orchidfan

I have been traveling between HKG and BKK regularly over the past few years and have "normally " passed Imm with a quick look at the boarding pass, stamp the re~entry permit and on my way. The other night was the first time (for me) to get such a meticulous check (as for every pax, not just me) and the 2 hands fingerprints and photo in this "priority lane". It was a noticeable difference....or maybe they were just (now) doing their job properly ! I don't know what the farang ahead of me's problem was, but I am guessing he didn't have his boarding pass. He should have been moved aside and let following people through. I agree with you that this Thailand requirement for the boarding pass should be made better known in advance. At least Emirates did their best to ensure everyone leaving the aircraft had one. And if they didn't, they had some way of replacing it ~ I think with a phone image.

A lot has been said about the Imm "Crackdown" on Foreigner arrivals and how it might affect we "long term" foreigners living here. I arrived late last night, on an EK A380 from Hong Kong. Firstly, the walk from where the A380 gates are to Immigration is Long (despite the moving 'travelators'(?).....especially if you are over 70 yo ! De boarding of the full A380 was especially slow as every passenger was now required to show their boarding pass to cabin staff when they reached the door - the crew member where i left the aircraft hinted that this was a new Thai Imm requirement! Then after that long walk - "Arrival Hall 1" is closed off ( for some reason -- maybe full already?) So, more walking to "Arrival Hall 2" Finally I get to Hall 2 and, of course, take the "Priority/ Disabled" line. The queue(s) to this "Priority" ( in name only) lane were quite long, as were the normal arrival zigzag lines. BUT only 2 out of 4 positions manned, and moving VERY slowly as Imm officers carefully scrutinized passports and boarding passes. One westerner in my line took forever to be processed - some people swapped lines , but really to no avail - just as slow. Problem was not only the documents check, but the "fully monty" of finger prints of both hands and thumb, and photo !!!! I was following a Korean couple with toddler - never follow families! - so again, took forever. In my case, I had PP and boarding pass ready - plus re-entry permit, but was still very slow.. I had noticed one man earlier on in the main arrivals queue opposite who was way back in the zigzag and we both left Imm to get our bags at the same time!!! So much for the Priority Line. All in all, a very slow , painful experience ( compared to other arrivals I've had here this year). I know we probably shouldn't compare airports, but HKG Imm arrival ( for me) - 3 minutes - put ID card in the machine, then thumb print and gates open and off to get the bags Even non-resident arrivals handled quickly and efficiently ( if there's a problem person they are stood aside and dealt with so as not to hold up the following people) HKG has currently over 60 million arrivals per year and pre-covid, over 90 million. So, similar numbers to Thailand. Just thought I'd pass on my latest experience, for what it's worth.

Ok. So out of Oz let's talk AUD. My browsing for later in the year was about 50% higher than that. (Take a look) So ×2 (Thai wife) in THB makes it very expensive. Even SQ, with a couple of hours stopover in Changi is /was much cheaper. We'll go with SQ I think. Pre covid, we used to pay around THB18,000 each...now it's double.

One way ? What time of year,because this is not reflected on their booking website !!!

And Hong Kong .....the Imm guys from here DO go on "fact finding " junkets" to SIN a.d HKG etc, but never seem to learn or implement anything once back in LOS. (Spent 20+yrs in HK Dept. of Civil Aviation...so first hand observations and experience in a MUCH busier airport than BKK)

Yes, personal opinions and experiences tend to form the major part of this "open" forum.

Yep..it's mainly for the very short (usually) check in line instead of waiting in slow moving zigzag line for 20 to 40 minutes. And yes, the boarding pass they email me can't be used in many places (maybe Dubai for EK), and of course the bags have to be checked in anyway, then issued with a new,hard copy,boarding pass, which is necessary to show in Bangkok, for example. I keep these carefully as they are hard "evidence" of my travels and "missed" 90 day reports (I know the entry and exit stamps are in the passport, but a bunch of collated boarding passes are easier, I guess. Of course the check in staff had my passport for 5 minutes so could peruse my status at the destination. But I've never been asked a single question by them....presumably because it's all kosher

True. But 90+% I fly Emirates, they email me about 48hrs ahead with a link to online checkin. So I was mainly referring to my experiences with them....and the OP photo appears to be at Emirates checkin counters (?)

I just cant understand why people don't do online check~in and join the much shorter queues. Maybe something to do with their Sim cards and data roaming. I departed BKK a few days ago on EK, (check in line T/U as depicted in the OP report) and online checkin line very short , but dozens waiting in the other lines. All done in a few minutes. On another note I also tried the "Fast/Priority line for the first time, as I already had a re entry permit. It wasnt fast track and took ages to get through. The main hold ups appeared to be small family groups....especially of middle eastern and Southern Asian origin. Not sure I'd bother with that again ! I was only a cheap old Economy pax, but the people who had paid for expensive tickets must have been p***ed off

I guess you mean Lithium ION batteries??

Nearly...it's laowai in China (pinyin) guilo in Hong Kong (and Cantonese speakers).....basically all meaning Foreigner. Fair enough I guess. Most of us can't easily distinguish between most Europeans, north Americans, Canadians. Aussies, Kiwis etc.

Mitrphol, one of Thailand's largest sugar producers, farm thousands of hectares of cane in NE Australia, on plantations as flat and smooth as a billiard table, staffed by a handful of men, and harvested by huge GPS guided machines. (As shown to me proudly by one of their senior men on his iPad.) There is NO BURNING. Excess foliage and crushed pulp go into biomass fuels....which airlines, such as QANTAS are incorporating into their supplies.. Sugar cane used to be burned, in situ, decades ago, but not any more. So Big Agra can do it when they want/need to.

Agree. My thoughts exactly. Why would a German tourist drive a car (his?) Into Pattaya and then try to park in a bar area? Would they not be drinking whilst there and then go and drive that car.....in the dimly lit back streets of Pattaya. I only know 2 Germans here and both, whilst quite nice guys, are extremely argumentative, complaining and always right. Both prolific letter writers of complaints to hotels, restaurants and airlines (but not on social media or websites !)

Over 70? Why don't you take the priority lane? Or did you ?

"All I do is let the 90-day online report autofill the form, and it works each and every time, even though the information is outdated." You mean you submit this even from outside Thailand or just when you get back? Surely you return date must be way out??

"Might, possibly, allegedly....." This ex MP is covering his statement VERY carefully!😄

This year I'll be away (in Hong Kong) for about 3 months, returning early June. So I'll see if online works 90 days after return....now that their 486, windows 98 has been "reset"

Me too. I'm leaving this month on the 20th, back on June 4th. Just miss the crazy CNY in Hong Kong and Songkran here. Perfect! (Once you've done a few years of dragon dances,fireworks and wet T~shirt events, it's nice to get away!)

Hitachi...which I have, DO manufacture a stainless steel model in their range. A few thousand baht more. Also,all the houses in our moo baan (Pathum Thani) have underground, sealed (cap/lid can be rotated and removed if required). After more than 10 years the water in the tank is crystal clear. Tank is automatically filled from the mains. We don't drink this water, but everything else in the house and garden has great high pressure. Of course if the tank (1000ltrs I think) gets inadvertently emptied, the pump gets hot and switches itself off automatically (built in safety device) Pretty simple prime ~once its cooled down, then back in full operation.

Pretty sure Malaysia (under PM Mahatir) stopped it or reduced burning of Palm Oil empty fruit bunches (EFB's). I was involved with big companies like Sime Darby,Guthrie etc introducing chipping and mulching (compost) which proved very effective as a fertilizer etc. Mahatir was adamant that the wide scale burning stop and even had strong words with neighbor Indonesia who, like Thailand, just disregarded the no burning protocol. So, the Indonesian smoke just blew over Malaysia in the "right" wind conditions. But there, the Big ex British plantation companies adhered more to the government's demands. Not here !

I was expecting a snag having gone so long with no reports (well I wasn't in the country!) And the new OP. But thought that after doing this one in person report to "reset" the system, the next one I could do online. BTW I'll again be overseas when the computer generated next report date comes up. Anyway, its only a 20 min drive there , so no big deal. But it might bother some members living an hour or 2 drive to the IO. Wonder if they'd accept a mail~in report in that case?

Nope. Never pay anybody anything. I did try and give one lady in that room B100......genuinely for coffee. She laughed and handed it back to me. Not even sure if 109 buys a cup of coffee

History - I have successfully submitted many 90 day online reports in the past and usually get a prompt reply from Pt Imm Office.. But in 2023 I was away several times for months, at a time, so , as he projected time for the next90 day report continuously fell on a day when I was away, hence I didn't submit a report (I was not in TH for 90 days, so nor required) I also got a new passport in May 2023 and had the stamps transferred etc, and in December did my annual marriage extension - with the new passport of course. From my last return to TH in mid Nov 2023, I calculated the 90 report was due 12th Feb 2024. I did an online report (on 3rd Feb - 9 days before deadline) which ,after a few days, was REJECTED.....................reason quoted on their email was "No information of previous 90 report found in the system" So, yesterday off I drove to Immigration and, after being invited to sit inside in the aircon (the other 10 or so customers were waiting outside under the "tent/marquee" in 35 degrees heat!!!) ans 5 - 10 minutes later called in. Briefly explained my travel history to the lady IO ( which she seemed to be able to confirm from her computer) and new passport ( which must be stored on the "system" after my annual extension). She processed a new 90 day report date in May. I pointed out that , again, I would be overseas at that time, but when I returned could I resume doing the reports online? Answer, " No, anytime you go overseas and return, the 90 days report MUST BE DONE IN PERSON AT THE OFFICE !! This was NEWS to me. Either she is correct or it was a glitch due to the long period since last report and new passport Any Comments???

Both Singapore (sales only until 10.30pm) and Malaysia have various alcohol sales restrictions. Different from Thailand but restrictions just the same.

I remember talking to a Russian Airport Manager in a discussion about noise abatement and complaints from residents who lived close by to the airport. He said that they listened to a complainant twice, third time they complained...... they moved them!!