Don Muang Airport Overview:
Although there is just one international terminal, it can take up to 20 minutes to walk from one end of the terminal to another, so plan ahead to give yourself extra time.
Don Muang Airport (also spelled Don Mueang)was originally slated to close down once Bangkok's new airport, Suvarnabhmi Airport opened in 2006. After just one year, Don Muang re-opened for limited flights and since then the Thai government has gone back and forth on what role, if any, the old airport should play. Partly because of congestion at Suvarnabumi, transportation officials decided as of October 2012 to keep Don Muang open and use it for domestic flights and some budget carriers. There are still some exceptions to these rules, though, so pay careful attention to your tickets when traveling in and out of Bangkok.
Before the new airport was opened, Don Muang handled over 30 million passengers per year, a surprising number considering how small the airport feels! There are two terminals, one domestic and one international and the airport has two runways and 33 gates, so it's a large airport by global standards.
Though many have grumbled that the they have to fly out of the old airport, Don Muang is much closer to the city than Suvarnabumi, and because it's only handling about 8 million passengers per year, it's much less congested.
Don Mueang International Airport (DMK)
Airport Call Center: +66 (0)2 132-1888
At east for now, the immigration lines at Don Muang are moving quickly and the whole process whether leaving or arriving should take less than 20 minutes. Make sure you have your departure card filled out before you get into line (it's stapled to your passport when you arrive), though, or you may get sent to the back of the line. If you're not sure whether you need a visa, read up on Thailand's visa requirements though chances are you will not need to get a visa before you land.
Don Muang is an old airport built on the two-story model (one level for arrivals and one for departures) but has recently been refurbished so is generally clean and well organized but feels markedly unmodern. There are limited fast food outlets, including a Burger King, a noodle shop, a coffee shop and a Thai restaurant. There are also currency exchange booths and ATMs in the arrivals hall, as well as taxi and car services. If you need to rent a car at the airport, there is an Avis counter.
There is a medical clinic with trained staff open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the first floor of Terminal 1.
The airport has one large duty free shop in the international terminal selling a selection of mostly cosmetics and liquor. This is the same operator, King Power, as you'll find in the international airport, though the selection at Don Muang is limited by the size of the airport. The domestic terminal has a handful of gift shop and a bookstore. Overall, the shopping at Don Muang is mediocre.
Though it's not as new and aesthetically pleasing, Don Muang has better waiting areas than Suvarnabumi (one of the major criticisms of that airport) and in the departures halls there are dozens of rows of comfortable seats. These areas can get crowded.
There are no hotels directly at the airport, but there are some just across the street and in the general area. Because Don Muang is so close to the city, it's often almost as convenient to head into town, even if you're just killing time until an early morning flight.
