Frequently asked questions about Suvarnabhumi Airport

Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is 25 km east of central Bangkok, in Racha Thewa, Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province. GPS coordinates are 13.6925, 100.75. It is linked to the city by the Airport Rail Link, metered taxis and the expressway.

The IATA code for Suvarnabhumi Airport is BKK and the ICAO code is VTBS. Bangkok's other airport, Don Mueang, uses DMK, so check which one your ticket shows before travelling.

Suvarnabhumi Airport handled 62.2 million passengers in 2024, making it the busiest airport in Thailand and one of the busiest in Asia. It is well ahead of Bangkok's second airport, Don Mueang.

Suvarnabhumi Airport has one enormous main terminal handling both international and domestic flights, paired since September 2023 with the SAT-1 satellite concourse. An automated people mover links SAT-1 to the main building.

The fastest way is the Airport Rail Link, reaching Makkasan for ฿35 and Phaya Thai for ฿45 in under 30 minutes. A metered taxi costs about ฿400 to ฿650 with the surcharge and tolls, and the S1 bus reaches Khao San for a flat ฿60.

The Airport Rail Link charges ฿35 to Makkasan, which interchanges with the MRT Blue Line, and ฿45 to the Phaya Thai terminus, which interchanges with the BTS Skytrain. Trains run roughly 06:00 to midnight.

A metered public taxi to central Bangkok runs about ฿300 to ฿450 on the meter, plus a ฿50 airport surcharge and ฿50 to ฿110 in tolls, for a realistic ฿400 to ฿650. Pattaya costs roughly ฿1,300 to ฿1,800. Fares are per car.

Yes, desks on Level 2 arrivals include Avis, Hertz, Budget, Sixt, Europcar and Thai locals. Bangkok is the cheapest rental market in Thailand, from about ฿600 a day in low season with no-deposit options. You need an International Driving Permit.

Yes. Foreign drivers in Thailand must carry an International Driving Permit with their national licence. Rental desks and police checkpoints can ask for both, and driving without an IDP can void your insurance.

Yes. Short-term garages by the terminal cost about ฿25 an hour, capped at ฿250 a day, while the long-term lot at the Public Transport Center is ฿20 an hour, capped at ฿140 a day, with a free shuttle. Drop-offs under 15 minutes are free.

Yes. Airports of Thailand runs a free shuttle bus between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, 35 km away, for passengers connecting between the two airports. Show a same-day or onward flight ticket to board.

Arrive about 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Immigration and security queues at this hub build quickly, and a gate in the SAT-1 concourse needs extra time.

Thai Airways uses Suvarnabhumi as its primary hub, alongside Bangkok Airways, Thai Vietjet, Thai AirAsia and Thai AirAsia X. Major long-haul carriers include Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air and Korean Air.

Bangkok's high season is the cool, dry period from November to February, with December and January busiest. Songkran in mid-April brings a domestic surge, and May to October is the wetter green season with lower prices, including for car rental.

Suvarnabhumi means Golden Land, a name given by the king. The airport opened on 28 September 2006 and held the record for the world's tallest free-standing control tower, at 132.2 m, from 2006 to 2014, with an iconic Churning of the Milk Ocean sculpture in departures.

The currency in Thailand is the baht (THB). Cards are widely accepted in the terminal and ATMs dispense baht, but the taxi surcharge, tolls and small shops are often cash only, so carry some baht on arrival.