Suvarnabhumi Airport is preparing to allow travellers from 31 additional nationalities to use its Auto Gate immigration lanes by the end of August. The move is intended to ease pressure at Thailand's busiest international arrival points.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun led a site visit and briefing at the airport, attended by officials from the Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Transport Ministry.
The Immigration Bureau has approved the planned expansion in principle. Authorities selected the additional nationalities using entry-refusal data, countries' positions in the Henley Passport Index and security assessments. Final details on those eligible will be released by the government, when each agency has completed the final signed off of the proposal..
Who will be able to use the gates
The expansion is expected to create about 6.5 million visitors, as potential Auto Gate users, in addition to 900,000 long-term visa holders. Once fully operational, officials expect the gates to process 53% of arriving passengers, with the remaining 47% using staffed immigration counters.
First-time arrivals will still need to go to an immigration counter to have their biometrics recorded before they can use the automated system on later trips. The gates will open in stages as each part of the system becomes ready and biometric records allow.
Plans to reduce immigration queues
Suvarnabhumi handles around 190,000 passengers a day during peak season, falling to between 140,000 and 150,000 in the low season. International arrivals account for roughly 70,000 passengers daily.
Immigration is busiest from 1pm to 5pm, when between 5,000 and 6,000 passengers an hour pass through. Airport authorities said they will immediately use all three immigration zones, redirect passengers, open a central hall and deploy more officers during the busiest periods.
Suphajee said agencies involved would address immediate problems at Suvarnabhumi, while matters requiring legislation or longer-term investment would be referred to the government level.
Deputy government spokesperson Lalida Periswiwatana also warned tourists against filing the Thailand Digital Arrival Card through unofficial websites. She said such sites may charge fees or pose a fraud risk, whereas the official system is free.
Travellers should therefore be wary of third-party arrival-card services and confirm they are using Thailand's official online system before entering passport or travel details.
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19 August 2026
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