Bangkok Airport is Getting Worse

[BUCKY]

Things are obviously getting from bad to worst. I was out of the country and back just yesterday and things at the airport are not improving and is in fact getting worst. Going to airport, the taxi are not allowed to stop at the entrance of the airport but instead only at across the road near to the multi storey car park. They also block visitors from using the escalator from Departure to Arrival for some reasons. So if you arrive early and wanted to go to the basement's foodcourt for some meal, you can only go there by using the lift (which you will have to take time searching if you're not fimilar with the place).

And when you come back, you are greeted with the groomy looking custom officers who assume Thai is the first language in the World and everyone should be able to understand "yeun throng throng ka". But luckily you are soon greeted with hundreds "airport staffs" flashing the famous Thai Smile asking if you need "taxi" inside and outside the custom area. Passengers are no longer allowed to stand just outside the receiving area instead they all have to wait at Gate 3 "meeting point". I have no idea where is the "meter taxi" now so I go back to the Departure Hall and cross the road where the taxi drop passengers off. There, you will still meet taxi drivers who'll offer you "cheap" 300 baht - 500 baht flat rate fare but its also relatively easy to find a honest one who'll automatically on his meter without you telling. Most of these taxi drivers are not "authorised" taxi drivers of the airport so they have to secretly pay a bribe of 20- 40 baht to the security guards there. So if you meet a nice and honest driver, do tip them or at least tell them you will give them the extra 50 baht. I normally tell them I'll give them additional 100 baht (cos I stay far from the airport) on top of the meter and they're usually very grateful to that.

Oh ya, my friend who just visited Bangkok with his family met these touts right outside the gate of Grand Palace. The guy actually stood at the gate and stopped my friend from going in telling him that the Palace was closed for some special ceremony and he should come back later but meantime he can recommend nice "tuk tuk" driver to bring them to other places of interests. And ya, my friend was pissed after that nice "tuk tuk" driver took them to the gem shop and pleaded them to go in so he can claimed his fuel coupon. Bangkok is never the same to him ever again.

[Richard Barrow]

They also block visitors from using the escalator from Departure to Arrival for some reasons. So if you arrive early and wanted to go to the basement's foodcourt for some meal, you can only go there by using the lift (which you will have to take time searching if you're not fimilar with the place).

I went to the airport the other week to meet someone and was really confused by this new layout. Nearly all of the escalators and lifts down to the arrival level were blocked off with tape. In the end I had to walk to the far end (domestic end) before I could get down to arrivals. In the past you could wait outside exit gates B and C for your friends. Now everyone is herded to the far end. If you are not a passenger, they will not let you pass. As it turned out, my friends were waiting for me the other end and we wasted nearly an hour.

[InterestedGuy08]

When I arrived at Bangkok International, it was pretty simple to get a metered taxi. As soon as I picked up my luggage from the baggage claim carousel area and walked out into the main lobby, I walked left all the way to the end of the airport (there are taxi signs above you to guide the way). There, when you exit you will see a taxi stand, just tell the driver where you go and it's metered. It cost me a little over 300 baht to get to downtown Bangkok.

[Betti]

a friend of mine who has been living in Bangkok for 3 years says that up until two or three months ago, he had absolutely no problems with taxi drivers (he used them every day!), but recently they ignore directions (like, his Thai girlfriend says "turn off the elevated highway at the next exit" repeatedly and they drive on), they take him on round trips, they refuse to turn on the meter, they demand 500 baht for airport transfer, etc. he was so shocked to find such a big change in the quality of service that it finally tipped the scale and he made up his mind to buy a car, which he had been considering for a while.
it's still only high fuel prices that we can put the blame on, he says some meters have been adjusted and now there are slightly higher fares, but not in all taxis.

[Surawut]

I went to the airport the other week to meet someone and was really confused by this new layout. Nearly all of the escalators and lifts down to the arrival level were blocked off with tape. In the end I had to walk to the far end (domestic end) before I could get down to arrivals. In the past you could wait outside exit gates B and C for your friends. Now everyone is herded to the far end. If you are not a passenger, they will not let you pass. As it turned out, my friends were waiting for me the other end and we wasted nearly an hour.

Its a shambles Richard. As you say the escalators are either taped off or both going "up" only, and the lifts are now programmed not to stop at arrivals level. No way to get down into the arrivals hall except at the domestic (Door A) end of the terminal, where security stops everyone from entering the arrivals area to get to doors B and C. I went to pick a friend up 3 weeks ago. I knew nothing of these new arrangements nor did my friend. I was forced to wait for him at this new "Meeting Point" and it turns out he was waiting for me near to where he had come out into the arrival hall at door C, the upshot was that we missed each other and he thought I wasn't coming. As the time passed I asked the security guards at the meeting point several times "are you sure all incoming passengers have to pass this meeting point now?" and was assured that yes! this was definitely the case....BS!! my friend exited arrivals through one of the doors well before the "meeting point" and got a taxi into town.

[Curt]

We've been here since November, and have noticed that the drivers' M.O.s change like the weather. We will have periods of no problems and then encounter nothing but problems.

One thing that has been surprising is the number of drivers that turn down fares. I could understand if we were heading to the sticks, or it was coming up on 4pm, but there really doesn't seem to be any reasoning behind their refusals.

We can usually get by with just the motorcycle, but there are those times when we need something bigger. Maybe I'll buy a tuk tuk!

[Richard Barrow]

I asked the security guards at the meeting point several times "are you sure all incoming passengers have to pass this meeting point now?" and was assured that yes! this was definitely the case....BS!! my friend exited arrivals through one of the doors well before the "meeting point" and got a taxi into town.

I asked the exact same question and got the exact same result. It is a shambles. It is maybe alright if you are arriving and just want a taxi. But, not so easy if you are going to pick someone up.

[Betti]

[moppet61]

So if I arrive from International and need to transit to Domestic to catch my plane to Koh Samui.Do they stop people from going up to Domestic departure hall at level4.

[Richard Barrow]

You can go up - there is no restriction. You just cannot go down.