Thai immigration warns impending weekend visa waits of 4 hours in Bangkok airport

[webfact]

Thai immigration warns impending weekend visa waits of 4 hours in Bangkok airport

By Coconuts Bangkok

 

Expectation vs. reality? The visa on arrival area, left, and a viral picture of what happens when immigration gets overwhelmed, right. Photos: Thai Embassy, left, and ChangTrixGet/ Facebook, right.

 

International visitors coming into Bangkok for the New Year long weekend should brace themselves for long waits for visas on arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

 

Immigration officials have said those entering the country could face wait times of four hours or more as agents face throngs of visitors and have increased screening measures designed to keep undesirables out of the country, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Yesterday, Pol. Col. Cherngron Rimpadee, deputy immigration police spokesman, reached out to warn the public and ask for cooperation in the queues, explaining that criminals tend to take advantage of entering the country on holiday weekends by playing at being tourists, with hopes of slipping by agents too frazzled to check documents thoroughly, which is why new measures have been put into place.

 

Full story: https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/thai-immigration-warns-impending-weekend-visa-waits-4-hours-bangkok-airport/

 

-- © Copyright Coconuts Bangkok 2017-12-27

 

 

[tomacht8]

Standing in the queue for 4 hours is crap.
Why not simply place machines where you can draw a waiting number like in any bank. Instead of being in the queue for hours, you could go for food and shopping.

[webfact]

ATTA says visa on arrival strands tourists 1-4 hours at airports 

By Thai PBS

 

 

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has complained of unnecessary waste of time for tourists applying for visas on arrival (VOA) at the airports saying the process take 1-4 hours.

 

ATTA says the time waste could affect the country’s image and tourism and demands relevant state agencies to resolve the problem.

 

It said as the country is now entering the tourism season, the problem needed to be resolved urgently.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/atta-says-visa-arrival-strands-tourists-1-4-hours-airports/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-12-27

[lopburi3]

Just now, tomacht8 said:

Standing in the queue for 4 hours is crap.
Why not simply place machines where you can draw a waiting number like in any bank. Instead of being in the queue for hours, you could go for food and shopping.

Are you serious?  This is the arrival area before any such things.  Most people do not use "visa on arrival" in any case.

[samsensam]

 

flew in last week, waiting in my short immigration queue; two foreigners hadn't completed their forms so stood at the desk completing them, another guy was using his phone so had to be reprimanded by the IO and a thai scout leader decided to start filming and the IO had to leave his booth, the guy wouldn't hand over his phone until another IO turned up and led him away to an office.

 

all these actions caused delays in my short queue, times this by 20 odd queues and you get delays...

[crazygreg44]

the Visa-on-Arrival area is for Indians, Pakistani and other nations who need a visa when entering Thailand.  This area is a bit off from the immigration booths where "Visa-Waivers" are handed out to certain nationalities and where in the past 21 years I have never had to wait any longer than 20 minutes.

 

there's "Visa on Arrival"  and the other is "30 days Visa-free on arrival". Two completely different queues and waiting times.

Edited December 27, 2017 by crazygreg44

[tomacht8]

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Are you serious?  This is the arrival area before any such things.  Most people do not use "visa on arrival" in any case.

Yes i am serious. 
Everything that avoids hours of waiting in a queue, I would find good.
Nothing does speak against setting up machines with waiting numbers.
The arrival hall (before immigration) could indeed be made more customer-friendly.

[darksidedog]

I suppose the notion of drafting in extra staff to help cope with the extra influx of passengers has not occurred to them then?

[arithai12]

27 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

Standing in the queue for 4 hours is crap.
Why not simply place machines where you can draw a waiting number like in any bank. Instead of being in the queue for hours, you could go for food and shopping.

and toilet.

[NCC1701A]

people being held captive for four hours?

Think of all the scams you could pull in all that time.

 

"Your children need to come with us for faster processing."

"1000 baht fee for VIP line."

"Urinate into this bottle, 500 baht."

"Water and white rice 750 baht."

"I will turn the cellphone jammer off for 1000 baht."

 

[StayinThailand2much]

"Immigration officials have said those entering the country could face wait times of four hours or more as agents face throngs of visitors and have increased screening measures designed to keep undesirables out of the country, reported Bangkok Post."

 

And that's, IMHO, is the real reason. In no country I've ever been to, does the IO need that long to stamp a passport; no wait, I forgot that it took the Soviet officials at the Belarus border quite long screening each traveller, when I went there 26 years ago. Other countries 'screen for undesirables' too, but maybe they do a better (and faster) job. Why do Thai IOs need 3-5 minutes for each passport?

[StayinThailand2much]

57 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I suppose the notion of drafting in extra staff to help cope with the extra influx of passengers has not occurred to them then?

Well, they always seem to be surprised during the holidays, that suddenly so many planes and travellers arrive... 

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

1 hour ago, tomacht8 said:

Standing in the queue for 4 hours is crap.
Why not simply place machines where you can draw a waiting number like in any bank. Instead of being in the queue for hours, you could go for food and shopping.

Way too difficult for the Thai immigration to figure out. 

[Jeremy50]

People make their own beds. Why not just stay at home with a good book, and a nice cup of cocoa?

[overherebc]

Has this notification been sent out to other countries/airlines and airports to warn travellers?

[kurtmartens]

2 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

"Immigration officials have said those entering the country could face wait times of four hours or more as agents face throngs of visitors and have increased screening measures designed to keep undesirables out of the country, reported Bangkok Post."

 

And that's, IMHO, is the real reason. In no country I've ever been to, does the IO need that long to stamp a passport; no wait, I forgot that it took the Soviet officials at the Belarus border quite long screening each traveller, when I went there 26 years ago. Other countries 'screen for undesirables' too, but maybe they do a better (and faster) job. Why do Thai IOs need 3-5 minutes for each passport?

Trying flying into Jordan.  Hand your passport to one IO and 20 (or however much it is now) Dinar.  He literally then hands it to the guy next to him (seriously, right next to him) who then takes your picture and stamps the passport.  If you arrive during a busy time of the day .... I've waited for an hour or more.  And that doesn't take into account the line jumpers who have slipped a few dinar to someone or are "VIPs".  Talk about job creation.

[ukrules]

This only affects people coming from the 'dodgy country' list.

[Esanlover]

Why not just get fingers out and do their job quickly, with efficiency and open all lines.

[observer90210]

4 hours waiting at immigration ?!!?

 

Welcome to Thailand 4.0, the global tourist hub ?

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

Standing in the queue for 4 hours is crap.
Why not simply place machines where you can draw a waiting number like in any bank. Instead of being in the queue for hours, you could go for food and shopping.

Too sensible.

 

BTW, back in the supposedly first world country I hail from, the banks make me stand in a q.

[thaibeachlovers]

18 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

4 hours waiting at immigration ?!!?

 

Welcome to Thailand 4.0, the global tourist hub ?

It's only VISA ON ARRIVAL, not all immigration.

[YetAnother]

4 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Well, they always seem to be surprised during the holidays, that suddenly so many planes and travellers arrive... 

that is normal thai thinking; i asked my thai wife long ago why, she, with a 4 year univ degree in bangkok, didnt Plan;

she replied: " i can't"

[JemJem]

Even a 1 hour-wait is too much (unless there is a technical malfunction etc) ! But, 4 hours ??!! Gees.

 

There are only very few things I dislike about going to Thailand. One is to do with my fear of large cockroaches, of which, as you know, there are plenty in Thailand; and another is the anxiety I feel upon arrival due to wondering about how long of a queue is awaiting me at the Immigration. The 'record' for me so far is around 45 minutes. But I guess I have been lucky overall. The other times, I spent only about 15-20 minutes on average.

[Bluespunk]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Yesterday, Pol. Col. Cherngron Rimpadee, deputy immigration police spokesman, reached out to warn the public and ask for cooperation in the queues, explaining that criminals tend to take advantage of entering the country on holiday weekends by playing at being tourists, with hopes of slipping by agents too frazzled to check documents thoroughly, which is why new measures have been put into place.

Pesky foreigners. 

[jaywalker]

6 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

Yes i am serious. 
Everything that avoids hours of waiting in a queue, I would find good.
Nothing does speak against setting up machines with waiting numbers.
The arrival hall (before immigration) could indeed be made more customer-friendly.

And...you expect Chinese, Indians and Pakistani's to actual play by that rule book?

 

Nothing wrong with your idea in theory, it just wouldn't work in reality.

[surangw]

On 11/20/2017 at 8:09 PM, lonewolf99 said:

I am sure I have seen on TV before that "quackery" is illegal in LoS ?
In this case it is quackery and whackery....so two times the 400 baht fine or admonish and apologise with umpteen Wai's. 

 

On 12/13/2017 at 9:27 PM, rkidlad said:

Watches all round for the boys. 

 

6 hours ago, Just Weird said:

In other media it was reported that extra staff were being brought in, other media that Thaivisa seems to choose not to re-publish. 

anticipation without planning

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, surangw said:

 

 

anticipation without planning

What?

[Becker]

6 hours ago, JemJem said:

Even a 1 hour-wait is too much (unless there is a technical malfunction etc) ! But, 4 hours ??!! Gees.

 

There are only very few things I dislike about going to Thailand. One is to do with my fear of large cockroaches, of which, as you know, there are plenty in Thailand; and another is the anxiety I feel upon arrival due to wondering about how long of a queue is awaiting me at the Immigration. The 'record' for me so far is around 45 minutes. But I guess I have been lucky overall. The other times, I spent only about 15-20 minutes on average.

Well, you should be able to spot the largest roaches quite easily as most of them wear a uniform.

Edited December 27, 2017 by Becker

[1337markus]

Really is pathetic it is not as if they had just started immigration process at Bkk, they have been trying for years and still no idea. As a regular traveler to Singapore and Dubai who have far more passengers and tourists to deal with than Bkk but never have any of these issues. Time to lose face and copy what Singapore does.

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, arithai12 said:

and toilet.

There aren't enough of them either.