So last Thursday I’m heading to Koh Samui for some R&R, flyin’ outta Surat Thani ’cause it’s cheaper. Figured I’d map out the terminal ‘fore my trip – y’know, see what’s inside besides sad plastic chairs.
First Look When Walking In
Right past the sliding doors, hit me with that AC blast – dang near needed a sweater. Place felt… compact. Like a big grocery store layout.
Food & Drinks Situation Was Weird:
- One lonely coffee kiosk smack in the middle pumping out espresso smells. Long line, naturally.
- Spotted a single snack counter tucked near Gate 2 – chips, sodas, kinda dusty-lookin’ buns. Passed.
- Surprisingly decent Thai restaurant upstairs? Had pad thai. Wasn’t terrible.
Lounges & Chairs Chaos
Tried findin’ a quiet corner. Ha! Good luck. Public seating was packed shoulder-to-shoulder. One “Premium Lounge” area behind glass – looked like five people max fit in there. Felt like watchin’ fish in a tiny tank. Didn’t even bother checkin’ the price.
The Retail Therapy Attempt
Walked past four tiny souvenir shops sellin’ near identical stuff:
- Keychains shaped like elephants
- Dried durian candy – smelled the shop before seein’ it
- Fisherman pants in violent tie-dye patterns
- “I Love Surat Thani” trucker hats somebody must hate tourists
Only useful spot was a tiny pharmacy counter squeezin’ out toothpaste and aspirin packs.
Finally Boarding
Got the gate announcement – total free-for-all zone. No lanes, just folks swarmin’ the desk like locusts. Tiny toilet rooms nearby got slammed right after the flight call. Smart move? Use the bathrooms upstairs ‘fore boarding starts.
Basically Surat Thani’s terminal feels like someone stretched a village bus station into an airport. Does the job? Barely. Gonna pack a hoodie and my own snacks next time.
