Long Tail Boat Bangkok
Given that Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport(BKK) serves as a hub for many Asian destinations it is not surprising that some travellers have a stopover or transfer that can leave them with up to 12 hours in Bangkok.
Sitting or strolling around any international airport is at the best boring and can often be very uncomfortable and stressful. Tiredness, jet lag and other factors just compound matters. One alternative at Bangkok, if you have the energy and the time, is a transit/transfer tour. It is easy to take an organised tour or indeed do it yourself.
Organised Transfer Tour:
Back in June 2009 The Tourism Authority of Thailand(TAT) tried to address some of these issues by introducing special tours for transfer(transit) passengers arriving in Bangkok.
“The campaign will give transfer passengers a chance to enjoy a brief tour of the Thai capital and nearby provinces. By giving them a quick first impression, we hope to encourage them to come back for a longer stay in future.”
Passengers keen to join the tours will need to follow these simple procedures:
- Check whether their stopover time is enough to take any of the tours (not over 12 hours), and then select the appropriate one. Full tour programme details including costs, travel times to and from the airport will be provided.
- Contact either of the two tour counters that will be set up on both sides of the Transfer Hall and fill in the application form requesting an exemption of the airport tax.
- Tour counter officials will assist the passengers with all immigration formalities and take them to join the selected tours.
- After the tour, guides will take the passengers back to the airport for their departure flight and help them with immigration formalities.
Destinations(14) include Bangkok and attractions in some of the nearby provinces. Details of International Transfer Passenger Tours can be found here including destinations and pricing.
Do it Yourself Tour:
It is also now very easy to organise your own stopover tour of Bangkok since the airport rail link is now up and running, with transit into down-town Bangkok taking a mere 15 minutes on the express service. Here the options are endless, with opportunities to visit tourist sites, do some shopping or just chill out in the city centre.
Using the airport rail link, aside from its convenience and low cost also links you to other mass transit systems in the city like the Sky Train(BTS) or underground railway(MRT).
Visa Requirements:
Providing you come from a country that qualifies for the visa exempt scheme or visa on arrival you can exit BKK for a period of 30-90 days(depends on your domicile) which is more than adequate for your stopover tour 
You can check out countries who citizens qualify for either scheme here at the Thai Ministry of Forign Affairs.
A departure tax(500 Baht) from BKK may be levied when you return to the airport after your tour although people taking the TAT tour are exempt this charge. Also make sure you have your onward boarding card for when you pass through immigration.
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