Phuket Airport Immigration, a thumbs up from me

[Patong2]

Arrived Saturday on Malaysian airlines flight and were bussed to the terminal (Are Malaysian going broke and cannot afford the air bridges? The rest of the service including food has rapidly gone downhill recently).

Long queues at immigration at each open booth, 60 - 80 people waiting.

Stood for about 10 minutes and along came a very nice immigration officer, noticed my walking stick, and promptly ushered myself and my wife through the priority lane.

I really appreciated his thoughtfulness.

Collected bags, again 2 long queues with delays on the xray machines. Senior officer came along and waved a large group including ourselves through without checking and cleared the queue entirely. Real common sense stuff at the airport and good to see.

[steelepulse]

It's been hit and miss for me.  a few months back was on Malaysia Air, landed and was in the immigration queue for over an hour with 4 lanes open.  

 

Last week also arrived on Malaysia Air and immigration took 5 minutes.  Some good advice before traveling would be to see how many international flights arrive prior to your own flight.  If too many or a lot from China, book the vip service online for 1000 baht and skip the queue and get the escort.

[Psimbo]

How dare you say nice pleasant things about the process - there will be mutterings and splutterings from the masses! 

[tagalong]

steelepulse....I see you have mentioned to book the V I P service for 1000 bht....

 

I av never heard of this service in the many years I av been here....Can u please give me info on how to do this....Cheers, Tagalong.

[Bob12345]

So you are basically saying that the lines are still long and processing is slow, but they did pay attention to your "disability" which resulted in priority service for you (for which you are grateful).

 

Good to hear you went through quickly, too bad for the other 500+ people who had to wait for long.

[pby92]

1 hour ago, tagalong said:

steelepulse....I see you have mentioned to book the V I P service for 1000 bht....

 

I av never heard of this service in the many years I av been here....Can u please give me info on how to do this....Cheers, Tagalong.

Type in google fast track service with airport name

[Argus Tuft]

Its run by Coral Executive services at Phuket - link here

 

http://www.coralphuket.com/fast-track-mmigration.html

 

Have used them numerous times, both for myself and for clients or guests

[Patong2]

5 hours ago, Bob12345 said:

So you are basically saying that the lines are still long and processing is slow, but they did pay attention to your "disability" which resulted in priority service for you (for which you are grateful).

 

Good to hear you went through quickly, too bad for the other 500+ people who had to wait for long.

Yes I am saying the lines are far too long and I have seen it often like that over 20 odd years but this is the first time I have seen Immigration and Customs use some common sense so some of them are aware of the problems.

Hopefully they will try to address the larger problem of everybody waiting.

[LivinginKata]

Flew in today at 14.00 from Singapore on Air Asia. Looked like we were the only flight at that time. All desks no queue. The lemons just queued at the nearest desk to the entry point. Nice officer told us all to use all desk, I grabbed an empty one. Grumpy officer as I had not entered a visa number, used my extension number. He made a big deal that I had no visa, I pointed out the 4 stamps in the first page, said I can't read any Thai I I don't know what number my visa of 20 years ago. Officer not a happy teddy bear that I dared to explain the passport stamps. He crossed ot my extension number, entered the appropriate number and threw my passport at me. Done and dusted in a bit over 5 minutes from entry to hall.

 

Interesting my Thai wife had her problems. She went to the Thai desk (only person). Officer started processsing but be could not get the computer to work so he had to take her to another desk where she had to wait on the one only person, who was a young lady getting much hassle to not having an address in Phuket on her card.

 

On the way out on Saturdau at 08.30 immigration queues light, only at most 6 at each desk. My wife was told to go to the empty Thai only desk, I skimmed along and asked nicely if he could process me too ... Ok. Done and dusted in less than 5 minutes for both of us. 

[schlog]

28 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

Flew in today at 14.00 from Singapore on Air Asia. Looked like we were the only flight at that time. All desks no queue. The lemons just queued at the nearest desk to the entry point. Nice officer told us all to use all desk, I grabbed an empty one. Grumpy officer as I had not entered a visa number, used my extension number. He made a big deal that I had no visa, I pointed out the 4 stamps in the first page, said I can't read any Thai I I don't know what number my visa of 20 years ago. Officer not a happy teddy bear that I dared to explain the passport stamps. He crossed ot my extension number, entered the appropriate number and threw my passport at me. Done and dusted in a bit over 5 minutes from entry to hall.

 

Interesting my Thai wife had her problems. She went to the Thai desk (only person). Officer started processsing but be could not get the computer to work so he had to take her to another desk where she had to wait on the one only person, who was a young lady getting much hassle to not having an address in Phuket on her card.

 

On the way out on Saturdau at 08.30 immigration queues light, only at most 6 at each desk. My wife was told to go to the empty Thai only desk, I skimmed along and asked nicely if he could process me too ... Ok. Done and dusted in less than 5 minutes for both of us. 

Flying with the wife you can always take the Thai desk at immigration.

[DrDave]

2 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

<snip>

Grumpy officer as I had not entered a visa number, used my extension number. He made a big deal that I had no visa, I pointed out the 4 stamps in the first page, said I can't read any Thai I I don't know what number my visa of 20 years ago.

<snip>

I've always used my re-entry permit number where the form asks for visa number. Never any problems doing that.

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, schlog said:

Flying with the wife you can always take the Thai desk at immigration.

 

Yes I know. Did that on the way out. But why queue behind wife when next desk empty on the way back.

 

 

[LivinginKata]

10 minutes ago, DrDave said:

I've always used my re-entry permit number where the form asks for visa number. Never any problems doing that.

 

Interesting idea. My recent rentry permit numbers bears no corretation to any of these 5  transfer stamp reference numbers from my previous 2 UK passports. Now I'm on the 3rd. Not conunting my initial passport on arrival in Thailand   Over many rentry stamps back into Thailand no officer has made any fuss about incorrect visa number.

[tryasimight]

On 20/11/2017 at 2:40 PM, pby92 said:

Type in google fast track service with airport name

Or buy a walking stick and limp

[beechbum]

I've only ever used Coral, sounds like a good move!

 

“We will not name what companies are being investigated, however, we know that Coral Executive Lounge is the only company that hasn’t had to suspend their Fast Track Service because we operate the service correctly,” said the representative.

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1012425-phuket-airport-‘fast-track-service’-companies-suspended-amid-‘illegal-activity’-investigation/

[steelepulse]

3 hours ago, beechbum said:

I've only ever used Coral, sounds like a good move!

 

“We will not name what companies are being investigated, however, we know that Coral Executive Lounge is the only company that hasn’t had to suspend their Fast Track Service because we operate the service correctly,” said the representative.

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1012425-phuket-airport-‘fast-track-service’-companies-suspended-amid-‘illegal-activity’-investigation/

Some backhanders/payments not making it to the proper authorities.

[merijn]

On 11/21/2017 at 4:54 PM, DrDave said:

I've always used my re-entry permit number where the form asks for visa number. Never any problems doing that.

That's correct, the re-entry number should be used on the TM6 card.

[schlog]

Thumbs down again at HKT!

Perfectly in time for high season. Flew in yesterday and had to wait 1 hour. Full lines but only 7 immigration officers at work. No fast track available.

 

The 2 officers at my at the next line had attitudes like Gunnery Sargeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket.

Welcome to Phuket!

 

[xylophone]

4 minutes ago, schlog said:

Thumbs down again at HKT!

Perfectly in time for high season. Flew in yesterday and had to wait 1 hour. Full lines but only 7 immigration officers at work. No fast track available.

 

The 2 officers at my at the next line had attitudes like Gunnery Sargeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket.

Welcome to Phuket!

 

Oh dear, was rather hoping for continued improvement as travelling out to NZ in a few days, then returning in January......looks like the return journey could be a problem!

[schlog]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Oh dear, was rather hoping for continued improvement as travelling out to NZ in a few days, then returning in January......looks like the return journey could be a problem!

 

I will book Coral for my next arrival in February. No more mood for this mess.

Sad that they have no fast track for first/busi. at arrival like in BKK and no more 100thb lane.