Flying to Chiang Mai from the UK where do I clear immigration - BKK or CNX?

[Hitch]

Hi all,

I have tried to research this online and have read mixed messages.

 

I arrive in BKK at 15:05 and my BKK to CNX is scheduled for 17:20 - both with Thai Airways.

 

I am execting to be be able to check my baggage through to CNX. 

 

I have seen elsewhere that I need to:

- use the "through system" (as I have seen it called, basically meaning int'l to domestic transfer) to skip long immigration queues at BKK and clear immigration and customs at CNX?

- clear immigration in BKK and then go to domestic flight (with bag checked through to CNX) and clear customs at CNX.

 

Is it correct that both options are possible? Who has gone direct to Chiang Mai and what do you advise?

 

Also, considering upgrading my economy Thai Smile flight from BKK to CNX to Business. I hear it is dirt cheap and should give me access to Royal Silk Lounge which should be useful.... on my last 2 Thai Airways direct flights from LHR to BKK flight has been between 30-45 mins early, so expecting time to kill...

 

Advice on best option above much appreciated!

 

Hitch.

[BFT]

You can get your domestic flight BKK to CNX seat allocation when you check-in, in England. Then it is simply out the Plane and through a transfer where they the check you off the list and you clear customs in Chiang Mai. The luggae is booked through and you dont see it till Chaing Mai again.

If you are using different airlines then You may need to confirm whether they can allocate tickets through aStar Alliance. The One time I flew Sydney to CM it was Thai because the travel agent suggested that would be the least problematic and there were no issues.

Good luck and safe trip.

 

[Hitch]

Yes BFT, both Thai Airways, as stated above.

 

When you say "and through a transfer where they the check you off the list.." what exactly do you mean, just follow signs for internal transfer? 

 

Suvarnabhumi airport is a bit of a labyrinth in my limited exp...

 

Thanks again..

[The Kid Kabugle]

Mate we done this exact thing last July -flying with Thai airways London to Chiang Mai via Bangkok. Landed bkk at 06.05 and departed for Chiangmai Mai at 07.05. We had no choice but to do immigration at Bangkok & got a real sweat on, if we'd walked any slower definitely wouldn't have made the flight to CM.

 

You have more time between flights but if there's any delay, the only advice I can give is to bring a pen & have your immigration card filled in in advance. Our baggage was indeed checked right through to CM.

[Hitch]

Thanks Kid Kabugle, this already sums up my confusion. Two separate responses giving conflicting accounts of what to do. It is the same reading other forums, some say you can transfer without going through immigration in BKK, while others say you have to go through BKK immigration. 

 

Is it up to who you ask and what those individuals say on the day? Or is it that you can do both and some people are just given the wrong information claiming that you have to do BKK immigration...?

 

It seems like the latter. I await more BM evidence on this bizarrely confusing issue.

 

Thanks again Kid Kabugle, the truth will out (or not)...

[The Kid Kabugle]

lol my sister has worked for an airline 8 years & says you should definitely be able to do it at CMX, the question is how?!

 

Coming home from a different trip last year I was able to do immigration on leaving HKT Phuket going back to BKK, they exit stamped my passport as if I was leaving thailand on an international flight, then the transit through BKK was just like a domestic flight. Which is kind of what you want to do but going the other way. So it must be possible (Maybe I'm just making it more confusing).

[BFT]

Hitch,

I apologise for misleading you,

I just checked my passport for the trip I mentioned and it seems I passed through immigration at Suvarnabhumi.

But, I am sure it was at an onward passenger station marked Chiang Mai Transfer. It is clearly marked. And was beside the normal immigration station.

I know the seating and luggage were sorted in Sydney as previously stated and I do not remember leaving the restricted area of the airport. You do the Customs Clearence In Chiang Mai.

 

[Ru4Real]

OP, perhaps the confusion is with immigration and customs?

 

This is the procedure from the horses mouth as it where. And this is a reply from Thai Airways to the same question albeit from Oz rather than the UK (from Trip Advisor):

 

"Please be advised that you have booked our connecting flight through to Chiang Mai. Your bags will be through checked from Brisbane to Chiang Mai and you just need to walk to the domestic transfer desk to complete immigration formalities and then proceed to the domestic gate for your flight to Chiang Mai where you will clear customs on arrival. Please note this transfer is well signed in Bangkok airport however if you are unsure, please ask THAI airport staff on arrival for directions.

Yours sincerely

[semi-retired member]

If needing a lounge while at Bangkok waiting for your flight up to Chiang Mai, rather than upgrading to Business-class, next time book the connecting-flight with bangkok Airways & use their FREE lounge instead, also they serve an in-flight meal as opposed to the snack on Thai Airways.

 

This trip, since you're with Thai for both flights, your luggage clears Customs in Chiang Mai, but you clear Immigration at the Transfer-Immigration in Bangkok, avoiding the sometimes-bad queues for main-Immigration in Bangkok.

[Hitch]

I think I understand, thank you all. And in the midst of sheer confusion, wing it my friends, wing it....

 

Thank you,

 

Hitch.

[StevenK]

Yeah, Chiang Mai. Safe trip mate

[DaveDV]

This trip, since you're with Thai for both flights, your luggage clears Customs in Chiang Mai, but you clear Immigration at the Transfer-Immigration in Bangkok, avoiding the sometimes-bad queues for main-Immigration in Bangkok.

 

This makes sense

[yocky]

I flew with thaiair to bkk then onto Phuket cleared immigration in Phuket followed transfered in bkk much better than bkk

[semi-retired member]

Just to add that, on your (connecting) return-flight CNX-BKK-LHR, you should clear Immigration at Chiang Mai, which is much quieter/quicker than in BKK.

 

Check-in at the CNX International-terminal, and your hold-bags will go straight through to LHR.