Thai Immigration police beef up security at airports for holidaymakers

[webfact]

Immigration police beef up security at airports for holidaymakers

 

File photo

 

BANGKOK, 26 December 2017 (NNT) – An airport safety campaign has been launched by the Immigration Bureau in response to the rising number of travelers during the year-end holidays. 

The Immigration Bureau, together with Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Airports of Thailand Plc, has organized a ceremony to dispatch teams of airport staff, EOD officers, immigration police and tourist police to patrol the airport and maintain security during the New Year 2018 Festival as part of the campaign titled “Love at First Sight by Thai Immigration”. 

According to Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau Pol Lt Gen Suttipong Wongpin, up to 150,000-170,000 people are expected to travel through Suvarnabhumi Airport each day during the upcoming holiday period. The Immigration Bureau has thus joined hands with other relevant agencies to show the airport’s readiness to accommodate holidaymakers. 

The airport safety campaign is being introduced at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and other airports nationwide. It will be executed under two approaches, the first of which is the facilitation of arrivals, with more officials to be stationed at immigration desks and interpreters to be deployed to assist foreigners. The second approach is the interception of individuals considered a threat to national security, illegal immigrants, drug dealers and human traffickers. Biometrics and fingerprints will be collected from every individual upon arrival. 

General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport Sirote Duangratana made known that there will be about 7,200 flights operated to and from the airport from December 28-January 3, increasing from the same period last year, while the number of passengers is estimated at 1.3 million. As a way of facilitating travelers, he said the airport will waive its parking fees in Zone C between December 30 and January 2.

 

-- nnt 2017-12-26

[scorecard]

Flying back to Don Muang this evening, wonder if there will be 2, 3, or 4 hour wait for a taxi which seems to now be the case for most of the day.

[Briggsy]

1 minute ago, scorecard said:

Flying back to Don Muang this evening, wonder if there will be 2, 3, or 4 hour wait for a taxi which seems to now be the case for most of the day.

Take the overpass and walk down to Viphavadi - Rangsit Road. Instant taxi.

[scorecard]

Just now, Briggsy said:

Take the overpass and walk down to Viphavadi - Rangsit Road. Instant taxi.

 

Thanks, however I'm quite old and can't walk all that far. I did brave it a few weeks ago and walked across the covered footbridge to the Amari hotel but the hotel staff insisted I could not hail a taxi on their premises, so had to slowly walk out to the main road.

 

Also a few weeks back my back, legs and knees were quite bad so I asked for a wheel chair to meet me at the aircraft door and went to the 'Airport Taxi' desk (not the public taxi). Rude abrupt staff, 600Baht to the Ramkhamhaeng area and 1 hour wait plus need to get to their own car park which is 20 minute walk from their desk inside the terminal. I asked if the car could come to the terminal building because I can't walk so far. Girl gave abrupt answer 'mai dai' (cannot) and returned to playing games on her phone.

 

Today I will call 'All Thai Tax' (operated by same company as Nakorn Chai Air Bus company) and see if I can order a taxi.

 

[shady86]

Flying back to Don Muang this evening, wonder if there will be 2, 3, or 4 hour wait for a taxi which seems to now be the case for most of the day.

You can try your luck by walking up to departure gates and get on to taxis who just dropped passengers.

[geisha]

ARE there’ always long arrival queues at Don Muang these days? Haven’t used this airport in a long while, will be travelling middle January to Penang and back . Thanks. 

[anon789561]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

Thanks, however I'm quite old and can't walk all that far. I did brave it a few weeks ago and walked across the covered footbridge to the Amari hotel but the hotel staff insisted I could not hail a taxi on their premises, so had to slowly walk out to the main road.

 

Also a few weeks back my back, legs and knees were quite bad so I asked for a wheel chair to meet me at the aircraft door and went to the 'Airport Taxi' desk (not the public taxi). Rude abrupt staff, 600Baht to the Ramkhamhaeng area and 1 hour wait plus need to get to their own car park which is 20 minute walk from their desk inside the terminal. I asked if the car could come to the terminal building because I can't walk so far. Girl gave abrupt answer 'mai dai' (cannot) and returned to playing games on her phone.

 

Today I will call 'All Thai Tax' (operated by same company as Nakorn Chai Air Bus company) and see if I can order a taxi.

 

Uber to meet at Amari?

[wvavin]

38 minutes ago, shady86 said:

 

You can try your luck by walking up to departure gates and get on to taxis who just dropped passengers.

 

Please do not sabotage the taxi driver. The airport is monitoring the drop off point and would issue tickets to any taxi drivers picking up passengers at the departure drive way. 

[Classic Ray]

Easier to use Uber or Grab apps, or if you are mobile get shuttle bus A1 to BTS Mo Chit or A2 to BTS Mo Chit and Victory Monument, 30 baht and every 15 mins.

[Alex Sharp]

7200 flights in and out over 7 days ???? Guess they will be busy.

[sanook 1]

8 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

Easier to use Uber or Grab apps, or if you are mobile get shuttle bus A1 to BTS Mo Chit or A2 to BTS Mo Chit and Victory Monument, 30 baht and every 15 mins.

A1 bus from bts morchit to don muang,excellent and faster than a taxi(the bus always takes the tollway),use the same bus for airport-bts morchit as well,30 bht.

[Happyman58]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

Flying back to Don Muang this evening, wonder if there will be 2, 3, or 4 hour wait for a taxi which seems to now be the case for most of the day.

You be lucky if they take you Most of them say no When they say no to me i usually say to them Mate maybe you are in the wrong job That is your job you are a taxi driver Pity it takes a while to sink in what i say

[Happyman58]

50 minutes ago, Alex Sharp said:

7200 flights in and out over 7 days ???? Guess they will be busy.

When you arrive at Don Mueng  using half the immigration booths are manned The other half of immigration are either walking around doing nothing or in staff room playing card or watching kick boxing

[Happyman58]

Just now, Happyman58 said:

When you arrive at Don Mueng  using half the immigration booths are manned The other half of immigration are either walking around doing nothing or in staff room playing card or watching kick boxing

Soory it should be usually not using Drankto much beer last night sorry

[Happyman58]

1 hour ago, geisha said:

ARE there’ always long arrival queues at Don Muang these days? Haven’t used this airport in a long while, will be travelling middle January to Penang and back . Thanks. 

Good luck with that depends what mood the immigration officers are in if they want to man there check in points or not Usually have one person manning the check in point and half are closed with 3 Thai immigration officers watching him or her work

[madmitch]

Fingerprints being collected? Do they have the machines? And do they now exist at every border post as one of the principal reasons for collecting them is to make sure the same person leaves the country. 

[bbbbooboo]

hmmm.....this means the police will actually have to do something.... i’m not holding my breath.....hmmmm

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Thanks, however I'm quite old and can't walk all that far. I did brave it a few weeks ago and walked across the covered footbridge to the Amari hotel but the hotel staff insisted I could not hail a taxi on their premises, so had to slowly walk out to the main road.

 

Also a few weeks back my back, legs and knees were quite bad so I asked for a wheel chair to meet me at the aircraft door and went to the 'Airport Taxi' desk (not the public taxi). Rude abrupt staff, 600Baht to the Ramkhamhaeng area and 1 hour wait plus need to get to their own car park which is 20 minute walk from their desk inside the terminal. I asked if the car could come to the terminal building because I can't walk so far. Girl gave abrupt answer 'mai dai' (cannot) and returned to playing games on her phone.

 

Today I will call 'All Thai Tax' (operated by same company as Nakorn Chai Air Bus company) and see if I can order a taxi.

 

TiT. However, with your number of posts you have to know that LOS is not friendly to the disabled or less than physically able.

[Kiwisailor]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Biometrics and fingerprints will be collected from every individual upon arrival. 

I'm sure that these processes will speed everything up in the arrivals area

[coppywriter]

3 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Thanks, however I'm quite old and can't walk all that far. I did brave it a few weeks ago and walked across the covered footbridge to the Amari hotel but the hotel staff insisted I could not hail a taxi on their premises, so had to slowly walk out to the main road.

 

Also a few weeks back my back, legs and knees were quite bad so I asked for a wheel chair to meet me at the aircraft door and went to the 'Airport Taxi' desk (not the public taxi). Rude abrupt staff, 600Baht to the Ramkhamhaeng area and 1 hour wait plus need to get to their own car park which is 20 minute walk from their desk inside the terminal. I asked if the car could come to the terminal building because I can't walk so far. Girl gave abrupt answer 'mai dai' (cannot) and returned to playing games on her phone.

 

Today I will call 'All Thai Tax' (operated by same company as Nakorn Chai Air Bus company) and see if I can order a taxi.

 

You could arrange for Grab Taxi or Grab Car to meet you in arrivals. I have used Grab Car in the past and they were very good, they met me as I came out of immigration and helped me collect my suitcase. I waited whilst they got the car and then off we went, easy....

[Ricardo]

Rather than wasting time on any such welcoming-activity, the qualified Immigration-officers are needed manning desks, and the rest need training in the same.

[speedtripler]

12 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

Rather than wasting time on any such welcoming-activity, the qualified Immigration-officers are needed manning desks, and the rest need training in the same.

Finger printing 170,000 people a day seems like a bit of a chore..... 

Although it's probably intended for the foreigners because thais don't do any crime

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

Fingerprints being collected? Do they have the machines? And do they now exist at every border post as one of the principal reasons for collecting them is to make sure the same person leaves the country. 

 

Hard to tell what exactly they mean in the OP news report, as the reference to fingerprinting is part of a discussion about their treatment of unsavory suspects.

 

But the Thai wife and I flew back into Suvarnabhumi earlier this month, and there was no fingerprinting of either of us upon arrival in passing thru Immigration. Nor was there any fingerprinting on the outbound trip earlier in the month.

[Ossy]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The Immigration Bureau, together with Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Airports of Thailand Plc, has organized a ceremony to dispatch teams of airport staff, EOD officers, immigration police and tourist police to patrol the airport and maintain security during the New Year 2018 Festival as part of the campaign titled “Love at First Sight by Thai Immigration”. 

OMG and I never thought I would be one of those pansies that makes that awful exclamation! We've got not just one ineffectual department but three of the fokkers. And, just because they want everyone to know that they've got up off their asses, they've had a flizzin' CEREMONY - not to celebrate the triumvirate's success, but just to dispatch the teams to where they have to remain off their asses. And, we might reasonably ask 'what are they going to improve?'

 

We're promised 2 things, Immigration Bureau Pol Lt Gen - oh, oh, that's the dodgy bit; a bleedin' general, as Boss of Immigration - Suttipong Wongpin proudly announced:-

1.  More officials at Immigration desks and interpreters to help with the tourist rush. Yes, that must be GOOD . . . there's been a deafening clamour for it for 4 months, already, since airport queues news last hit the fan.
2.  Interception of individuals considered a threat to national security, illegal immigrants, drug dealers and human traffickers. Biometrics and fingerprints will be collected from every individual upon arrival. Holy Shits and Old Mother Riley! . . . is he joking about the fingerprints or what? It's recently been mooted that good customs control should take no more than 20 seconds per person (camera scan, address noted, passport barcode scan, stamp, wink & smile). How much longer will it take for EVERYONE to be fingerprinted? The mind boggles at the pictures of what has to be a recipe for Thailand's disaster of the year . . . well there hasn't really been a good one, so far, has there? 

[CanuckThai]

59 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Hard to tell what exactly they mean in the OP news report, as the reference to fingerprinting is part of a discussion about their treatment of unsavory suspects.

 

But the Thai wife and I flew back into Suvarnabhumi earlier this month, and there was no fingerprinting of either of us upon arrival in passing thru Immigration. Nor was there any fingerprinting on the outbound trip earlier in the month.

Agreed, the wife and I just flew back from Hong Kong last week, nothing new happening at the Suvarnabhumi immigration lines

[zzidenn]

1 hour ago, speedtripler said:

Finger printing 170,000 people a day seems like a bit of a chore..... 

Although it's probably intended for the foreigners because thais don't do any crime

If they want our biometrics, they can just scan our biometric passport, takes around 30 secs.... lmfao that’s never gonna happen

[CanuckThai]

A quick passport scan, and fingerprint scan, is happening in a lot airports in many countries....it fast and furious.  Even better when they don't blow a full page in my passport for a Visa

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, Happyman58 said:

When you arrive at Don Mueng  using half the immigration booths are manned The other half of immigration are either walking around doing nothing or in staff room playing card or watching kick boxing

 

Plus, a few weeks back I took the 5.25 am Lion flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Checked-in and went straight to the passport lines. No officers on duty at all both Thai and foreign lines, I just stood there and waited for nearly an hour, then1 passport officer appeared, by that time perhaps 40 people on both lines.

 

I was in the Thai line because I have PR and the imm. people like you to use the Thai line. When the officer who appeared went to the Thai line desk many foreigners tried to join that queue, officer yelled loudly to go back to the foreigner line.

 

I got to the departure gate 10 minutes before boarding started. 

 

During the time I stood waiting for an imm. officer to appear there was not one person on duty in the whole area, anybody could have just walked through.

 

Serious management failure. 

Edited December 26, 2017 by scorecard

[anon467848]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport Sirote Duangratana made known that there will be about 7,200 flights operated to and from the airport from December 28-January 3,

7,200 can't be correct. 7,200/7 days/24 hrs p/day = 42 flights p/hour?

[Propellerhead]

4 hours ago, wvavin said:

Please do not sabotage the taxi driver. The airport is monitoring the drop off point and would issue tickets to any taxi drivers picking up passengers at the departure drive way. 

I've done this more than a half dozen times this past year at both BKK and DMK without any issue or so much as a peep from a police whistle. I'm quick about it and load myself in less than 10 seconds. The drivers are grateful for an easy return fare and it sure beats waiting 20-30 minutes in queue.