Immigration Kiosks at Suvarnabhumi

[scoutman360]

 

I was returning to Bangkok last night after a business trip abroad and noticed some new immigration kiosks on the right side of the immigration lines. Some foreigners were using them. Is this new? Is it specific to a group or can anyone use them?

 

Also, Thai Airways played a video on the plane saying that Thai nationals and "foreigners resident in Thailand" Can use the Thai National Kiosk machines at immigration. Has anyone every tried it? I looked at the machines and it definitely said Thai Nationals Only.

 

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, scoutman360 said:

"foreigners resident in Thailand"

As far as I remember it refers to foreigners holding permanent residency.

A fairly small percentage of foreigners who hold some kind of foreigner/alien passport issued in Thailand.

I am not into the details and might be wrong.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, scoutman360 said:

I was returning to Bangkok last night after a business trip abroad and noticed some new immigration kiosks on the right side of the immigration lines. Some foreigners were using them. Is this new? Is it specific to a group or can anyone use them?

Perhaps for those that can use fast track immigration desks.

1 hour ago, scoutman360 said:

Also, Thai Airways played a video on the plane saying that Thai nationals and "foreigners resident in Thailand" Can use the Thai National Kiosk machines at immigration. Has anyone every tried it? I looked at the machines and it definitely said Thai Nationals Only.

Only for those with permanent residency after they register to use them.

Not sure if it working yet but there were plans for Singaporeans and those from Hong Kong to use them.

 

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, scoutman360 said:

I was returning to Bangkok last night after a business trip abroad and noticed some new immigration kiosks on the right side of the immigration lines. Some foreigners were using them. Is this new? Is it specific to a group or can anyone use them?

I suspect that these are the priority kiosks for certain categories (over 70's, disabled, etc) which I have observed in the location you describe upon my return from my latest 2 foreign trips in June 2016 and June 2017, and to which I was directed on both occasions to use on account of my disability. 

Edited March 31, 2018 by OJAS

[AYJAYDEE]

I used those kiosks for years when they were reserved for thais and their spouse. The last three years , they have also been available to farangs at least 70 years old! My brother and his wife and two friends and wives used them this year with no problem. The sign specifically mentions 70 years old.

[trigpoint]

 
I was returning to Bangkok last night after a business trip abroad and noticed some new immigration kiosks on the right side of the immigration lines. Some foreigners were using them. Is this new? Is it specific to a group or can anyone use them?
 
Also, Thai Airways played a video on the plane saying that Thai nationals and "foreigners resident in Thailand" Can use the Thai National Kiosk machines at immigration. Has anyone every tried it? I looked at the machines and it definitely said Thai Nationals Only.
 

Any foriegner over 70 can use them kiosks, although I used to go through them ok with my Thai wife.

Sent from my B3-A30 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[AYJAYDEE]

Just now, trigpoint said:

Any foriegner over 70 can use them kiosks, although I used to go through them ok with my Thai wife.

Sent from my B3-A30 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

youre right. I used them for years with my thai wife

 

[scoutman360]

The normal immigration line was backed up, and I noticed lots of Chinese and other nationalities using them with quite a long queue behind them, which seemed odd.

[Katia]

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Not sure if it working yet but there were plans for Singaporeans and those from Hong Kong to use them.

 

Singapore kiosks seemed operational last week.

[OJAS]

5 hours ago, scoutman360 said:

I noticed lots of Chinese and other nationalities using them

I trust that all of them either looked over 70 or were well-endowed with mobility aids, then.

Edited March 31, 2018 by OJAS

[masuk]

Last week I came back to Thailand through Don Muang.  Our plane load took well over an hour to process, and sadly, an 'over 70s' kiosk was not there.

China and Bali are a bit more realistic and have 'over 65' kiosks.   Took me 2 minutes to go through Bali Immigration.  Macau to China Immigration has 41 immigration desks, all in operation + a 'disability or over 65' line.   So nice to see!

[Pdavies99]

They are priority kiosks for over 70's, disabled, etc.

[LivinLOS]

Anyone used 'Priority pass' on those ?? 

 

I do not believe it has access to them, but I have used it on a lot of airport fast track and its been accepted.. Just wondering if anyone has experience of accept or denial at the fast track at swampy ??

 

[theoldgit]

Anyone used 'Priority pass' on those ?? 
 
I do not believe it has access to them, but I have used it on a lot of airport fast track and its been accepted.. Just wondering if anyone has experience of accept or denial at the fast track at swampy ??

I've used the priority land when traveling in steerage both on departure and arrival as a 70 year old.
On departure I've have to explain to the passport checking operative every time, they point to the priority lane card picture and I point to the over 70 picture, not a word is spoken.
On arrival I just say 70 to the IO and no problem even though he'd just waved away a business class passenger from my flight after the Thai Airways staff hadn't handed out cards.
A mate has been denied Priority Lane at DMK with the IO waving him away.

[LivinLOS]

20 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

 

I've used the priority land when traveling in steerage both on departure and arrival as a 70 year old.
On departure I've have to explain to the passport checking operative every time, they point to the priority lane card picture and I point to the over 70 picture, not a word is spoken.
On arrival I just say 70 to the IO and no problem even though he'd just waved away a business class passenger from my flight after the Thai Airways staff hadn't handed out cards.
A mate has been denied Priority Lane at DMK with the IO waving him away.

 

Not sure you understand.. 

 

Priority pass is a global airport lounge access system.. Costs about 500 usd a year (I get comped mine)..

[theoldgit]

Not sure you understand.. 
 
Priority pass is a global airport lounge access system.. Costs about 500 usd a year (I get comped mine)..

Sorry I was actually replying to the previous post about those over 70 using the using the priority kiosks, I assume they meant the Priority Lane, and quoted the wrong post, and didn't check.

Yes I fully understand what a Priority Pass is, I lost mine when I changed Credit Cards, I didn't think I would get good use by paying for one myself so I didn't bother buying one.

That said I wondered why people were asking about the Priority Pass Lounge access cards when this is a thread about Immigration desks, as you've implied they're totally different beasts.

[Letseng]

On 31/03/2018 at 12:36 PM, ubonjoe said:

Perhaps for those that can use fast track immigration desks.

Only for those with permanent residency after they register to use them.

Not sure if it working yet but there were plans for Singaporeans and those from Hong Kong to use them.

 

Still not working for Singaporeans. They gave my friend fasttrack instead.

[kbelyeu]

6 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

Not sure you understand.. 

 

Priority pass is a global airport lounge access system.. Costs about 500 usd a year (I get comped mine)..

 

When I was enrolled in PP it was USD 250 per year and less for other plans, these days its comped with my Amex Platinum card.  I have not heard nor used my PP card to enter Thailand, either use the Thai lanes with the wife, use the coupon for business class or pay for access with Bangkok Flight Services.

 

Kurt

[OJAS]

20 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

Anyone used 'Priority pass' on those ?? 

 

I do not believe it has access to them, but I have used it on a lot of airport fast track and its been accepted.. Just wondering if anyone has experience of accept or denial at the fast track at swampy ??

 

I recall a few years ago being handed out of the blue a coupon entitling me to privileged access to the immigration kiosks used by diplomats, etc, which were in a completely different section to the kiosks referred to in the OP. Is this what you are referring to?

[Marius Brok]

On 31-3-2018 at 7:54 AM, OJAS said:

I suspect that these are the priority kiosks for certain categories (over 70's, disabled, etc) which I have observed in the location you describe upon my return from my latest 2 foreign trips in June 2016 and June 2017, and to which I was directed on both occasions to use on account of my disability. 

I could use this new kiosk because I was traveling with my Thai wive. Wonder why?

[dickjones2018]

never understood why there no immigration service at the airport for all places... no, you have to go to some office far far away to go beg yearly for some extention,mine is in the middle of knowhere with no banks around , no photo services ...

[LivinLOS]

16 hours ago, theoldgit said:

That said I wondered why people were asking about the Priority Pass Lounge access cards when this is a thread about Immigration desks, as you've implied they're totally different beasts.

I thought this was immigration desks attached to the priority lane / priority processing systems ?? 

 

After all what is the priority lane if its not priority access to immigration processing ?? 

 

[scoutman360]

7 hours ago, Marius Brok said:

I could use this new kiosk because I was traveling with my Thai wive. Wonder why?

Yep. There seems to be a lot of inconsistency. I saw tons of Chinese using the lane. But everyone here says it is for 70+ yrs over. Maybe not much enforcement? I want to ask... what about the immigration forms we must fill out. And what about the stamp in your passport? Does the kiosks accommodate for this??

[Maestro]

Yes.

[OJAS]

23 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

I thought this was immigration desks attached to the priority lane / priority processing systems ?? 

 

After all what is the priority lane if its not priority access to immigration processing ?? 

 

As I stated in post #19 above, I have re-entered Thailand through both (1) the kiosks purportedly reserved for the over 70's and disabled, which are located to the right of the main immigration area, and (2) the kiosks normally reserved for diplomats (by waving a coupon which may well have been the "Priority Pass" to which you and others have referred: I can no longer recall), which are located in a completely partitioned-off section of their own. My understanding, like @theoldgit's, is that this thread is about (1).

Edited April 3, 2018 by OJAS