thaisail

I have checked the air fare with Lao Airlines from Bangkok to Savannakhet and found it outrageous! I see that others have posted the possibility of Nok Air and Air Asia with bus included. Please can you tell me which is the closest airport to Savannakhet? It must be Ubon Ratchathani, right? Also does anyone know the arrival time at the friendship bridge. I am looking for the cheapest solution but do not want to ride a bus all the way from Phuket! There is a direct Air Asia flight from Phuket to Udon Thani for a reasonable price but I don't know if it will work with a bus from Udon to Savannakhet. For someone who lives in Phuket, there seems to be no place more difficult and expensive than Savannakhet!

Please confirm that Financials still not required?

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I live in Chalong.

What about a visa run to Burma from Ranong?

Will that get me at least 2 weeks to hold me over until my LA flight? I just dont like having to go to the immigration office in Phuket.

I found a plane ticket with Air Asia from Phuket to KL for $40. I think that is the cheapest ticket available. That ticket is for June 28 which is 27 days after my entry on Thursday June 2nd. I will never use it.

I fly from Paris to Phuket in a few days. I am 60 years old dual national US and French living in Phuket for 10 years with my Thai wife and our 9 year old daughter. I had a work injury that caused me to have to leave my job on a ship in Europe rather than the US as planned. I booked a one way flight from Paris to Phuket and there is no time to get a non O visa from France with my French passport and no time for sure to get a visa in my US passport. The non O visa in my French passport valid for one year was issued in December 2015 but was a single entry. I left Thailand to go to work in the states in March and now that visa is invalid. I will arrive this time in Thailand with no visa and I am worried that Etihad Airlines may not let me board my flight without a ticket out of Thailand. I will be flying with my family to Los Angeles in July when my daughter finishes school but too late to avoid a visa run. What is the best option for me first to find the cheapest plane ticket out of Thailand just to satisfy Etihad? Then which Thai consulate should I go to in order to get a one year non O family multiple entry visa. I have been to Savanakept before with no problem about 2 years ago with no problem to get the non O multi entry. I have never tried Penang. I do not have enough money in my Thai bank account to meet the 400k baht requirement but my US bank account has more than enough to show funds for one year in Thailand. Which one is better Savanakept or Penang? Is there a 3rd option? How long does it take to do the Penang non O visa? Can I fly from Phuket to Penang on Tuesday and return on Thursday and still have enough time to get my non O visa in my US passport?

It's easy enough to register your Thai bank accounts with the IRS and you can do it online. It only takes a few minutes. You're going to need to do it, so go ahead and get it over with.

According to my accountant, you only have to declare a bank account with more than $10000 in it at any time within the tax year. So if you have to keep 400000 baht in a bank account to immigration for your retirement visa, you must report that and the interest earned as well to the IRS.

I have been getting non immigrant O marriage visas for the past 10 years every year using my US passport mostly in the US using my American passport. I am now 60 years old and my wife is Thai and we have an 8 year old daughter that lives with us in Phuket in a rented house. Because of my job working on ships at sea, I need to go in and out of Thailand on a 3-4 month rotation. The last time I arrived in the US at sea aboard a US flagged ship, I wanted to fly to Mexico to see my daughter and as a result I was unable to get my non O visa in time and had to fly to Phuket without a visa. I was given 28 days to stay in Thailand which was OK for me because I had plane tickets to fly to Paris for a 3 week holiday. I am also a dual citizen of France and the US so I decided for the first time to get a non immigrant O marriage visa from the Thai consulate in Paris using my French passport. I was shocked to find out that I could only get a single entry visa valid for 3 months. Since I have a US flagged sailboat in Phuket that must leave Thailand every 6 months for customs reasons, I must now sail to Langkawi and since I have only a single entry visa, I will have to time my voyage so that I will return to work within 28 days of my check in with boat coming from Malaysia.

I just got news today from a friend in the US that the Thai consulate is no longer issuing multiple entry tourist visas unless he pays $200 US to the Thai consulate in Los Angeles for a 6 months multiple entry tourist visa. What I want to know is if there is change in the non O visa based on marriage from the Thai consulate in Los Angeles. I will never use my French passport for a non O visa now that I found out that multiple entry visas are not being issued by the Thai consulate in Paris any more. They told me that if I want a multiple entry visa, I must have 400K baht in a Thai band for 2 months and apply for this visa with Phuket immigration. I don't want to ever have to go to the Phuket immigration office again as I was extorted money by corrupt officials there when I lost my Thai driver's license and get treated like dirt by the officials that were giving me a hard time and making my life miserable.

Can I still get a multiple entry one year non O visa based on marriage from Savannahkept like I have in the past without financial?

Does anyone know if the American Thai consulates are no longer issuing on year multiple entry visas for Non O marriage?

I want to go to Savannakhet again for a non O multiple entry based on marriage with child. We plan this for mid November. I went 2 years ago to the old consulate. I had a good time and enjoyed my stay. I have a few questions since things may have changed in the last 2 years. I am 59 years old and will be travelling with my Thai wife. We have been married for 10 years. I am a US citizen.

1. Can I now drive my Thai registered vehicle to the consulate on the Laos side of the border?

2. If not, is there a safe place to park on the Thai side, or should I leave the pickup in town and ride the bus to the Laos side of the border?

3. How much do I pay for the Laos entry visa in US$? How much will my wife have to pay?

4. Do I have to stay overnight? If so, are there some nice hotels to recommend near the consulate? Are there any new hotels? Maybe with a pool and a nice restaurant?

5. How much do I pay now for the non O based on family multiple entry visa?

6. Do I have to show money in a Thai bank? 2 years ago, I did not have to show any money in a Thai bank or any bank. This is important because I keep my money in my US bank account and only what I need in my Thai bank.

I am driving my truck from Phuket so I was wondering if there were any other Thai consulates in Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia or Burma where I can go for this visa without having to show Financials in a Thai Bank.

I promise a good report to Thai Visa when I come back.

War is what occurs when politics fail!

" Political Conflict"? More like a mob turf war to me. No politician is interested in the well being of the country they claim to LOVE. It's all about individual enhancement e.g. power/money etc. Nothing is down for the betterment of the "children of Thailand." Hell the masses are not even taught or encouraged to think.

I have observed Thais pray - particularly women.

Each night, they get into bed, kneel & do it.

Incidentally, I see Thai women, in the main, more at peace, less materialistic & sleep like babies.

Is there a correlation?

Thai people learn a different version of Buddhism than the Thai monks. Especially those who follow the teachings of Buddadassa from Wat Suan Mokkhe. Those Thais that do not learn or practice meditation do not really understand Buddhism. Some Thais believe that Buddha was born and walked minutes after birth and fought the giant in the jungle. Those who have studied the Pali texts, have learned a far deeper meaning of Buddha's life. Without the practice of silent meditation, the mind is confused and the simple truths of nature are hidden under layers of noise and confusion. Meditation is a difficult thing to learn as it requires a strict discipline of avoiding noise and getting close to nature. Once one has achieved this process, a transformation occurs and certain truths can be learmed. For me it took 5 days of silence to learn this natural process called meditation and those first 5 days were the most difficult experience of my life. However on day 5 there was a break though and a peace and calm entered me and the next 5 days of silence were a treasure of a learning experience. This has absolutely nothing to do with Gods or religion. Once this process of meditation has been learned it cannot be forgotton. However it takes discipline to keep up the practice. There are many Thais who practice meditation and they are the true Buddhists. But there are too many Thais who go to the temple purely for the ceremony and they do not take the time to learn the meditation practice and these are the ones who experience dukka (suffering). Those who practice meditation understand what this is all about. I am a Buddhist Atheist but through meditation I can see the spiritual side of the human experience. Anyone interested to take the challenge should go to Suan Mokkhe on the main road about 30 km north of Surat Thani at the end of the month and do a 10 day silent retreat and learn this simple practice of meditation. You can call it praying if you want but all it is really is going back to nature. No me, no my and no mine. Peace......

I have observed Thais pray - particularly women.

Each night, they get into bed, kneel & do it.

Incidentally, I see Thai women, in the main, more at peace, less materialistic & sleep like babies.

Is there a correlation?

Thai people learn a different version of Buddhism than the Thai monks. Especially those who follow the teachings of Buddadassa from Wat Suan Mokkhe. Those Thais that do not learn or practice meditation do not really understand Buddhism. Some Thais believe that Buddha was born and walked minutes after birth and fought the giant in the jungle. Those who have studied the Pali texts, have learned a far deeper meaning of Buddha's life. Without the practice of silent meditation, the mind is confused and the simple truths of nature are hidden under layers of noise and confusion. Meditation is a difficult thing to learn as it requires a strict discipline of avoiding noise and getting close to nature. Once one has achieved this process, a transformation occurs and certain truths can be learmed. For me it took 5 days of silence to learn this natural process called meditation and those first 5 days were the most difficult experience of my life. However on day 5 there was a break though and a peace and calm entered me and the next 5 days of silence were a treasure of a learning experience. This has absolutely nothing to do with Gods or religion. Once this process of meditation has been learned it cannot be forgotton. However it takes discipline to keep up the practice. There are many Thais who practice meditation and they are the true Buddhists. But there are too many Thais who go to the temple purely for the ceremony and they do not take the time to learn the meditation practice and these are the ones who experience dukka (suffering). Those who practice meditation understand what this is all about. I am a Buddhist Atheist but through meditation I can see the spiritual side of the human experience. Anyone interested to take the challenge should go to Suan Mokkhe on the main road about 30 km north of Surat Thani at the end of the month and do a 10 day silent retreat and learn this simple practice of meditation. You can call it praying if you want but all it is really is going back to nature. No me, no my and no mine. Peace......

Thaisail, were you on either boat?

Please can you send me a private message?

The captain driving the dive boat was Thai, but Dave McGuire appeared to be giving orders to the Thai crew. The dive boat crashed into the sailboat at high speed. Little if any attempt was made to slow the boat or change course before the collision. The evidence is visible to anyone who goes to Boat Lagoon and sees how far the steel hull of the dive boat penetrated into the aluminum hull of the sailboat. The sailboat maintained course and speed until a collision was eminent and then turned to port when there was no change of course or speed from the dive boat. The dive boat struck the sailboat on the starboard side in the middle of the cockpit with enough force to cut a fiberglass boat in half. The anchor from the dive boat came within one meter of the head of a 7 year old girl that was sitting there next her mother in the cockpit of the sailboat. If the dive boat had not altered course he would have hit the island which was 200 meters on his bow after the point of collision. The sailboat was trying to get in the lee of the island and the wind was blowing hard and gusty which would have made a turn to starboard very dangerous as the main sail would have jibed. The wind was from the east north east and the sailboat could not pass behind the dive boat without jibing. After the collision the dive boat left the scene to pass to the north of the island in the direction of Phi Phi Island with one of the crew members from the sailboat aboard the dive boat and when they realized that they had one of the sailboat crew member's aboard, they turned around and came towards the sailboat which had lost all control due to the damaged boom and mainsail that had been struck by the anchor of the dive boat. The sailboat was still moving forward into the wind driven by the for sail. The dive boat placed his starboard side in front of the bow and attempted to come along side so that the sailboat crew member could get back aboard the sailboat. The sailboat hit the dive boat with the bow while the captain of the sailboat was screaming at the dive boat to stay away. When the crew member hesitated to jump in the water due to shock, he was kicked by one of the Thai dive boat crew members into the water with his foot. The dive boat then turned and went to Phi Phi leaving the sailboat that was damaged without offering any assistance. The sailboat crew member swam to the dinghy that was being towed by the sailboat and climbed aboard the dinghy and from there was pulled in by the rope to the sailboat. The crew member that was kicked into the water from the dive boat wanted to press charges but he had to leave Thailand on April 15 to fly to Nepal. I hope he got out of there before the earthquake! Does anyone know where I can find the videos taken from the dive boat? Those videos will prove the guilt of the Thai captain of the dive boat and his boss, Dave McGuire. This collision was absolutely senseless as the dive boat was on a collision course with the island 200 meters further so the dive boat had to turn to port anyway to get to Phi Phi Island!

An intense international thriller, NO ESCAPE centers on an American businessman (Wilson) as he and his family settle into their new home in Southeast Asia. Suddenly finding themselves in the middle of a violent political uprising, they must frantically look for a safe escape as rebels mercilessly attack the city. Directed by John Erick Dowdle and written together with his brother Drew, NO ESCAPE stars Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan and Lake Bell.

The trailer looks quite good. Looks like it was filmed in Chiang Mai in parts and according to Wikipedia, previosuly had the title of 'The Coup'.

I wonder if this will get released in Thailand given the current political situation?

This movie will certainly be banned in Thailand!

Don't forget to tell the crybaby taxi drivers in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

and Phuket where less than 5% have meters installed! And even those don't use them!

How many of those arrested in the new police corruption scandal are not friendly with the former Taksin government? This is looking more like a political purge than real reform.

You can get a new visa in savanakhet in Laos, with appropriete paperwork. No need to show any money in the bank.

Has the new Thai consulate opened yet in Savenakhet? Has there been any recent success stories about the Non O marriage visa without financials? It is a long way to go from Phuket to Savanakhet to get a visa and it would be a shame to get denied the visa over financials.

My multiple entry non O marriage visa was issued in Savanakept, Laos on November 11, 2013 and I did not have to show any financials. I am now in the United States working on a US flagged ship and I plan to return to Phuket on October 10. I expect to get a 90 day permit to stay stamped in my US passport I hope. However, I plan to fly to Bali on October 15 with my Thai wife and our Thai-American daughter (age 7) for a two week holiday. We plan to return to Phuket by plane from Singapore on November 1st and my visa will expire on November 10. I hope to get another 90 day permit to stay in my passport that will allow me to remain in Thailand until the end of January. I must return to work in the US aboard my ship on January 20th so there should be no problem and no need to renew the Non O marriage visa until I complete my work in the US around mid April 2015. 

 

The problem is that I have a US flagged sailboat in Phuket that must go to Malaysia before January 1st to renew the cruising permit and when we return on the sailboat from Langkawi in January, I will hopefully get a 6 month permit from Thai customs for the boat to remain in Thailand until June 1st. The only problem will be that my Non O visa will expire before I arrive to clear my boat into Phuket and with all that fuss about the visa runs and so forth, I am afraid that I will not be able to convince the immigration officer in Phuket that I am a tourist and I am worried that I may be denied entry without a visa and be sent back to Langkawi on the boat to get a visa. 

 

I am a US citizen and I have been married and live in a rented house in Chalong, Phuket for 8 years now. Things are getting so crazy with this new government that is making so many changes in the visa requirements that I am not feeling at all comfortable with taking the risk of being without a valid visa in Thailand. Because I am now working aboard a ship that is on international voyages, I am unable to send my passport to the Thai consulate in Washington DC for another Non O visa and my flight to Phuket leaves the day I sign off this ship in Baltimore. I have heard that Singapore, KL and Penang will not issue a Non O marriage visa without 400K in a Thai bank but I do not want to put that much money in a Thai Bank and in any case there is not enough time to do this before I arrive in Thailand. My US bank account is well funded far above that and I have my pay vouchers from my US company that far exceeds the 40K baht per month required but I have heard that only in the US and perhaps Savanahkept can a Non O marriage visa be obtained without showing 400K baht in bank for 2 months before applying for the visa.

 

Do I have to get another Non O marriage visa multiple entry in the US before returning to my home in Thailand? Or will I be sent back to Langkawi in January when I sail in to Chalong harbor with a US passport full of Thai entry stamps for the past 8 years! Also, arriving in Thailand without a visa may make it a requirement for me to post a substantial bond for the boat in order to be able to leave Thailand by plane in January. 

 

One last question. Will my Thai landlord who owns the house that I have rented and lived in for the last 5 years have to report my arrival to immigration in Phuket? Will she have to report to immigration each time I go sailing on my boat outside of Phuket waters for more than 48 hours? Will I have to report to immigration each time I sail aboard my boat more than 48 hours outside of Phuket waters within Thailand, for example, Ranong, Krabi, Koh Lanta, Satun, Koh Lipe? If I am at a Thai National Park, can I make my immigration report to a park ranger since there are never any Thai police on the offshore islands like Koh Surin, Koh Similan, etc?

As these guidelines are titled "Subject: Guideline for inspection of citizen from certain countries that are not required to obtain a visa

when entering the Kingdom of Thailand" it would seem that Ubon Joe was correct when he was telling anyone, who would listen, that the 'crackdown' was aimed at those leaving and immediately re-entering without a visa and not those who were able to procure a TR visa. We must now see if the IO's at the various borders interpret 'the rules' in the manner outlined above or if they include TR visa holders also.

Has Thai Visa gotten any information from recent meetings with immigration concerning sailboats arriving in Phuket from Malaysia? Will those boat captains now have to obtain visas to enter Thailand aboard their boats? Has there been any change concerning the time that Thai customs will allow a foreign boat to remain in Thai waters (cruising permit)? In January and February there was a time when boats entering Thailand were allowed to stay in Thailand only 2 months without importing the vessel. That was changed back to 6 months in March when they saw the foreign boats leaving the marinas in Phuket to move their boats to Langkawi. I just want to know what the new government will do regarding these critical issues for foreign boat owners in Thailand.

Also, I would like to ask the Thai visa forum for an update on the situation in Savannaket to get a Non O multiple entry marriage visa which I did in November 2013 without any financials. Has anything changed with the new consulate that was due to open any day now? I was issued my Non O marriage visa on November 10, 2013. Will I be allowed to stay in Thailand for three months if I enter on November 1st, this year? I will arrive in Thailand on October 10, depart with my Thai wife and our 7 year old daughter to Bali for two weeks and return to Phuket on November 1st with only 9 days left on my marriage visa. The only concern, I have is that I must then sail my boat to Langkawi in December to renew the cruising permit for another 6 months and then return to Phuket with an expired Non O marriage visa. With all my entry stamps in my passport, I will not look like a tourist! Will I be denied entry and have to sail the boat back to Langkawi to get a new Non O visa in Penang?

Also has Thai visa found out anything from immigration about the newly enforced law about reporting to the police or immigration for any visit over 48 hours in another province?What will happen if I go sailing to Ko Lanta or Koh Surin or the Simalons for a few weeks aboard my own boat? Will I have to report to the National Park rangers on those islands? Will the owner of the house that I have rented in Phuket for the last 5 years have to file a form each time I return to my rented house after going sailing more than 48 hours?

I know that I have presented a lot of questions on different subjects but I hope that I can remain on this thread and get some of these important answers. I am a US citizen and I am 58 years old married to a Thai for 8 years. We have a 7 year old daughter born in Phuket and I am the father. We have lived in Phuket for 8 years now and I am concerned that due to my work schedule working aboard US flagged ships on a 3-4 month rotation that I may no longer be able to stay in Phuket without running into trouble all the time with the police, immigration and customs for the US flagged sailboat that has been kept in Phuket for the last 8 years. We will also be travelling every year to stay with my wife's family in Loei and my wife owns a farm there which is taken care of by her brother. We have been planing to build a house on that land in Loei one day. Hmmmm......

Does your country give an ID, the US certainly doesn't and no other country I know of does, ah, that doesn't mean much. Look, there are relatively simple ways to solve a lot of problems for us ex-pats and tourists, the problem being they are logical, to us only.

The US does offer an ID card for foreigners. It is called a "Green Card". But that will entitle one to get a job. Thailand doesn't want us to work in Thailand so they don't offer that option. If my Thai wife wants to come to live in the US, we can get a Green Card for her which would avoid any problems. Unfortunately, Thailand doesn't offer that option to us expats. So they make us jump through hoops and go on visa runs (maybe no more) and pay money, but we must want to stay in Thailand because it sure beats the hell out of living in the US! 

 

I really think that this whole thing will blow over and I don't think that there is any way that Thai immigration can handle the amount of paperwork that this whole mess will create. Law is one thing, enforcement is another!

Maestro, you are correct, we do not fill out form TM 30. But, Section 37(4): "the alien must notify change of stay of longer than 24 hours when traveling to another province". That is the looming problem. Nit picking, I would guess my wife would have to refill TM 30 every time I left for more than 24 hours and returned. For many with wives and long time girl friends that "own" our houses that could be a potential problem much more detrimental to your health than anything Immigration has in mind....lol. I hate uncertainty, and that is what we have now, nothing to do about it but bitch and pop a top. With any luck I'll be out of the province in a couple of days and no, I'm not filling out TM 28 and the hotel I stay at will not be filling out TM 30, the room is not registered in my name and never is. I'm beginning to feel like I've been transported back to the US of A.

I know exactly how you feel. I am in the US right now working on a ship so that I can spend my vacation at home with my Thai wife and daughter in Phuket. I have been living in Thailand for 8 years like this working 3 months on and 3 months off and I have heard these stories come and go. I left Thailand to go back to work in the US in May and I will return to a new government in October. I just can't believe that they will enforce these kind of draconian laws. If they do, we will just have to move onto our sailboat in Phuket and find a more friendly country that does not make our life miserable with all this paperwork and waiting in line at immigration. We want to go to Loei for New Years to visit my wife's family and travel around Thailand in our truck but I am wondering now if it is time to sell everything and move on. Have things changes that much since I left in May?

 Great. They're starting to enforce the laws written before the dawn of ages. And those rules are actually in the act, so they're not going anywhere soon. Enjoy filling a form every day, oh happiness. 

I don't mind all this too much but I live in Phuket in a rented house with my Thai wife and daughter but we also have a US flagged sailboat and sail up and down from Burma to Malaysia each time I am home for 3 three months on my time off.  I hope I will not have to stop at all the islands and report to immigration each time!

 

I am now working aboard a US merchant ship in the Atlantic right now. I will arrive in Thailand in the middle of October when I get off this ship.  I plan a two week trip to Bali with my wife and daughter for the last two weeks of October. I am hopping to get a 3 month stamp in my passport when I get back to Thailand from Bali so that I can avoid another trip to Savannakhet for a new non O marriage visa this year. My multi entry Non O marriage visa expires on November 10, this year.  I go back to work in the states at the end of January.  I hope to be able to get a new Non immigrant O visa in the states in April next year when I sign off the ship.

 

Also, we plan to drive to Loei to my wife's farm for a few weeks around New Years. Do we have have to go immigration in all those small towns on the way there. We planned to go Ubon Rachathani to visit my wife's family and also to see a friend in Surin. Will we have to report to immigration there as well? I think that this will not be good for tourism if Thailand really wants people to come and enjoy the country. 

 

I just hope that common sense will prevail!

The real issue is the price and availability of the bus that should run at least once every hour from the airport to Rawaii to offer an economical solution to everyone who wants it. Metered taxi service with Bangkok rates should also be availible 24 hours a day and these services must be protected by the police and the army. A good idea would be a law that would force all taxi drivers to post a phone number in the back seat that would allow passengers to report bad drivers an or threats of any kind direct to the police in English language.

BS! I was just charged ฿1,400 from the airport to Rawai for a Fortuna that could carry my dog's kennel and our three bags of luggage. All they've done is legalize the rip off!

It's about a 3 hour drive, in reasonable traffic, from Bangkok Don Muang Airport to Pattaya Central and that is 1600 baht, with a random driver from the counter - all included. (airport ticket and tolls)

So, yes, 1400 baht from the Phuket Airport to Rawai is a high price.

A tourist will only need an airport taxi twice on their holiday, not that I am condoning the rip off, but compared to needing transpoat a few times a day, over 2 weeks, the tuk-tuks have been the main problem, especially when it comes to tourists deciding to rent motorbikes.

They should start with the transport in the tourist areas, particularly from beach to beach along the coast, and then move onto the Airport taxi issue and clean that up as well.

BS! I was just charged ฿1,400 from the airport to Rawai for a Fortuna that could carry my dog's kennel and our three bags of luggage. All they've done is legalize the rip off!

It's about a 3 hour drive, in reasonable traffic, from Bangkok Don Muang Airport to Pattaya Central and that is 1600 baht, with a random driver from the counter - all included. (airport ticket and tolls)

So, yes, 1400 baht from the Phuket Airport to Rawai is a high price.

A tourist will only need an airport taxi twice on their holiday, not that I am condoning the rip off, but compared to needing transpoat a few times a day, over 2 weeks, the tuk-tuks have been the main problem, especially when it comes to tourists deciding to rent motorbikes.

They should start with the transport in the tourist areas, particularly from beach to beach along the coast, and then move onto the Airport taxi issue and clean that up as well.

Do they fingerprint in Malaysia? All arrivals?

I don't remember that.

Nope ... when through the LCCC at KL 2 weeks ago.

That's what I thought.

So basically no one fingerprints this many people in the region. 24mn tourist visitors.

Good luck.[/quote

On a recent voyage by boat from Phuket to Langkawi, Malaysia in March, everyone aboard the boat had fingerprints scanned including our 6 year old daughter. We were told by Malaysian immigration that everyone entering Malaysia will go through this process as soon as the scanners are installed. Perhaps KL does not yet have enough scanners to start doing this. It is a very quick process and according to the Malaysian immigration offocer, this is all connected to the Malaysian Airlines incident.