Suvarnabhumi Airport. All flights to Thailand now land at our new airport.  To read about it click here


Advice to get you through Airport Security

Packing before you get to the airport

Carry on bag size for most major airlines must not exceed 56x45x25cm (22x17.5x9.85in) (including wheels, pockets and handles).  British Airways has just lifted the one bag restriction and you can now take a carry on bag plus a laptop bag or handbag, with a combined weight of less than 23kg. Other airlines allow 20 - 23kg  combined cabin bag weight, some still only allow 1 bag, check with your airline via their web site.

Excess baggage is very expensive. It's worth putting your bags on to your bathroom scales to check. Keep it well under the maximum allowance. This allows some extra weight on the way back for souvenirs and gives leeway incase your home scales aren't quite as accurate as the airline ones.

Get updated with the current regulations on what may be taken aboard the aircraft. You can usually find this on the airport or airline web site. Currently you are not allowed to take liquids or creams in your hand luggage, except in very small sizes (100ml). This includes toothpaste, facial creams, perfume and medication. If you take regular prescription medication it is worth keeping it in your hand baggage, just in case your checked in bags are delayed.

Remember to pack sharp objects such as tweezers, scissors, razor blades, nail files etc. in your checked baggage, as they will be confiscated from hand luggage. Everyone, even frequent fliers, should double check the contents of their pockets and bags, particularly carry-on luggage, to ensure no prohibited items were inadvertently packed.

To minimize the risk of damage or loss, don't pack fragile or valuable items in checked baggage. Take them with you in carry-on baggage, or ship them to your destination instead.

Do not wrap gifts. Take the packaging with you a wrap them when you reach your destination. If a wrapped gift sets off an alarm or cannot be seen clearly on an X-ray,  security officers will unwrap the gift to check it out and they won't do it carefully!

If you do not use a digital camera remember to put undeveloped film in carry-on baggage, because equipment used to screen checked baggage will damage film. Also, high-speed and specialty film should not be put through X-ray machines, so passengers may ask security officers at the checkpoint to physically inspect film.

Remember to put identification tags inside and on all baggage  including laptops. Give the address of your destination on the way out and your home address on the way back. Do not have your home address visible on the way out, it will tell burglars you are going on holiday.

Don't over pack bags. If you struggle to close it and security officers have to open them, it will be left to one side until they have time to close it properly and may miss the flight. Anyway if it's so full on the way out where are you going to put your souvenirs on the way back?

Do not lock bags. If airport security officers need to open a locked bag for inspection, they may have to break the lock.

Toys carried by children will have to be ex-rayed. Prepare your children for this so that they don't scream when their favourite toy has to go in the machine.

You may be asked to remove coats, jackets or shoes  for screening. Prepare the family for this so that you don't hold up the queue.