The mystery of the 'Registered Foreigners with residence in Thailand' who can use the Thai Passport Holders line at the airport

[Gaccha]

I notice at Swampy that the sign at Immigration states that the Thai line is for  'Thai Passport Holders and Registered Foreigners with residence in Thailand'. I asked the staff and they said 'Thai passport holders only'. Now obviously we all know this is not true; foreigners with Thai wives etc routinely use the Thai passport holders line. So I don't have much faith in their level of knowledge.

 

But I'm intrigued by the 'Registered Foreigners with residence in Thailand' part of the sign. I don't recall seeing this before and it doesn't appear to be referencing the Privilege Cards etc.

 

In many countries, foreigners with 1 year+ visas are often allowed to use the home country passport line. Has Thailand quietly changed its position?

[Briggsy]

This is for holders of permanent residence who can get a card to use the automated gates at the airport. It is described in detail in the Permanent Residence thread.

[Gaccha]

Oh thanks. What a shame they don't extend this to others.

[ubonjoe]

It is for those that have permanent residency who have registered to use them. 

[Rhys]

....thus if you're married to a Thai can you still go through the Thai line... guess it depends on the mood of the official?

[JackThompson]

33 minutes ago, Rhys said:

....thus if you're married to a Thai can you still go through the Thai line... guess it depends on the mood of the official?

Different issue, but yes.  If you are with your Thai wife, the official may decide to do her (a fellow Thai) a favor, and let you through that line - or not..

[ubonjoe]

A post meant to derail the topic has been removed.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Gaccha said:

Oh thanks. What a shame they don't extend this to others.

Perhaps in the future it will be.

They are offering Singapore and Hong Kong citizens now but that is only for 30 day visa exempt entries.

[orchidfan]

1 hour ago, Rhys said:

....thus if you're married to a Thai can you still go through the Thai line... guess it depends on the mood of the official?

Married to a Thai lady and "permission to stay in Thailand" stamp in my passport... Never had a problem with using this line on arrival

[Here It Is]

Always come through the Thai line with my lovely wife.  On a few occasions I was almost stopped because my wife was in front or behind me but a simple tacit acknowledgment that I was with my wife sorted it.  Anyway, invariably fly business so wouldn't have been a problem anyway.

[Maestro]

18 minutes ago, Here It Is said:

Always come through the Thai line with my lovely wife.  On a few occasions I was almost stopped because my wife was in front or behind me but a simple tacit acknowledgment that I was with my wife sorted it.  Anyway, invariably fly business so wouldn't have been a problem anyway.

 

With "anyway", do you mean to say that as a business class traveller you would have been allowed to go through the Thai channel even if you had not been accompanying your Thai wife?

[Pattaya46]

deleted. I didn't see the 2 posts just above...

Edited May 5, 2018 by Pattaya46

[Here It Is]

26 minutes ago, Maestro said:

With "anyway", do you mean to say that as a business class traveller you would have been allowed to go through the Thai channel even if you had not been accompanying your Thai wife?

Probably, as it's the same channel.  

[Maestro]

2 minutes ago, Here It Is said:

Probably, as it's the same channel.  

 

Are you saying that all business class travellers can go through the channel for Thai passport holders?

[Norbert Halfwit]

Last two times I flew business. 1st time I was sent to the Thai channel but in October I was sent to a new VIP channel they had just opened up about 20 meters away

Your airline gives you a priority card to get through immigration.

[OJAS]

16 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Perhaps in the future it will be.

They are offering Singapore and Hong Kong citizens now but that is only for 30 day visa exempt entries.

So presumably they have managed to find some way of auto-flagging those who were attempting to enter LOS on the basis of an umpteenth 30-day visa exempt over a certain period - which, I would have thought, would otherwise have been the major obstacle to extending this facility to other nationalities entitled to 30-day visa exempts.

[ubonjoe]

34 minutes ago, OJAS said:

So presumably they have managed to find some way of auto-flagging those who were attempting to enter LOS on the basis of an umpteenth 30-day visa exempt over a certain period - which, I would have thought, would otherwise have been the major obstacle to extending this facility to other nationalities entitled to 30-day visa exempts.

There is no written limit for visa exempt entries by air.

A lot of people only stay for a few days not the entire 30 days.

[geriatrickid]

15 hours ago, Maestro said:

 

With "anyway", do you mean to say that as a business class traveller you would have been allowed to go through the Thai channel even if you had not been accompanying your Thai wife?

To clarify; There are two priority lines.

1. The  TG pax in business and first class are sent to the regular entry lines where there is a dedicated line for them. The line goes to dedicated IOs who process them. I was confused last month when I flew in last month and went to the regular premium channel and was instead turned back and told to go to the TG dedicated line. (Wasted 15 minutes of walking back and forth because there is no announcement on the TG flight to tell you where to go and there are no specific signs in the terminal informing pax of this either.)

 

2. The  Priority section between the two processing area remains, but this is for diplomats, VIPs and all other airline premium classes.

 

 

[OJAS]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no written limit for visa exempt entries by air.

A lot of people only stay for a few days not the entire 30 days.

So in theory, then, there would be nothing to stop a succession of back-to-back 30-day visa exempt entries being possible with the automatic gates. One reason why, I now suspect, use of these gates is never likely to be extended beyond Hong Kong and Singaporean nationals - who probably number relatively few in comparison to other foreigners entering Thailand on the basis of 30-day visa exempts in any event.

[JackThompson]

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

So in theory, then, there would be nothing to stop a succession of back-to-back 30-day visa exempt entries being possible with the automatic gates. One reason why, I now suspect, use of these gates is never likely to be extended beyond Hong Kong and Singaporean nationals - who probably number relatively few in comparison to other foreigners entering Thailand on the basis of 30-day visa exempts in any event

They could have a computer algorithm reject entry at the gate based on entry-history, and redirect the person to a human. 

 

I tend to agree with your assessment - but not because they are "relatively few," but because they are particular "preferred ethnicities" of foreigners.  For example, the 2x per calendar-year land-entry rule does not apply to Cambodians (useful for cheap labor) and Laotians (labor and "ethnic cousins"), though citizens of those nations would be among those more likely to abuse visa-exempt entries to work in Thailand illegally.

[JackThompson]

23 hours ago, orchidfan said:

Married to a Thai lady and "permission to stay in Thailand" stamp in my passport... Never had a problem with using this line on arrival

Always with the wife though, yes?

 

I recall one person reporting they got chewed-out for "assuming" they could go through with their wife, and getting into that line with her, before the wife had asked the IO's permission. 

[scorecard]

On 5/5/2561 at 4:48 PM, ubonjoe said:

It is for those that have permanent residency who have registered to use them. 

 

True, and folks who have PR but have not registered for the special card are encouraged to use the normal 'Thai Passport' line. Been doing this for years, many times standing in the 'Thai Passport' line  a cruising official has asked to see my documents, as soon as I show my PR book, an immedaite thank you and he moved on.

 

 

 

[hobz]

There used to be a queue where BOI work permit / visa holders were allowed. I used it once in DMK. Is that the same queue? Still there?

[helloagain]

Stop bitching. Yes i follow my wife at the airports otherwise she is waiting for me. But at heathrow she follows me and comes through my section and she has a 10 year visa for uk, i thank uk and thailand for allowing both of us to do this. It helps. Get over it.

[Zack61]

I have a retirement visa. On arrival at DMK at midnight I nearly had a little cry when I got to immigration. There were hundreds, if not a thousand, predominantly Chinese queued so I went to the Thai section and was through in about 10 minutes no questions asked. I was one of three farangs in my line all travelling alone and assume all with long term non-imm visas. 

Not sure if I got through because of visa type or whether I was just lucky. Nevertheless I was so happy to beat that longggggggggg queue. This was about two weeks ago. 

[bert bloggs]

When i am with the wife i always use the Thai line and in fact have been asked when alone and its busy do i live in Thailand ,on saying yes have been put in the Thai line .

[Naroge]

On 5/5/2018 at 4:45 PM, Briggsy said:

This is for holders of permanent residence who can get a card to use the automated gates at the airport. It is described in detail in the Permanent Residence thread.

Can you please kindly give the link. I can't find it.

 

Thank you.

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, Naroge said:

Can you please kindly give the link. I can't find it.

Camerata's Guide to Permanent Residence

[edwardflory]

My advice, if a long line at your regular line, ASK →POLITELY← the person directing people IF you may go thru the THAI line.  I have never been refused, I usually arrive after 02.30

The worst that can happen , " no can do", smile and say Thank You and walk away

 

Added note:  I also make sure the person sees at least 2 pages of retirement stamps, so show the pages as you ask POLITELY.

Edited May 7, 2018 by edwardflory
more info

[Laza 45]

I returned from Australia recently.  A friend of mine told me that you can use that line if you are over 70.  I did and it worked!  :-)   Only me and a Thai couple went through at the time.. 2 IOs on duty.. no waiting.. big line ups at the regular ques...