Transit/Stopover in BKK

[Skyring]

I've checked the stopover guide for BKK, a lot of which seems pre-pandemic. Can't see anything really relevant.

Situation: Apart from domestic and trans-Tasman flights, I've gone nowhere since early 2019. Next month I'm flying to and from Edinburgh. Using some of the resources here I was able to get a Finnair J flight BKK-HEL-EDI for about $4K. I've also booked QF CBR-SYD-BKK for about $2K. This should earn me about 470SC which, added to the 100 I already have, should put me within shouting distance of SG with another NZ trip later this year.

Problems: 1. On my return flight I have 23 hours in Helsinki. This connects the two legs EDI-HEL and HEL-BKK. I arrive after lunch and leave the next day a little before. Will my bags be checked through or will I have to collect them? I don't really want to take a close look at the fleshpots of Helsinki; I'd rather find a convenient hotel, hole up, catch up on sleep and emails and stuff, check in at a reasonable time next day and grab some lounge time before my overnight flight to BKK.

2. My outward QF Y flight gets into BKK at 1640 and my AY J flight leaves the next morning at seven-ish. It will have been a pre-dawn start from Canberra, so I'm thinking a night at a reasonably convenient hotel will suit me fine. I have no interest in exploring Bangkok in a limited time, and local travel at late afternoon sounds pretty horrid.

3. Homeward a week later and my Finnair flight arrives at dawn and the overnight flight to Sydney leaves 12 hours later. I'll need to collect my bags and I wonder how long I'll have before I can check them in with Qantas and what my options are for a daytime sleep before my red-eye.

Can anyone offer reasonably recent advice for any of these?

 

[jase05]

BKK has a Novotel that is pretty nice. Has a covered walkway from the hotel to the terminal which is only a few minutes walk or a free 24hr shuttle if you have heaps of bags. Has a stack of restaurants and bars with a pretty nice pool if you just want to relax for a bit. Rates are normally around $200/night but often have sales where it’s $120-140/night

 

[Cossie]

Bangkok, I stay at the Novotel, walking distance from arrival, it will cost more, but when I stayed there last July they had a 24 hour check in policy (please check this though) meaning you have the room for 24 hours from check in, which is very handy.
There are numerous cheap hotels nearby and there is a "local" taxi rank for these shorter trips, so no need to go downtown, although the train makes it easy.
Last time in Helsinki I stayed downtown, got the train both ways and our bags were checked through from Berlin to Bangkok via Helsinki. So we had the necessities in our carry on bags.

 

[clifford]

I have a little experience with layovers in both HEL and BKK, on similar trips (to CPH and LHR). However, I'm quite a bit downmarket with transit accommodation from the above esteemed posters, hotelwise, although I do travel business class on QF and AY.

Whenever I have a longish layover in HEL, I stay at a local hotel in Hiekkaharju, a 5-minute train ride away. I don't need luxury for an overnight transit. In Bangkok, I usually stay in the On Nut area (quite a way from the airport), but later this month I'm flying on the same AY flight as you, which arrives at stupid time in the morning (5am-ish). I can't check into my apartment in On Nut until 2 pm, so I've booked a hotel close to airport in Lat Krabang which allows check-ins from 6 am, just for a few hours, at a cost of less than $30.

So, there are quite a few options open to you for your layovers.

 

[Happy Trails]

The Novotel at BKK is definitely the best option if the price is acceptable.
I used QFF points for our stay a few months ago.
They still have the 24hr check in.

There are also a couple of pod-type accommodations which charge by the hour.
They're in the basement level walkway between Novotel and the terminal.

 

[jase05]

Novotel has Red Hot room rates of $115/night for many dates next month if you are an Accor plus member

 

[Skyring]

The Novotel at BKK is definitely the best option if the price is acceptable.
I used QFF points for our stay a few months ago.
They still have the 24hr check in.

There are also a couple of pod-type accommodations which charge by the hour.
They're in the basement level walkway between Novotel and the terminal.

Much obliged to you and those above. This forum is great for the advice freely given. I don't need luxury, just a place to sleep between flights with some sort of security and quiet.

During lengthy transits through London I've used the Yotels at Gatwick and Heathrow and they give me all I need. The pod things could be useful on my way home. I imagine they have some sort of shower facility on tap. Few things set me up so much as a nice tub between the legs of a long flight.

Some of my time I'll be writing up trip reports. I'm great at documenting the adventure on the first few days but then I get to where I'm going and my social life kicks in and there are things to do and I put it off until I get home and sometimes it's months before that happens.

 

[Archipelago]

Finding the Novotel at Suvarnabhumi Airport a bit pricey, I have tried out a few hotels in nearby Lat Krabang lately.

I stayed at The Cottage Suvarnabhumi recently. USD$30 included two way airport transfers and a (very simple) buffet breakfast. There's a small swimming pool, the rooms are modest but comfortable. The shuttle is a van which operates around the clock, door to door - the hotel is less than 10 minutes drive from the airport

A plus is the shopping mall and several supermarkets located next to the hotel, with numerous eating options - restaurants, food court, street food, fast food chains.

If I've got any more stupid o'clock arrivals or departures - I'll definitely give this a look again

 

[JohnK]

Finding the Novotel at Suvarnabhumi Airport a bit pricey, I have tried out a few hotels in nearby Lat Krabang lately.

This would be my suggestion. I've never found the Novotel under $150.

I've stayed at 5-6 hotels in Lad Krabang. Most are 3 stars and for around AUD40-50/night including transfer to/from airport they are great value.