Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is Thailand’s main international airport and one of the busiest in Southeast Asia. Tens of thousands of passengers pass through it every day, so a well-developed parking system has been built for drivers here: covered multi-level car parks, open lots and long-term storage zones.
If you’re driving to the airport — for example, to meet relatives/friends, or to leave your car while you travel — it’s important to understand in advance which zone to use depending on your task: simply dropping a passenger off, meeting someone, or leaving the car for several days.
This guide gives a detailed explanation of all the Suvarnabhumi Airport car parks and tips on how to quickly find a spot.
If you just need to drop off a passenger (no parking needed)
This is more relevant if you’re seeing passengers off rather than meeting them. If you need to meet someone, it’s easier to park, because it’s usually very hard to coordinate the right floors and exits. Even if you know the airport very well, meeting up this way is a task* with an asterisk.
If you’re seeing someone off and just want to drop them without long goodbyes etc. — you don’t need to park at all.
There’s a special drop-off zone at the terminal — Passenger Drop-off.
At this fork, keep left — Passenger Terminal
Follow the Departures signs (to the left).
Then Private Autos (to the left)
Stop, say your goodbyes and drive off. The driver is not allowed to leave the car at this spot. Link to the Departures Terminal on Google Maps.
If you need to park your car at Suvarnabhumi (BKK)
Bangkok’s main airport has 2 types of parking: short-term (25–250 baht) and long-term (140 baht per day).
If you need to leave your car for several days, it’s better to use long-term parking, as the daily rate is cheaper there. You can reach the car park on a free shuttle that runs around the airport 24/7.
1. Parking for those meeting and seeing off (for a few hours)
Best option: Zone 2 (exit 3) or Zone 3 (exit 8)
These are multi-level car parks directly opposite the terminal, connected to the airport by covered walkways. It’s about a 2–3 minute walk from the car to the terminal.
At the airport entrance, keep right
Take the right exit to get straight to the 5th floor
You’ll see the Parking 2 entrance, but we still recommend going straight to zone 3. It’s closer to the VAT refund, the counters and so on.
Drive in right here
There’s one BUT here — this is the busiest car park. You can park there, but you’ll need a bit of patience and an understanding of how this place works.
Spaces free up constantly.
Bear in mind there are many people just like you who came for 1–2 hours to see someone off or meet them. And the car park frees up dynamically even in the peak season.
- If you’re on the 5th floor, watch the people coming out of the walkway and where they head. There are no random people there — there’s a high chance they’re drivers walking to their parking spot.
- If you’re on other floors — watch the stairs or the lift.
- If you spot a free space — park; don’t fall for the “I’ll find a comfier one” trap.
- You can often stand not in a parking bay but in the space next to the toilet (but at your own risk). You may get a wheel “boot”. In practice we’ve only seen boots on flagrant offenders who block the passage.
- It’s better to park on the upper floors (4–5).
Blocking other cars in a Thai car park
You can use the quirks of “Thai” car parks where cars block one another. Driving through the floors you’ll definitely see a string of cars blocking others. These aren’t rude people — it’s normal practice in Thailand. You too can park and block another car, but follow these rules:
- Leave the car in neutral;
- Don’t park in a busy row where there’s no room left to roll your car back.
If you arrive and your car turns out to be blocked by another: just push it and free up space to get out. Sometimes it turns into a game, as you need to move 3–5 cars.
If the car park is empty when you arrive, try to park where you’re less likely to be blocked in — so you don’t lose time when leaving.
If everything is taken and you’re short on time
Driving through the floors can eat up a lot of time, so it’s sometimes better to drop passengers on the 5th floor by the lift and, if there are no spaces, go down and out to the open car park — right at the 1st-floor exit, turn left into the open lot. This avoids hassle, as there are far more free spaces there. These are zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Short-term parking cost
Free for 15 minutes — fine for dropping off passengers.
Beyond 15 minutes the cost is the same for all zones and starts from 25 baht per hour (the longer you stay, the higher the hourly rate, up to 6 hours):
2. Multi-day parking at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport
If you need to fly out and leave your car there for several days, the paid parking format at 140 baht/day may suit you.
2. Go to the free shuttle stop and ride to the airport.
3. On the way back, exit following the “Shuttle Bus” signs (around exit 3 of the airport). Cross the road and the stop will be there. Ride to your car. You pay on exit from the car park.
You’ll need Shuttle Bus A — it runs through both car parks (official source)
Sources:
- Our own experience
- Google Maps — photos and geotags taken from here
- Official airport website suvarnabhumi.airportthai.co.th
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