Bangkok Airport Lounges Cut Priority Pass Access

Starting April 1, 2025, Priority Pass members will no longer be able to access any airline-operated lounges at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).

This change marks a significant shift in the lounge landscape at one of the world’s busiest travel hubs.

If you’ve transited through BKK in recent years, you’ll know that it’s been a haven for lounge-hoppers, especially those holding a credit card with a Priority Pass benefit. Sadly, that era is coming to a close.

All airline lounges currently accepting Priority Pass will be removed from the network—including some long-time favourites like the Oman Air Lounge and the Turkish Airlines Lounge.

As someone who often plans my layovers with these perks in mind, this is a noticeable downgrade to the Bangkok airport experience.

Which Lounges Are Leaving the Network?

According to a statement from Collinson (the company behind Priority Pass), the following lounges are exiting the network:

There was some initial confusion about whether the Turkish Airlines Lounge would survive the cull—but a recent Priority Pass app update confirmed it’s out too.

So What’s Left for Priority Pass Members?

Priority Pass holders will still have access to a decent network of 17 lounges at BKK—but these are all operated by either Coral or Miracle.

And look, they’re not awful. I’ve been to a few Coral Lounges and they’re perfectly fine if you just want a seat, a bite to eat, power outlets,  and sometimes even massages.

But let’s not pretend they offer the same experience as a proper airline-operated lounge.

If you’ve experienced the Oman Air Lounge with its elevated food selection and, yes, actual champagne (a rare sight in the PP ecosystem), you’ll understand the disappointment.

Same goes for Turkish Airlines Lounge’s excellent food and hospitality—small perks that made longer layovers actually enjoyable.

 If you’re curious about what lounges are still available and how to access them—whether through a membership, airline status, or day pass—LoungeReview is a helpful site to bookmark. It gives you a clear view of which lounges are in each terminal and the different ways you can get in.

Why Is This Happening?

The word around the terminal is that this decision came from the Airports of Thailand (AOT).

Apparently, new rules say that airline lounges can only accept their own passengers, which effectively cuts off access for third-party programs like Priority Pass.

That might explain why local lounges like Coral and Miracle (which aren’t tied to any one airline and are Thai-owned) are still part of the Priority Pass ecosystem.

It’s likely more about local business politics than guest experience.

But honestly, it’s not all that surprising. Lounge overcrowding has been a growing problem for years, and Bangkok is one of the busiest airports in one of the most visited cities in the world.

Combine that with the fact that almost every premium credit card now comes with lounge access—whether via Priority Pass or the Visa Airport Companion Program—and it’s no wonder things were getting chaotic.

Let’s be real: who doesn’t have some kind of lounge pass these days?

In Canada alone, you can get access through a handful of credit cards, even for free when bundled with your chequing account.

The exclusivity is long gone.

And while lounge access is easy for many of us in the West thanks to our financial products, it’s a different story in Asia.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Thai frequent flyers and premium cabin passengers were starting to get fed up with the overcrowded lounges

(that said, Thai people are genuinely some of the kindest I’ve met, so it probably took a lot for them to start complaining.)

However, it also raises a question: how sustainable are these airline lounges without the foot traffic from lounge membership programs?

Unless they start selling day passes or form new partnerships with airlines, it wouldn’t be surprising to see operating hours slashed—or worse, permanent closures.

DragonPass Was First to Go

Interestingly, the Visa Airport Companion Program—powered by DragonPass—already lost access to these airline lounges before Priority Pass followed suit.

And let’s be honest, Visa’s lounge benefit is widely available with little to no cost. Many Canadians have access to it through credit cards with a reasonable fee, or even free via certain chequing accounts.

Meanwhile, premium cards like The Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Business Platinum Card^® from American Express are some of the last ones offering full Priority Pass membership.

But even that’s been trending downhill lately. We’ve seen Priority Pass drop access to airport restaurants, introduce pre-booking requirements (sometimes with extra fees), and let’s not forget the ever-climbing annual fees.

It’s starting to feel like the lounge benefit alone might not be enough to justify keeping the card.

What It Means for Your Next Trip

This change is a blow for folks like me who have built entire airport routines around lounge access.

If you’re used to leveraging your credit card’s Priority Pass perk on layovers, you’ll want to temper expectations next time you pass through BKK.

Of course, Coral and Miracle lounges will still be available—but you may want to manage your expectations. No more sneaky visits to the Turkish or Oman Air lounges unless you’re flying business class with them directly.

Conclusion

As of April 1, 2025, Priority Pass will no longer include any airline-operated lounges at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport—a significant downgrade in lounge quality and variety for travellers.

With only Coral and Miracle lounges remaining, expect a more basic experience unless you’ve got elite status or are flying premium with a partner airline.

Whether this is a temporary shake-up or a new normal remains to be seen, but for now, Bangkok just became a lot less lounge-friendly for casual Priority Pass holders.