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A guy next to me in immigration today mentioned that he had heard they are now charging a departure tax in the airport again, like it was a few years ago before it was incorporated into the ticket.  Can any of you guys who have left the kingdom recently confirm this is true or not.  It just sounded like a rumour to me but it would be handy to know.

 

Not true as of Sunday.

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A Nok Air flight from Hat Yai to Bangkok was delayed for several hours on Sunday after a passenger on board the flight did not have an air ticket or an ID card.
 

It was not known how the man, aged about 40 wearing a light blue shirt and sandals , managed to slip on board undetected.  The truth was out when  another passenger found out his seat was occupied by the stranger who refused to leave the seat.

 

The incident prompted air stewardesses to rush to the seat to find out what was going on.  When the stranger was asked to write his name, he declined and pretended that he didn’t understand Thai.  Later on, security guards were called in and escorted him out of the plane.

 

But some of the passengers were worried that the stranger whose identity was unknown might have his luggage loaded on the plane voiced protests and demanded that all the luggages be offloaded and checked again for safety reason.

 

The dissenting passengers, numbering about 20, also demanded a change of their flight because they were not sure of the safety of their original flight which was supposed to leave Hat Yai airport at 11.15 a.m.

 

The problematic flight later left Hat Yai, several hours behind schedule and minus 20 passengers who were shifted to another flight.

 

As for the stranger, it was reported that he was escorted by police to a mental hospital for checks and he was later released.

 

Nok Air CEO Pathee Sarasin later tweeted promising that such an incident would be not repeated again as security would be stepped up.

 

However, the unusual incident was already posted by one of the passengers on Pantip website and it drew a flood of negative comments against the lax security at Hat Yai airport and the conduct of Nok Air staff in handling the incident.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/stranger-board-nok-air-flight-without-air-ticket-id-card/

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I left recently and there was no departure tax levied that I was aware of.

there is a 700b. fee if, during an international transit and you don't have yet the boarding pass for the next destination and you decide to enter the country. That means you do a check in on the landside, not in the transit area. Happened to me on long lay overs and I decided to go into town. Next time I try to get a boarding card at the transit area and then go to town. Actually nobody checks if you paid the fee either at security check or immigration. So it must be an airline fee.
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there is a 700b. fee if, during an international transit and you don't have yet the boarding pass for the next destination and you decide to enter the country. That means you do a check in on the landside, not in the transit area. Happened to me on long lay overs and I decided to go into town. Next time I try to get a boarding card at the transit area and then go to town. Actually nobody checks if you paid the fee either at security check or immigration. So it must be an airline fee.

 

Sorry, but I am totally confused. I left in early March and as far as I know there was absolutely no additional charge for my departure. I left LOS via Swampy in the same manner as I've been leaving for years. 

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Departure tax is added into the ticket fee, so everyone that flies out of Suvarnabhumi pays it when they pay for the ticket. For international transit passengers, the case M1954 described may hold true - but can be avoided if the boarding pass for the next flight is collected before exiting the airport.

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Ok, it seems clear that this is not being clearly understood. Everyone who flies out of Thailand to another country pays the departure charge as the fee is now added into your ticket price. You don't see it unless you look at the price breakdown of the ticket. They did this shortly after Survarnabhumi opened. The departure fee is also called airport tax.

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Passenger hit with bottle of Jack Daniels on board Thai Airways flight from Sydney to Bangkok

A PASSENGER has told how a fight broke out on board a flight from Sydney to Bangkok, leading to a man being hit on the head with a bottle of duty-free alcohol.

 

The midair incident on the Thai Airways flight resulted in an Australian man being detained by police on arrival in Bangkok on Wednesday.

 

According to a passenger who witnessed the incident, the two men became drunk and violent.

 

“Two blokes were secretly swilling their duty free,” the passenger said.

 

“They began to argue and a fight broke out.”

 

He said one of the men then hit the other on the head with a bottle of Jack Daniels, resulting in “blood everywhere”.

 

“Took a while for the crew to calm things down,” the passenger reported.

 

Thai Airways confirmed the incident on board flight TG476.

 

“A male Australian national was unruly and assaulted another passenger,” the airline said in a statement.

 

“Upon landing in Bangkok the unruly passenger was detained by airport police.”

 

However, the airline noted the assaulted passenger did not press charges.

 

The latest incident follows several high-profile incidents involving unruly passengers on international flights from Australia.

 

In April, pilots on a Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Denpasar triggered a hijack alarm when Queensland plumber Matt Christopher Lockley banged on the cockpit door.

 

Mr Lockley was later charged with interfering with a crew member and is expected to stand trial in October in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

 

And in May, a Scoot flight from Sydney to Singapore made an unscheduled stop in Bali after a midair fight between a husband and wife left a woman with a suspected broken arm.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/passenger-hit-with-bottle-of-jack-daniels-on-board-thai-airways-flight-from-sydney-to-bangkok/story-e6frfq80-1226995948149

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PAL condoles with victims of downed aircraft; assures passengers of safe routes

 

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines assured its passengers that it does not fly over Ukrainian airspace, following the tragic incident involving a Malaysian Airlines aircraft that was reportedly shot down over an area of conflict.

 

“We wish to convey our heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims of this tragic incident and join the rest of the world in praying for those who were lost, as well as their loved ones,” the carrier said in a statement.

 

PAL also assured passengers, particularly those taking its direct Manila to London flights, that it continues to strictly follow regulations on flight paths.

"We comply with all safety advisories covering allowed flight routes, areas of restriction or conflict areas, and all other related matters governing flight paths," PAL said.

 

Also, the route that PAL’s Manila - London - Manila flights uses does not go anywhere near Ukraine or its territory.

 

The flight route, which covers Southeast Asia, the Indian continent, Turkey, Middle East and Europe "is nowhere near the no-fly zone areas."

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Thai Smile, the budget subsidiary of Thai Airways International (THAI), plans to provide service to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Khon Kaen from Don Mueang airport next week, airline executives said Thursday.

Surapol Isarakura na Ayutthaya, THAI's acting vice-president, said eight flights will depart Don Mueang on Aug 8 with the rest following by Oct 26.

"Thai Smile expects to move its base of operations for all point-to-point flights from Don Muang from Oct 26. Flights connecting to Thai Airways still operate at Suvarnabhumi airport,'' he said.

Woranate Laprabang, acting chief executive officer of THAI Smile Airways Co, added that the budget airline will offer three daily flights to both Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen and two flights daily to Phuket on Aug 8.

To mark the introduction of the new Don Mueang service, the airline announced Thursday promotional fares for one-way travel to Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen starting at 990 baht and 1,090 baht to Phuket. Tickets go on sale Aug 1-31 with travel between Aug 8 and Aug 31.

The airline's plan to move all operations from Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang airports was mooted by the National Council of Peace and Order last week. THAI Smile had used Don Mueang as its base before moving to Suvarnabhumi.

Mr Surapol said the return to Don Mueang would help the airline to grab more passengers in the already competitive market of the low-cost airlines.

The domestic market is dominated by Thai AirAsia and Nok Air. The two low-cost airlines uses Don Mueang for its operations for local and international flights. The market already heated up after Thai Lion Air joined the business.

THAI Smile sets itself as a premium low-cost airline by using the THAI brand as a selling point to lure passengers.

Mr Surapol said the relocation will help the airline fill more seats and reduce operational costs, including fuel costs incurred sitting on the crowded tarmac at Suvarnabhumi. Some savings are offset by the 5 million baht price tag of building facilities at Don Mueang.

"Thai Smile has to move because the second construction phase of Suvarnabhumi airport will take at least six years to complete. Don Mueang airport has room to expand and has a better outlook than Suvarnabhumi in the short term,'' he added.

Thai Smile will hold talks with Nok Air, which also uses Don Mueang as its base, to avoid redundant routings between the two no-frills carriers, he added.

Despite the planned relocation, Mr Woranate said revenue this year will remain unchanged with the carrier projected to miss its targeted 10 billion baht income line by 20%. Passengers loads also will fall short of the 3 million hoped for by year-end.

Political unrest is blamed for the shortfalls, as street rallies and May's coup drove away foreign tourists and discouraged travelling among locals.

THAI Smile operates 10 domestic routes from Suvarnabhumi and regional routes to Macao, Mandalay, Chongqing, Changsha, Colombo, Hyderabad, Phnom Pehn, New Delhi and Luang Prabang. Flights to Vientiane will start on Oct 26.

Mr Woranate said the carrier will add Hong Kong as a new destination and let THAI take over the flights to New Delhi and Hyderrabad, as most passengers on the two Indian routes were those continuing their journeys to third destinations via Thailand.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/423440/thai-smile-to-fly-three-routes-from-don-mueang

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Guest JustSumGai

I'm AMAZED that prices from American and United are the same NOW as in 2007 when I made my first trip!! Tho one runs from my city to Dallas and then a SEVENTEEN HOUR flight to Hong Kong. But Bkk is only 2.5 hrs away from that but GEEZ...17 hour flight. 13 to Narita I was just kind of getting used to. Also suprisingly it shows the same prices for Dec 10 which it's usually getting higher, that close to Christmas. Just amazing. AND on the first winters I had planned NOT TO GO. Argh...must try...to go....

I mean on the usual 100 rise every couple years, I'd expected it to be 1500, last year it was the same as a few years ago. Prices going DOWN, wow. This is out of a small city in the deep south then to Atlanta or Dallas. Then Narita.  Delta is 1500 so maybe it's some price war?

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A man was kicked off a domestic flight to Bangkok yesterday after he threw a tantrum over the overweight carry-on bag he’d thrown out the door.

 

The unidentified passenger had boarded the flight from Nakhon Sri Thammarat when the cabin crew decided to weigh his bag, which they then told him was too heavy to board the plane. So the passenger got rid of it by chucking it out the cabin door, simple as that.

"Do I have weapons? You have no right to banish me from the plane!” he shouts in a video capturing the moment. “What rule states I cannot get on the plane? Because I shout?!"

 

While most of us have shamelessly carried aboard a bag heavier than seven kilograms (all trying to make it look smaller and lighter than it really is), weight checks can and do happen.

 

However there’s a sure way to avoid getting kicked off the plane: remain calm and don’t be a jerk about it.

 

Instead of just paying the THB900 fee to have the bag checked, the man’s temper tantrum caused the cabin crew to “invite him off the plane.”

 

“I threw away the bag,” he shouted. “What else do you want?”

 

He was reportedly dragged out by airport security, and the plane departed from after a 30-minute delay.

http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2014/10/20/airasia-kicks-man-flight-carry-rage-video

 

There is a 5 minute Youtube video of the incident below, but does not show anything exciting such as bag chucking or the passengers removal from the aircraft:

 

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Emirates Air

 

That's a great price Hefe; lowest I've seen in a long, long time.  Lowest I ever paid was $675 back in the days of SARS.

 

If any of you are using the Emirates website to book your tickets, BB and I would sure appreciate it if you get to the Emirates website by clicking on our links on Asia Hotel and Travel.

 

It's the exact same price for you but gives us a small commission.

 

As far as privacy goes, we have no idea who's booking a flight.  We don't get your name or credit card details or anything like that.

 

Since the link is coming from AH&T and not LBR, Emirates has no idea that you are flying to Thailand for any reason other than visiting temples.

 

Here's the link:  Emirates Airline

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