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Suvarnabhumi Airport

Bangkok (Samut Prakan), Thailand

Suvarnabhumi has one large Main Terminal with concourses A to G and a satellite building, SAT-1, with gates S101 to S128. A driverless underground train, the APM, joins them in about 3 minutes. On an Iranian passport you may stay in the transit area without a visa only if the connection is under 12 hours and bags are checked through; 12 hours or more needs a transit visa.

Airport staff speak English at every airport in these guides. Showing the help card, or the title of the step you are on, is enough; you do not need the local language.

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Both flights on ONE ticket

Your bags go through. You only change planes.

  1. Check the 12-hour rule, then leave the plane with all your hand luggage

    On an Iranian passport you may stay in the transit area without a Thai visa only when your connection is under 12 hours and your checked bags go through to your final airport. A layover of 12 hours or more needs a Thai transit visa (TS), even if you never leave the transit area, so check your times before you fly. When you land, take every bag you carried on board. Look at your next boarding pass or the flight screens: a gate starting with S (S101 to S128) is in SAT-1, and a gate starting with A to G is in the Main Terminal. If you are unsure where to go, show your boarding pass to any staff member.

  2. Next flight also from SAT-1: go to the connecting area on level 2

    The airport says the central area on the 2nd floor of SAT-1 is for connecting flights. If you have no boarding pass yet, go to your airline's counter there first. Then go through the security check, take the escalator or lift up to the 3rd floor, which is departures, and walk to your gate. If you are unsure, ask the staff at the airline counter and show your ticket.

  3. Next flight from the Main Terminal: take the APM train on level B2

    Go down to level B2 of SAT-1 and take the APM, a driverless underground train, to the Main Terminal. The airport says the trip takes about 3 minutes, including the wait at the station. At the Main Terminal, go up to the 2nd floor. If you are unsure which way to go, ask any staff member and show your boarding pass.

  4. Follow the 'Transfer Desk' signs

    In the Main Terminal, follow the signs that say 'Transfer Desk' together with 'Connecting Flights Gates A, B, C, D' or 'Connecting Flights Gates D, E, F, G', whichever matches your gate. The airport says the transfer counters are on Concourse D, C/D or E/F. If you have no boarding pass for the next flight, go to your airline's transfer counter and show your passport and ticket. Do not follow the 'Domestic Connecting Flights' signs unless your next flight is inside Thailand.

  5. Go through transfer security

    The transfer security checkpoints are on the East side of the 3rd floor, or in the central or West area of the 2nd floor of the concourse. The airport describes no passport control on this route between two international flights. Liquids must be in containers of 100 ml or less, up to 1 litre in total, in one clear resealable bag. Show liquid medicines with their label or doctor's note to the security officer, and ask the officer if you are unsure.

  6. Landed in the Main Terminal, leaving from SAT-1: follow 'Connecting Flights Gates S101 - S128'

    Follow the sign 'Connecting Flights Gates S101 - S128' to the transfer counters. Get your boarding pass at your airline's counter if you do not have one, then go through security. Go down to level B2, take the APM train to SAT-1, then go up to the 3rd floor, which is departures, and walk to your gate. If you lose the signs, ask any staff member and show your boarding pass.

  7. Be at your gate early

    Check the flight screens for your gate, and check again before you walk, because gates can change. The airport asks passengers to be at the boarding gate at least 45 minutes before boarding time, not departure time. If you are lost, ask any staff member, or call the airport Help Desk on 0 2132 3888 or the AOT Call Center on 1722.

Flights on SEPARATE tickets

You collect your bags and check in again. Allow much more time.

  1. Get a Thai visa before you travel

    With separate tickets you will usually pass Thai passport control to collect your bags and check in again. The Thai embassy in Tehran says you need a visa to leave the transit area to collect bags or to change airlines, and Iran is not on Thailand's visa-exemption or visa-on-arrival lists from 15 September 2026. Apply online at thaievisa.go.th for a transit visa (TS, 30 euros per entry) or a tourist visa, and pay in cash at the embassy. Allow at least 4 business days. The Tehran transit visa page asks for proof of at least 20,000 baht when you apply, and Iranians living outside Iran apply in the country where they live. The Tehran pages are dated 2025, so check them again before you apply.

  2. Fill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online

    Foreigners who pass Thai passport control must fill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) at tdac.immigration.go.th, within 3 days before arrival. There is no fee: use only that official site and do not pay anyone for it. Ask a family member to help if you are not comfortable online.

  3. Go to arrival passport control on the 2nd floor of the Main Terminal, with money to show

    If you land at SAT-1, follow the signs to the APM, go down to level B2 and ride to the Main Terminal. Go to the arrival hall on the 2nd floor and show your passport with the visa at passport control. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says immigration may ask to see 10,000 baht per person on a transit visa or 20,000 baht on a tourist visa, and the officer makes the final decision. Carry this amount or proof of it, with your next ticket. The airport lists special immigration lanes for persons with disabilities; if you are unsure which line to join, ask a staff member.

  4. Collect your bags and go through customs

    After passport control, pick up your bags in the baggage claim hall on the 2nd floor, then clear customs and walk out of the arrival hall. Kasikorn Bank exchange counters, open 24 hours, are in the baggage claim hall and along the arrival floor if you need Thai baht. If you cannot find your belt, look for your flight number on the screens or ask staff.

  5. Go up to the check-in hall on the 4th floor and check in again

    Check-in counters are on the 4th floor of the Main Terminal. Find your next airline on the screens, check in and drop your bags. Ask your airline before you travel when its check-in counter closes, and be there well before that time. If you cannot find the counter, ask any staff member and show your ticket.

  6. Security, then departure passport control

    After check-in you go through security, then departure passport control, then to your gate. Security has a priority lane for senior citizens aged 70 and over. Be at the gate at least 45 minutes before boarding. If you are unsure, show your boarding pass to staff and ask the way.

  7. Allow plenty of time, and know your way out

    This is plain advice, not an airport rule: plan at least 4 hours between landing and your next flight, and more if you can. We found no official minimum time, and the second airline does not have to wait for you. If your second flight leaves from Don Mueang Airport, a free shuttle bus for connecting passengers leaves from Level 2, Gate 3, every 30 minutes from 05:00 to 24:00; show your ticket and passport. The Airport Rail Link station is on level B1 of the Main Terminal, and the airport lists 05:30 to 24:00, but check its hours before you travel because the service may change.

Passport control

On one ticket, between two international flights, with bags checked through to your final airport, you stay in the transit area and do not pass Thai passport control. An Iranian may stay in the transit area without a Thai visa only when the connection is under 12 hours. A Royal Thai Embassy Warsaw document hosted on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs server and the Thai embassy in London say this, and London adds the conditions: bags checked through, no leaving the transit area, and a final destination outside Thailand. A layover of 12 hours or more needs a transit visa (TS), even if you never leave the transit area. The Thai embassy in Tehran says Iranians need a transit visa (TS) for a stopover longer than 12 hours, and also to leave the transit area to collect bags or to change airlines. Iran is on neither Thailand's visa-exemption list nor its visa-on-arrival list from 15 September 2026, so anyone on an Iranian passport who enters Thailand needs a visa from thaievisa.go.th before travel, and must also fill in the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card. If your next flight is inside Thailand, you pass passport control on the 2nd floor of Concourse C, so you also need a visa.

Getting around

The Main Terminal has concourses A to G. Arrivals and transfer areas are on the 2nd floor and departure gates on the 3rd floor. SAT-1 has 28 gates (S101 to S128): level 2 is arrivals and connecting flights, level 3 is departures, level 4 has lounges, and level B2 is the APM station. The APM is a driverless train in a tunnel about 1 km long; the airport says a trip takes about 3 minutes including the wait, and each train holds up to 210 people. The airport lists Mahan Air, Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines among the airlines at SAT-1, but the list is not dated, so always check your gate on the screens. Lifts with Braille buttons and spoken floor announcements, and ramps, are in the terminal. We found no official walking times between gates, and the concourses are long, so start walking as soon as you know your gate. If walking is hard, ask your airline for a wheelchair.

Wheelchair and special help here

Ask your airline, not the airport, and ask for help on every flight, including the connection. Qatar Airways: request a wheelchair when booking or up to 48 hours before departure through Manage booking, its app, or a local office. Emirates: tell them when booking or at least 48 hours before the flight, and if your trip includes another airline, contact that airline too. Turkish Airlines: request at least 48 hours before the flight; later requests depend on availability, and the service is free for approved requests. Thai Airways and Mahan Air: we could not read an official assistance page for either, so ask when you book and ask again 2 days before you fly.

Inside the restricted area, wheelchairs come from airline staff, not from the airport. The airport's own free wheelchair point is at Level 4, Gate 2, in front of Row C, before check-in; those chairs cannot go into the restricted area, so it is only for separate-ticket travellers in the public area. Pick-up and drop-off points for passengers who need help are at Level 4, Gates 1, 4 and 6. The airport lists accessible information counters but does not say where they are; ask any staff member.

After check-in in the Main Terminal, passengers using an airline wheelchair, with one companion, may use the Fast Track lane. Security there has a priority lane for senior citizens aged 70 and over; both matter mainly on separate tickets. Passport control has special lanes for persons with disabilities. Accessible toilets have emergency call buttons. Turkish Airlines asks passengers who need help to arrive at least 3 hours before an international flight. We found no official meeting point for airline assistance staff.

Where to ask for help

Transfer counters: Concourse D, C/D or E/F in the Main Terminal, and the connecting area on level 2 of SAT-1. Help Desk: 0 2132 3888. AOT Call Center: 1722, and AOT Chat online. SAT-1 security control centre: 0 2132 5000. Lost and Found: SAT-1 East, level 3, 24 hours, 0 2132 2531 or 0 2132 2532. Tourist Police: 0 2132 1155. Immigration Police: 0 2134 0320. Airline offices in the Main Terminal: Mahan Air 3rd floor (0 2134 3170), Thai Airways 4th floor (0 2134 5301), Turkish Airlines 5th floor (0 2134 2073), Qatar Airways 5th floor and 6th floor West (0 2134 3517), Emirates Concourse G and 6th floor West (0 2134 2900). The airport lists Mahan Air among the airlines with check-in counters for the winter season, 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. Money: Thailand uses the baht. Kasikorn Bank exchange counters are open 24 hours on level 2 of SAT-1 (East and West) and in the 2nd floor arrival area of the Main Terminal. Exchange machines are in the 3rd and 4th floor departure areas, and bank ATMs are on the 1st floor of the Main Terminal, in the public area. No official page says whether Iranian bank cards work.

Rest and comfort

Muslim prayer rooms, open 24 hours: Concourse E, 3rd floor (departures); Concourse C, 2nd floor (arrivals); and the Main Terminal 3rd floor near Entrance 7, in the public area before security (0 2132 9273). SAT-1 also has Muslim prayer rooms, meditation rooms, a baby care room, smart toilets and benches with USB charging. The Miracle Transit Hotel is in the transit area of Concourse A, 3rd floor, open 24 hours, with stays of 6 to 12 hours. Paid Miracle Lounges are open 24 hours; the one in SAT-1 is for First Class, so ask at the lounge desk about entry and price. Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways lounges are in Concourse D, level 3; the Emirates lounge is in Concourse G, level 3; Thai Airways lounges are in Concourses D and E. A clinic, AOT Medical Service by Samitivej, is near Gate 117 on level 3 of SAT-1, inside the transit area. Its other clinic, at Door 3 on the 3rd floor of the Main Terminal, is in the public area, so a transit passenger cannot reach it; if you feel unwell, ask any staff member for help. Phone charging points are on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the concourses.

My help card

Print the card on its own, fill in the lines by hand, and keep it in your pocket.

I am traveling alone. I need help to find my connecting flight. Please show me the way, or call someone who can help me. Thank you.

You can type the details here before printing. They stay on this device only.

Partly checked against official pages.

What we could not confirm (20)
  • We could not confirm Mahan Air's current Tehran to Bangkok schedule, because mahan.aero could not be opened (certificate error). The airport lists Mahan Air at SAT-1 and among airlines with check-in counters for the winter 2026 season, but gives no flight days or times.
  • We could not confirm which flights use SAT-1: the airport's SAT-1 airline list is not dated and says 'including', so it does not show that every flight of Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines or Mahan Air leaves from there. Check the gate on your boarding pass or the screens.
  • We could not confirm a 'Transfer Counters on level 4' layout. The airport's own page names transfer counters on Concourse D, C/D or E/F and security on the 3rd and 2nd floors. Its older transfer guide (detail page 74) returned a server error, and the East, West-1 and West-2 counter names come only from other airlines' guides, so they are not used.
  • We could not confirm the exact capitals or colours of the real signs. The sign wording ('Transfer Desk', 'Connecting Flights Gates A, B, C, D', 'Connecting Flights Gates D, E, F, G', 'Connecting Flights Gates S101 - S128', 'Domestic Connecting Flights') is taken from the airport's written guide.
  • We could not confirm Thai Airways' own rules, because its pages showed 'Under Maintenance' on 5 November 2026. Search summaries say that connecting passengers who pass Thai immigration re-check in on the 4th floor, that its check-in counters close 50 minutes before departure, and that a wheelchair should be requested at least 48 hours ahead. Ask Thai Airways directly.
  • We could not confirm any Mahan Air special assistance page, notice period or transfer desk at Bangkok.
  • We could not confirm where airline assistance staff meet passengers, or whether wheelchair help continues automatically between two flights.
  • We could not confirm where the information counters, accessible drinking water dispensers and seating for persons with disabilities are; the airport's pages do not say.
  • We could not confirm whether a buggy or electric cart service exists airside, or any walking times between gates.
  • We could not confirm any official minimum connection time for same-ticket or separate-ticket connections; the 4-hour figure for separate tickets is our own plain advice.
  • We could not confirm whether a layover of exactly 12 hours needs a visa: the Tehran embassy asks for a transit visa for stopovers longer than 12 hours, while the document on the Foreign Affairs server exempts only transits of less than 12 hours, so this guide treats 12 hours or more as needing a visa.
  • We could not confirm the transit rule on a Thai Immigration Bureau page (immigration.go.th). It comes from a Royal Thai Embassy Warsaw document hosted on the Foreign Affairs server and from the Thai embassies in London and Tehran.
  • We could not confirm that the Tehran embassy's transit visa details (30 euros per entry, proof of at least 20,000 baht, at least 4 business days) are still current, because its pages are dated 2025.
  • We could not confirm on an official page who runs the Airport Rail Link now or whether its hours have changed: news reports say its operator changed in October 2026 and may change again in February 2027, while the airport page still lists 05:30 to 24:00.
  • We could not confirm whether Iranian bank cards work, or whether the exchange counters take Iranian rial; no official page says.
  • We could not confirm whether the 1722 AOT Call Center short number works from a foreign mobile phone.
  • We could not confirm the opening hours of the AOT Medical Service clinics (the page showed 'Closed, open 05.00 PM' on the day checked), or the floor of the SAT-1 prayer rooms.
  • We could not confirm whether the airline offices listed in the Main Terminal are before or after security.
  • We could not confirm the Fast Track details on the airport's own Fast Track page (detail page 902), which returned a server error; the Fast Track and 70-plus priority lane details come from the wheelchair and departure procedure pages.
  • We could not confirm whether staff at transfer or information desks speak Persian or Arabic.

Airports change signs, gates and rules. This guide is general help, not an official instruction. Always follow the staff and the screens, and check with your airline.

Last prepared 5 November 2026.

Where this comes from (31)