Aggravation from Thai airport check-in staff.

[tavernier]

Has anyone else noticed an increase in aggravation from Thai airport check-in staff towards Thai/Farang couples. My wife has held a British passport for over 25 years, but only recently have we started having trouble. From not believing her UK passport was genuine, to being told she needed a visa to visit a country where plainly as a UK citizen, she didn't, to this year being told she had to use her Thai Passport to go in and out of the country! (She hasn't had one for many years).

I know, it's only ignorant bullying, but is it policy?

[KhunBENQ]

Nothing but plain stupidity.

"Thai" = Thai Airways?

In this case it's even more likely that such stuff happens.

Arrogance and xenophobia towards "farang couples".

My wife never felt too comfortable when we flew TG.

But that's long ago.

 

Edited April 24, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[Swimman]

23 minutes ago, tavernier said:

Has anyone else noticed an increase in aggravation from Thai airport check-in staff towards Thai/Farang couples

No - We have only experienced polite, courteous efficiency from the check-in staff. Who were you traveling with and did you raise your concerns with a supervisor and the airline? 

[thedemon]

It's the same everywhere in the world. Check-in staff, security, immigration. There are more and more rules and regulations and they are much more strictly enforced. Sometimes those frontline staff seem to be able to pull a new rule out of a hat at will.

 

Travelling isn't as relaxed as it once was. We can only get used to it.

[KhunBENQ]

 

1 minute ago, thedemon said:

There are more and more rules and regulations

But a woman with a legit UK passport is a UK citizen and free to travel on this.

It's none of their business to discuss this.

 

Travelling with two passports has it's justified reasons/scenarios (discussed in other threads).

But obviously not here.

[jackdd]

5 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

But a woman with a legit UK passport is a UK citizen and free to travel on this.

It's none of their business to discuss this.

At first OP said that they thought her UK might be fake, that's their business then

 

I think it's not related to Farang / Thai couples, but just to Thais and it's most likely not limited to Thailand.

Once when going to Germany my flight had a stopover somewhere in the middle east, not sure anymore which airline it was, and a Thai woman was given a hard time before allowed to board the connecting flight. They pulled her aside and checked all her documents precisely. After maybe 10 minutes they let her board the airplane.

But this happens not without reasons... There are just so many asians (not limited to Thais) working illegally in other countries, and the airlines don't want to pay the flight back home if the passengers are denied entry. Especially working illegally in Korea is famous with Thais, but of course European countries and USA as well.

[KhunBENQ]

4 hours ago, jackdd said:

At first OP said that they thought her UK might be fake, that's their business then

It's the business of immigration (officers) and they would stop her boarding.

I doubt check-in staff has much qualification to verify the authenticity of passports.

Do you really think check-in staff is better than immigration who let her enter with this passport?

 

Simply barefaced staff!

 

 

Edited April 24, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[scorecard]

 

A different example with a budget airline NXX, I was (no longer use this airline) a  'SMILE PLUS' member meaning priority seating at the front of the aircraft.

 

At check-in, rude girl gave me a seat in the middle of the aircraft, I tried to mention 'SMILE PLUS' benefit, but girl inisted loudly that NXX has no such membership, then 'your confused, your thinking of THAI SMILE airline, that's not NXX'.

 

Check-in supervisor intervened and insisted that I to go their office upstairs at DM and discuss the matter. I did that, after talking to one of their staff for perhaps 10 seconds his supervisor intervened and told him to stop talking and go back to his dek. She then told me to leave the office and walked away.

 

Can you ever imagine any similar scenario / treatment of passengers with Singapore Airlines? 

 

 

 

[datcook]

Reminds me of the first time my wife (then Girlfriend) was going to Aus. Check in girl insisted that she could not go without a visa, pointed out to her that she has a current Multiple entry tourist visa for Aus but she still insisted that she could not go. I then asked her get her supervisor, she wandered off and went to another person I assumed was her supervisor and they spoke and called me to go to them where her "supervisor" also said she could not go. I then asked to see her supervisor and she went crazy saying that her decision could not be queried. Fortunately I knew that the airport has an Australian immigration officer stationed there and I requested that he be summoned. After about 20 minutes the immigration officer arrived and after examining the passport confirmed that it was current and that my friend could travel to Australia. I am sure that the two Thai airways ladies lost face and I was referred to another lady who had no difficulties in processing us to travel. Overall a waste of time for the two ladies who apparently did not know what a "multiple" entry visa was and for us a waste of about an hour of our time

[Rayinbkk]

One of the issues here is that national immigration authorities shift part of the burden of responsibility for checking documents to airlines. Airlines are not only required to transport back any passenger without proper documentation, they (the airlines) also face steep fines.

[datcook]

My now  wife has now a "Permanent Resident" visa which is registered in her passport and in 22 trips to Thailand and back to Australia we have has no further problems

[jackdd]

12 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

It's the business of immigration (officers) and they would stop her boarding.

Which immigration officers should stop her boarding in case the UK passport were fake? There are no (in case of OP) UK immigration officers at the airport in Thailand before boarding, so who should check it?

The only people responsible to check this are the people at the checkin. If they make a mistake and let somebody board who is then denied entry in the destination country it's the airline that has to pay.

An alternative to this would be that when you book a ticket you are required to deposit let's say 50k THB with the airline. If you get denied entry at your destination they keep this deposit and send you back, if you are allowed entry you get the deposit back. Then the airline doesn't have to care about this anymore, they can just let anybody who can identify himself board. But probably many people wouldn't like to deposit this money.

 

 

Edited April 25, 2018 by jackdd

[Sir Swagman]

I know many Thais feel uncomfortable travelling with the national carrier. I am sure the behaviour they experience onboard could follow through to some ground staff. You have cabin crew leaving their tidy and clean house in a nice clean BMW or some such ‘status’ vehicle with their bags packed with clean and pressed clothes - all done by their maid(s). They are then tasked with looking after the needs of a fellow Thai (let’s say in economy) who has no visible sign of ‘status’. They don’t like it, think it is beneath them, and often show it.

[Belzybob]

1 hour ago, datcook said:

Reminds me of the first time my wife (then Girlfriend) was going to Aus. Check in girl insisted that she could not go without a visa, pointed out to her that she has a current Multiple entry tourist visa for Aus but she still insisted that she could not go. I then asked her get her supervisor, she wandered off and went to another person I assumed was her supervisor and they spoke and called me to go to them where her "supervisor" also said she could not go. I then asked to see her supervisor and she went crazy saying that her decision could not be queried. Fortunately I knew that the airport has an Australian immigration officer stationed there and I requested that he be summoned. After about 20 minutes the immigration officer arrived and after examining the passport confirmed that it was current and that my friend could travel to Australia. I am sure that the two Thai airways ladies lost face and I was referred to another lady who had no difficulties in processing us to travel. Overall a waste of time for the two ladies who apparently did not know what a "multiple" entry visa was and for us a waste of about an hour of our time

At the gate lounge where they re-check your boarding pass and passport, you will usually find that there will be an Australian government immigration agent.

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

Which immigration officers should stop her boarding in case the UK passport were fake? There are no (in case of OP) UK immigration officers at the airport in Thailand before boarding, so who should check it?

Thai immigration has no capability to check forged passports but check-in staff can.

Are you serious?

Last post in this thread.

Edited April 25, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[DipStick]

15 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

It's the business of immigration (officers) and they would stop her boarding.

I doubt check-in staff has much qualification to verify the authenticity of passports.

Do you really think check-in staff is better than immigration who let her enter with this passport?

 

Simply barefaced staff!

 

 

I am sorry but you are incorrect, check in staff do check passengers documentation simply because if that passenger is refused entry at the airport of destination, then the airline concerned are legally responsible to return that passenger, at their cost, to the airport of departure.

This has nothing to do with immigration, but with IATA

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

Thai immigration has no capability to check forged passports but check-in staff can.

Are you serious?

Last post in this thread.

Do you also expect Thai immigration to know about all visa regulations of the destination countries, to make sure they won't be denied entry?

And what if the person uses let's say a fake UK passport to check in, but when leaving Thailand the person presents her Thai passport to immigration? This person would then sent back and the airline has to pay for it.

[Acemaker]

2 hours ago, Sir Swagman said:

I know many Thais feel uncomfortable travelling with the national carrier. I am sure the behaviour they experience onboard could follow through to some ground staff. You have cabin crew leaving their tidy and clean house in a nice clean BMW or some such ‘status’ vehicle with their bags packed with clean and pressed clothes - all done by their maid(s). They are then tasked with looking after the needs of a fellow Thai (let’s say in economy) who has no visible sign of ‘status’. They don’t like it, think it is beneath them, and often show it.

BA exactly the same, what a Shit Airline, big Fat old Birds on most long haul Flights, crap Food condescending attitude, i had no choice but to Fly them a few Weeks ago, always glad to get off a BA Flight.

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, jackdd said:

Which immigration officers should stop her boarding in case the UK passport were fake? There are no (in case of OP) UK immigration officers at the airport in Thailand before boarding, so who should check it?

The only people responsible to check this are the people at the checkin. If they make a mistake and let somebody board who is then denied entry in the destination country it's the airline that has to pay.

An alternative to this would be that when you book a ticket you are required to deposit let's say 50k THB with the airline. If you get denied entry at your destination they keep this deposit and send you back, if you are allowed entry you get the deposit back. Then the airline doesn't have to care about this anymore, they can just let anybody who can identify himself board. But probably many people wouldn't like to deposit this money.

 

 

 

 

So would it not be logical for all airline check-in facilities to have a direct line to a knowledgeable imm. officer  from whatever country it is?

3 hours ago, Sir Swagman said:

I know many Thais feel uncomfortable travelling with the national carrier. I am sure the behaviour they experience onboard could follow through to some ground staff. You have cabin crew leaving their tidy and clean house in a nice clean BMW or some such ‘status’ vehicle with their bags packed with clean and pressed clothes - all done by their maid(s). They are then tasked with looking after the needs of a fellow Thai (let’s say in economy) who has no visible sign of ‘status’. They don’t like it, think it is beneath them, and often show it.

 

 

Well said and my example of this is when my 18 yr old Thai son was traveling with me in business class bkk to Jakarta. After the evening me service all finished he politely ask the bus class lady for 'a glass of Coke'.

 

Her rude loud response 'go and ask in economy'

 

I queried 'why'? Response 'childreshould not ask for service'

 

After some discussion another business class hostess came to me and said 'why are you so rude to my friend, she comes from a famous family?'.

 

 

 

[zaZa9]

I keep reading , " the airline has to pay" , like the airline rep goes off and buys a 1st class ticket on  some other airline  on the very next plane heading back to the departure point , when surely they just stick the  refused passenger on any empty seat they have going back ... Sure , sometimes the next  return flight is full , but  any  following  one is at  most , at  'Cost' .

Theres a big difference between 'buying another ticket' , and transporting a passenger at cost.

 

And this is a side issue anyway - the staffs most important role is surely is to deal with any issue seamlessly , aiming to ensure future patronage for their Company no matter what obstacles need dealing with.

There is no place for ignorant or brash  staff most places , though  you can cope with it momentarily in a 7/11 or such.

Not so , of course  when you are about to spend many hours sitting in one of their aircraft...

 

[simoh1490]

18 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

It's the business of immigration (officers) and they would stop her boarding.

I doubt check-in staff has much qualification to verify the authenticity of passports.

Do you really think check-in staff is better than immigration who let her enter with this passport?

 

Simply barefaced staff!

 

 

Not so, it's the responsibility of the airline to ensure passengers have the correct travel documents, not immigration. If the passenger doesn't have the necessary visa et al the airline carries the can and the fines are hefty - it's the same the world over, check in staff are just following international rules by checking.

[jackdd]

6 minutes ago, zaZa9 said:

I keep reading , " the airline has to pay" , like the airline rep goes off and buys a 1st class ticket on  some other airline  on the very next plane heading back to the departure point , when surely they just stick the  refused passenger on any empty seat they have going back ... Sure , sometimes the next  return flight is full , but  any  following  one is at  most , at  'Cost' .

Theres a big difference between 'buying another ticket' , and transporting a passenger at cost.

http://airlines.iata.org/analysis/document-verification-travel-trouble

According to this article in average they pay a fine of 3500USD = 110k THB plus the costs that they have. So my first suggestion of "50k THB deposit" was obviously way too low

[Belzybob]

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

Not so, it's the responsibility of the airline to ensure passengers have the correct travel documents, not immigration. If the passenger doesn't have the necessary visa et al the airline carries the can and the fines are hefty - it's the same the world over, check in staff are just following international rules by checking.

Absolutely correct and not as was claimed in an earlier post anything to do with IATA. Airlines generally have two responsibilities; one to provide a list of passengers and their details to the country of destination in advance of the flights arrival and secondly not to carry a passenger without the correct documentation.

[Fairynuff]

On 4/24/2018 at 4:50 PM, andy said:

I have always found the check-in staff at Swampy to be particularly dense, regardless of the airline.  I have heard many of them are not airline employees but are contracted out to serve as ground staff for various airlines.  I have had a number of unnecessary delays at check-in at Swampy and had to insist for the manager on a couple of occasions.  Always got things worked out in the end, but it does get annoying when it happens repeatedly.

I was told many years ago that Thailand does not allow foreign airlines to employ their own staff and must use the airport ground staff. I assume this is still the case. 

[thedemon]

13 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

ell said and my example of this is when my 18 yr old Thai son was traveling with me in business class bkk to Jakarta. After the evening me service all finished he politely ask the bus class lady for 'a glass of Coke'.

 

Her rude loud response 'go and ask in economy'

 

I queried 'why'? Response 'childreshould not ask for service'

 

After some discussion another business class hostess came to me and said 'why are you so rude to my friend, she comes from a famous family?'.

 

 

 

 

Bar stool story. Even then doubt anyone believes it.

[pearciderman]

23 hours ago, datcook said:

Fortunately I knew that the airport has an Australian immigration officer stationed there and I requested that he be summoned. After about 20 minutes the immigration officer arrived and after examining the passport confirmed that it was current and that my friend could travel to Australia.

 

Which airport was this, seems most peculiar that an airport outside of Australia would have an Australian immigration officer there.

[natway09]

First & foremost as a Gold member of Thai Airways I have never had anything but the greatest courtesy, helpfulness & consideration from them, both in the air & ground staff for me & my THAI wife

& get very angry with you guys who continually knock a great airline just because you live in Thailand.

As to air crew looking down on fellow Thais that is pure rubbish & think it is maybe a phobia on your behalf.

I travel with Thai internationally many times with  my Thai workers  & they have always shown exceptional 

help & courtesy  to them.( Better than the stuck up Farang Hostesses on may airlines

Having flown on 27 different airlines they still come in a close second.

As to a Thai not using a Thai passport to leave & enter the Kingdom & insists on using her UK passport 

is not very smart when Thailand graciously lets her have both or maybe this is "one upmanship " on

her behalf or too lazy to renew it

As one of the comments above the check in staff are now responsible to the best of their ability to ensure

all papers are in order before they check you in

 

[NanLaew]

On 24/04/2018 at 10:42 AM, jackdd said:

But this happens not without reasons... There are just so many asians (not limited to Thais) working illegally in other countries, and the airlines don't want to pay the flight back home if the passengers are denied entry.

So the assumption is that all the non-Asians; dare I say the Caucasians, that are flying the skies are suspected of all being squeaky clean with real passports, valid visas, legitimate work permits?

 

It's called profiling. More specifically negative profiling. The 'great white' traveler is mostly exposed to positive profiling although he/she is blissfully unaware of it.

 

Even in LOS.

[Swimman]

5 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

t's called profiling. More specifically negative profiling. The 'great white' traveler is mostly exposed to positive profiling

Not always true!  My son was closely questioned when traveling to Jorden via Isreal.

[NanLaew]

On 25/04/2018 at 8:04 PM, Fairynuff said:

I was told many years ago that Thailand does not allow foreign airlines to employ their own staff and must use the airport ground staff. I assume this is still the case. 

Foreign airlines in Thailand, like in many other countries, use contract check-in staff as it is a far cheaper and legal alternative to having maybe 20 paid, foreign employees working maybe 6 hours a day (if there's only one flight/day) or less if they fly less frequently. These staff are trained in any specialties of any particular foreign airline but may 'work' for several different foreign airlines during their contracts. I think AoT are the contract staff provider here in Thailand and they sub-contract several staffing agencies for work at the airports. However, most foreign airlines will have a senior supervisor or manager who will be a direct employee of the foreign airline and probably from the same country as the foreign airline.