international departures area, there are several small snack / bar facilities scattered throughout the shopping extravaganza. Plus at the far end, in Concourse F, there is a large food court area with both Thai and western foods (most of the western fast food groups are represented). Also at the far end, in Concourse G, is the Louis Tavern Dayrooms for sleeping and showers.
For food in the domestic departure area, there is the City Gardens food court, with a variety of menu items. Please note, you buy a food card when you enter, then as you order food, they deduct value by swiping your card. Any funds left after you have eaten will be refunded. The individual food stalls do not take cash or credit cards, you need use the food card.
For food in the main lobby, proceed to the 3rd floor, which has a variety of food shops offerings everything from coffee and cakes to sit down dining. There are also mini-marts with snacks and drinks on floors 2, 3 and 4.
Downtown Transportation
If your hotel does not offer airport pickups (usually only offered by the upscale hotels, at a premium price), you have several options: airport limosines, public taxi and airport bus. As you enter the arrivals lobby, you will notice several counters offering transport and hotel arrangements. Most of these offer airport limosine service. This is via sedans or mini-vans and is priced from 700 to 1000 baht per vehicle. The sedans are larger than the standard public taxi, so could be a good option if there are several people with lots of baggage. You will also encounter lots of touts offering taxi service, ask them which counter they represent, if they are independent, skip them, as it is just an overpriced public taxi ride.
To use the public taxi or Airport Bus service, go down one level to the first floor. Just inside the doors you will see the Airport Bus counter. This is the cheapest option, but has limited stops, so isn’t advisable if you are toting anything more than a backpack’s worth of luggage. Outside the door, you will see the Public Taxi stands, go to the counter, tell them which hotel or place you are traveling to and they will give you some paperwork and assign you to a driver. The cost to many Bangkok locations should be between 160 and 300 baht plus a 50 baht Airport Service fee. Some drivers will try to ask a fixed rate comparable to the taxi touts upstairs, but just tell them, “No use meter”. Depending on your destination, they may ask if you want to use the expressway. If it is daytime, it is a good option, as it saves quite a bit of time for only around 40 to 60 baht cost. If it is the middle of the night, the time savings is just a few minutes. If you choose to use the expressway, you will need to give the driver cash to pay the tolls up front, it will not be added to your fare.
Airport Deparure Tax
The International Departure Tax from BKK is now included in all airline tickets. The Domestic Departure Tax is figured into your airfare already.
Tokyo – Narita Airport (NRT)
Overview
Narita is divided into two separate terminals. The original terminal is Terminal One, with gates starting from the 50s and going down. The New Narita Terminal (also known as Terminal 2) has higher number gates (60s to 80s). The terminals are completely separated and the only access between the two is by shuttle bus, with tickets required.
Transfers info
After disembarking, follow the signs towards Immigration / Transit. When you reach the Transit counters, you need to determine your gate. If you are connecting on the same carrier, it is simply a matter of clearing security and going upstairs to the departure lounge. If you are changing airlines, you may need to change terminals. You should check at the counter (for either the airline you arrived on or the one you are departing on), they will give you a bus pass if you need to change terminals. To take the bus proceed downstairs to the bus gate; buses run about every 30 minutes. Please note that some airlines (like Delta) charter a bus to meet their flights and when that bus comes, the security guards will prohibit you from boarding it unless you have a pass specifically from Delta. It does get a bit frustrating watching these private buses come and go with only a handful of passengers, while you wait the for the scheduled bus.
Long Layover options
If you find yourself with a long layover, the nearby city of Narita makes an interesting destination. It is a historic, traditional Japanese town, with some interesting museums to visit and a picturesque temple complex, plus traditional markets and a good smattering of dining choices. To get there, you will need to clear immigration, then proceed downstairs to the train station. There are several lines going into downtown Tokyo with stops at Narita, you can use any of them. Tickets are purchased from the numerous ticket machines or a ticket window. When you reach the Narita stop, visit the tourist information counter and get a map … and enjoy.
It is also possible to go all the way into Tokyo, but that is a long train ride in both directions, so should something only if you are stuck there all day.
There is a Shower / Day Rooms facility in Terminal 1, in the long shopping section between the areas with gates in the 20s and gates in the 30s. Sleeping rooms are available starting with a minimum of 4 hours.
Food & Drink
Nartia is not well endowed with dining options, mostly small cafes / bars scattered throughout the concourses. There is a full service sit down restaurant in Terminal 2 and a couple of full sized bars (but note that some bars are smoking facilities).
Seoul – Incheon Airport (ICN)
Overview
Seoul Airport now has two terminals. The main (original) terminal is primarily served by Korean and Asiana flights. All gate numbers are between 1 and 60. The new Terminal Two handles most other carriers.
The two terminal are connected by an underground rail link. Boarding passes are checked before you enter the rail station and only folks with connecting flights are allowed to travel between the terminals.
Transfers info
As you disembark follow the immigration / transit signs down the hall. You will pass some “transit” doors, but keep going until you reach the Health Desk. Just past the health desk is the doorway for transit passengers, where you will pass security screening then head upstairs to the departure lounge.
Long Layover options
There are a number of guided tours offered from Incheon Airport for folks with long layovers. These range from a simple two hour trip to the area near the airport with visits to markets and temples to golf tee times to full day tours of either Seoul city of the DMZ. Prices start at $20 per person. You can pre-book your trip online via (website) or upon arrival at Incheon.
Please note that you will need to clear immigration to do a trip, so be sure your country has a visa waiver program in place with Korea (USA, Canada, UK and most EU member countries do). Also be sure to get a departure tax waiver from your guide, so you don’t have to pay the airport departure tax.
There is also a Transit Hotel located on the floor above the departure lounges. There are two hotels, one at each end of the airport, with time slots starting at 4 hours up to 24 hours. Some airfares on Korean and Asiana Airlines qualify for a free room, due to the long layover.
Food & Drink
Both gate wings have a big food court, the food court near Gate 35 has both Korean foods and Western foods (with all the generic fast food chains represented). The food court near Gate 14 has Korean and Japanese foods. In addition there are several bar / snack shops scattered throughout, most are very small … and no TVs for you sports bar fans.
For a quiet hideaway, look for the signs pointing to the Transfer Lounge. This facility is located on the floor above the departure lounges (same as the Transit Hotel). It is theoretically only for transit passengers, not travelers originating in Korea, but we have never seen anyone check people’s tickets. Again like the transit hotel, there are identical facilities at both ends of the airport. The lounge offers free internet access using their desktop computers or wifi if you have your own laptop. There is also a small snack shop / bar and a lounging area with comfortable couches, chairs and a big screen TV that you can select programming of interest (though there is not a huge selection of non-Korean choices, other than a movie and CNN).
Taipei – Taoyuan Airport (TPE)
Overview
Chang Kai Shek Airport is set up as a large rectangle, with Terminal One on one of the short sides and Terminal Two on the opposite short side. Gate areas are divided into A, B, C and D concourses, though they are all in the same corridors.
Transfers info
After disembarking, follow the immigration / transit signs. When you reach the transit turn, if you have your boarding pass simply proceed through security and upstairs to the departure lounge. If you need to get your boarding pass, there is a large transit desk opposite the door to security. This is also where you would check in for your hotel voucher, if your airfare / transit time qualifies for a complimentary hotel stay (mostly full fare / business with very long nighttime layovers).
Long Layover options
There are no organized sightseeing offering from the Airport.
In Terminal Two is the Transit Hotel, with rooms available starting with a 4 hour minimum.
Food & Drink
There is a small snack shop / bar located in each of the gate areas (A, B, C & D), along with some drinks and snacks sold in the shops. In Terminal Two’s departure area on the upper level, there are several food options, both Chinese and Western. This area is your best bet for something more than a snack and beer.
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