Koh Samui airport - when to check in?
Wednesday, June 16th
10:50 am
Bangkok Airways check-in times?
You’ll be glad to know that departing from Samui is almost as stress-free as arriving. A common question we get asked is, when should I arrive at Samui airport for check-in?
For pretty boring legal reasons, we’re obliged to tell you that you should make sure you arrive at USM in enough time to check in 1½ hours before your departure. But, with a heaping dose of caveat emptor, we’ve found this can be flexible.
An early start?
Many flights returning to Europe from Bangkok leave in the late morning or early afternoon, so, depending on where you’re heading, there’s a chance you’ll be on an early hop from Samui.
- The earliest flight out of Samui departs at 6 am, and the next, depending on the day of the week, tends to leave around 7.45 am.
- If you’re on the 6 am flight, you’ll find the streets of Samui more or less empty.
With one flight going out and none yet coming in, Samui is still pretty sleepy at this time of the morning. Combined with friendly, helpful staff and a new terminal designed to handle a few flights’ worth of passengers, check-in is usually efficient with just 10-15 minutes’ wait. A 5-minute stroll to passport control, sawasdee khrap to the immigration officials, and suddenly you’re at the gate, where you can sample some complimentary refreshments courtesy of the good people at Bangkok Airways.
Transit time?
- 7 minutes from our villa in Choeng Mon
- 10 minutes from Chaweng and Bophut
- 15 minutes from Maenam
The whole process can take as little as 15 minutes, but we certainly wouldn’t recommend strolling up that late! Instead, we tend to leave for the airport about an hour before departure. This leaves us a comfortable 50 minutes and plenty of time for a bite to eat at the gate.
As with all experiences, your mileage may vary. Since you’ll no doubt be coming back to Samui, we recommend giving yourselves a little longer the first time, and of course - as much time as you need to be cool and comfortable when flying.
Related:
- Bangkok Airways to Koh Samui - how to make the best of great airline
- Ready to roll? Check out our Thailand packing list
- Flying with children? Printable games, colouring pages and more! (You’re welcome)
- In-flight reading: the top 100 beach books
Flickr Creative Commons photo: jetalone
With love,
  Koh Samui Sunset








Don’t expose yourself on the beach!

