Slow queues at Bangkok airport playing into the hands of "priority lane" scam worth millions

 

 

Thai media Manager in an exclusive story suggested that the Airports Authority of Thailand and even Immigration may be happy that airport queues for passport checks are long.

 

This is so that corrupt officials can benefit by selling priority lane passes to people who don't want to wait especially on their outward trips, they claimed.

 

The corrupt practice is worth hundreds of millions of baht a year, said Manager.

 

As a matter of course they said that first and business class passengers, aircrew, diplomats and certain employees of Board of Investment companies would use the priority lane. The cost was part of their tickets and could be as little as an extra 20 baht..

 

But unscrupulous gangs are selling the passes for anywhere between 200 and 1000 baht a time to people in a hurry.

 

Manager demanded to know what role the Airports Authority or Immigration may have in the sale of passes?

 

And they asked how is the money being paid?

 

And they asked is it fair to other passengers? 

 

They demanded to know how the money was being paid and to whom?

 

They even suggested that the famous long queues at the airport were to the advantage of the unscrupulous in raising the demand for priority lane passes. 

 

Though they called their story exclusive it was short on official response from the AOT or Immigration. 

 

But they said that the scam was worth hundreds of millions of baht to those behind it. 

 

Source: https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9610000065802

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-7-3

The scammers for the Priority Lane are plentiful. Suvarnabhumi is a scammers paradise. Starting with King Power and Immigration.

I have a friend who was charged 1000 baht just to walk from the exit ramp to Priority Inward Immigration. There the escort scumbag slipped the Immigration Officer some money with a big smile and the process was completed smoothly.

Thailand all over.

In a perfect world (or at least a well-run airport), there wouldn’t be a market for priority lane passes.  But I wish I could buy them at many southeast Asian airports - especially Vietnam.

It seems that AOT leadership has learned some lessons from Chiang Mai Immigration leadership.

Note that I am not faulting the underlings.  Leadership sets the standard.

I don’t get it. Someone approaches you? I pay for it online. 

and the beat (down) goes on and on...

I would pay 2500 baht to bypass the lines. Luckily my wife and kids have Thai passports. Took me 5 minutes to get through. 

 

 

Just fly business class. You know it makes sense!

2 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Just fly business class. You know it makes sense!

Only in Thailand do economy class passangers complain that they are not treated like business class. Only in Thailand.

Who would be surprised at this?  In the land of scams, just about everyone is being scammed including the Thais, only the streetwise and the alertly cynical escape being scam victims. King Power is still the biggest scam at Suvarnabhumi. Mind you, you have to be pretty stupid to buy so called 'duty free' at a price which is often twice what you would pay for the same item in a Bangkok mall.

And the result of this scam are growing queues.... at the priority lane.

Pictures from 23 June 2018, departure.

(normal halls crowded too of course)

Create the problem. Then sell the solution.

 

Oldest trick in the World.

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

The scammers for the Priority Lane are plentiful. Suvarnabhumi is a scammers paradise. Starting with King Power and Immigration.

I have a friend who was charged 1000 baht just to walk from the exit ramp to Priority Inward Immigration. There the escort scumbag slipped the Immigration Officer some money with a big smile and the process was completed smoothly.

Thailand all over.

So your friend exited the plane and paid someone to take him through fast track, and then was surprised to find the immigration was paid and he proceeded smoothly through Fast Track? How awful for him!

 

Seriously, did he book it beforehand?  If not was he forced to do it or did he decide to take up the on-the-spot offer to save himself some time (which it evidently did).  An official booking is 1,200 so sounds like he got a deal.  I don't get your complaint.

 

And what are the King Power scams you mention?  (Please don't say people crossing the boundary with goods and getting arrested)

Over the past year or so, the so-called Fast Track queue, particularly outbound, has become so rammed that I think it is not worth the price of admission. That is, unless you are getting it for free with a business class ticket, BOI, or APEC card where you might save a bit of time. Without exception, it is the slowest I have encountered at any airport in Asia.

24 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

And the result of this scam are growing queues.... at the priority lane.

Pictures from 23 June 2018, departure.

(normal halls crowded too of course)

The problem with priority departures is a lot of frequent flyers get to use it regardless of their class of travel, unlike arrivals, and the crap facilities you pictured are never going to improve, there is just no space.

 

One thing always has me perplexed about AOT, is how they are actually planning for immigration to process the additional numbers that come through the new midfield terminal, who all come through the same hall. Apparently they'll extend the North West wing but it doesn't make sense.

 

Suvarnhabhumi is going to be a hacked up run down shambles within 5 years. 

I remember the good ol' days at Phuket Airport before the new terminal was built (well 3 years ago anyway), when the going rate was 100 baht slipped in your passport to show the guy manning the queue. 

Sometimes if it was quiet I'd get away with 50 baht (but still beat the regular lines)

I was in EU for 2 weeks, and got back to LOS (Swampy), last monday, 2nd, it took a total of 15 minutes, from exiting the plane, to loading my luggage in the car, outside...

Fastest EVER. 

Probably takes them years to find out who profits from the scam Very very complicated ?.

I usually fly business class and often face long queues at both arrival and departure Customs counters.

17 hours ago, Jeremy50 said:

 Mind you, you have to be pretty stupid to buy so called 'duty free' at a price which is often twice what you would pay for the same item in a Bangkok mall.

To be fair, that particular situation is world-wide. Compare the prices at LHR or LGW "Duty Free" with what you pay on a UK high street! What people fail to understand, is that shopping Duty Free only saves the duty on the recommended retail price on most articles. 

 

Anyone who pays the recommended price is just not shopping around! That doesn't always apply - tobacco IS cheaper at Gatwick than a UK supermarket for example but for the most part, if one is organised, one shops before even going near an airport.

2 hours ago, Micbozy said:

I usually fly business class and often face long queues at both arrival and departure Customs counters.

??

You must have something about you that alerts them if you are being delayed at Custom counters.

Customs inspect you, your luggage or vehicle.

Why are they doing that?

I have been flying out of Suvarnabhumi weekly for the past 6 years, always using the priority lanes (the first/biz entry for Thai Airways by door 1, or the pictured entries, and inbound through the Priority area with a BOI stamp and copy of the "letter"). I've accumulated innumerable hours of airport observation. 

 

And this so-called reporting reads like total bs to me. I'm sure there is a small amount of reselling of passes, but I highly doubt it's as extensive as this story makes out. I have never seen money passing hands, and I have seen many instances of immigration officials kicking unqualified passengers (the real scammers) out of the lines. 

 

I could be wrong... But this wannabe journalist needs to offer something far more like real evidence to convince me that there hundreds of millions of baht worth of transactions going on, through immigration and transport officials. The total lack of proof makes this read like tabloid hearsay and slander. 

3 hours ago, Micbozy said:

I usually fly business class and often face long queues at both arrival and departure Customs counters.

????... Customs counters on departure at Suvarnabhumi Airport?

 

How often would you say you travel - I'm in and out monthly and have never seen the customs counter upon departure.

OR, do you mean the VAT refund for which there is a small area at the city end of the the airport. 

 

Upon arrival, I hardly ever have to break stride through the customs counters and only get slowed slightly as its a minor choke point for those exiting. 

 

 

Thus: No delays or queues experienced upon departure or arrival as a result of Customs. OR, have you simply become confused between 'immigration' and 'customs' ? which would be a little strange for a frequent traveler. 

I’ve got over 30 of those Premium Lane cards.... I get them on every trip I come to Thailand. A lot times, more often than not, they never ask me for them so I just keep them....


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..on a smaller scale...a few months ago...

 

...people trying to take an express bus from Mo Chit Sky Train for 17 baht....have reported waits in excess of one hour...

 

...while 'Airport Buses' flow through....charging passengers 30 baht for the same trip....

 

....ironic to see those buses crammed with Thai commuters....with not a tourist in sight...

 

...oh well...what you gonna do...???

 

...where to begin...

 

...never known of...airport [email protected] fired...

3 minutes ago, SOTIRIOS said:

..on a smaller scale...a few months ago...

 

...people trying to take an express bus from Mo Chit Sky Train for 17 baht....have reported waits in excess of one hour...

 

...while 'Airport Buses' flow through....charging passengers 30 baht for the same trip....

 

....ironic to see those buses crammed with Thai commuters....with not a tourist in sight...

 

...oh well...what you gonna do...???

 

...where to begin...

 

...never known of...airport [email protected] fired...

???

Getting fired for what?

What is the point of your post makes absolutely no sense....

Last time I left the queue for the priorty lane was massive - a whole Thai airways flight had been given passes. I almost went and checked out the normal queue - could have been shorter.

And if you have bought priority lane from your air-line, they try to deny its validity.

It really smells.

Chinese tourist groups have another process altogether.

fly on a holiday or busy weekend and it will suck...like that everywhere.  I have read all the horror stories about DMK...took me two hours from the gate to Huai Kwang the other day...the gate in Udon  Thani.

54 minutes ago, Lampang2 said:

And if you have bought priority lane from your air-line, they try to deny its validity.

It really smells.

Chinese tourist groups have another process altogether.

Which airline sells Fast Track cards? I have never seen that.