Police preparing speedy immigration process

[webfact]

Police preparing speedy immigration process

By The Nation

 

 

Immigration police are stepping up efforts to prepare their personnel and procedures for the expected influx of tourists in and out of the country during long holiday periods, including the New Year’s festival, deputy police spokesman Pol Colonel Choengron Rimpadee said.

 

The plan, called Nanfah (territorial sky) 13/61, is being initiated as a proactive strategy to facilitate immigration procedures including checking passports for Thai and foreign people during the crowded period at international airports in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai.

 

He said acting Immigration police commissioner Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal had ordered the measures to accommodate foreign tourists coming to Thailand as part of efforts to boost tourism in the country during the upcoming holidays.

 

The plan is expected to solve the problems of overcrowding caused by arrivals of flights at the same time.

 

Personnel from immigration section at the points of entry will be deployed to help the immigration works if needed in order to speed up the procedures, Choengron said.

 

However, he said the speeding up of procedures will not open up opportunities for ill-intentioned groups.

 

It is expected that the plan will be able to help speed up the immigration process, he added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30356878

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-22

[Thaiwrath]

Unfortunately, the Thai definition of "speedy" is not quite the same as some other peoples'.

Let's hope it can be a success though.

[Fex Bluse]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He said acting Immigration police commissioner Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal had ordered the measures to accommodate foreign tourists coming to Thailand as part of efforts to boost tourism in the country during the upcoming holidays.

Thai officials always prefer temporary plans to comprehensive, long term ones. I suppose long-term plans are less sanuk less fun

[Joe Mcseismic]

How about starting with keeping all the available immigration booths manned at all times.

That would be a game-changer.

[stanleycoin]

8 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

How about starting with keeping all the available immigration booths manned at all times.

That would be a game-changer.

I would say, make sure they are all staffed with female immigration officers.

they tend to be more efficient.

I always look for a booth staffed by female officers.

Good job ladies 

 

Edited October 21, 2018 by stanleycoin

[Thailand]

More staff, would that help, and not just over the holiday periods!

[bluesofa]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Immigration police are stepping up efforts to prepare their personnel and procedures for the expected influx of tourists in and out of the country during long holiday periods,

Will they have enough paint to extend the queue lines back to the arrival gates?

 

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Police preparing speedy immigration process

That the 1 hour one, or the nudge nudge wink wink 5 minute one ?

[tso310]

Came through Swampy last week late afternoon. Through immigration in under 10 minutes. Luckily a large herd of Chinese tourists were being gathered so got in before them. 

[ReMarKable]

It is just a press release from immigration. 

[1337markus]

speedy immigration process

 

For us farang who have multi entry and year extension; just look at that page no need to examine every page in the passport as they always do. I told one IMO the last IMO guy 3 weeks ago at airport Immigration did that, found nothing so why must you spend 5 minutes repeating this useless exercise. Or maybe its the only training they get???????

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

What about changing the whole system, to a system similar to Singapores? Even with more staff the system they use is still too time consuming. 

[Kerryd]

I often wondered when I would get to an Immigration queue and see 3 plane loads of people lined up and half the Immigration desks unmanned, and then see 2 more planeloads of people arrive just behind me.

 

I know they schedule planes from different parts of the world to arrive in different "blocks". For instance, every time I have flown from North America, no matter which airline I flew on (China Air, Japan Air, Cathay) I would always arrive in Bangkok between 11pm and 2 am. When I flew from the Middle East (Thai or Emirates or Gulf Air), I would always arrive between 7-9 am.
(I suspect they do that so they can have different groups of Immigration officers that speak different languages on hand, depending on what "region" is scheduled to arrive.)

 

But they know, well in advance, how many flights are scheduled to arrive and how many passengers to expect (roughly). They also know how long it takes to process the average passenger, so they can calculate how many IOs are needed for each shift. 

Then it's just a matter of  - do they cut back on the number of IOs and increase the wait times (maybe to save money on salaries by having fewer IOs on shift) or do they increase the number and reduce the wait times, but then have a bunch of IOs sitting around doing nothing for hours on end ?

If they tinkered with the formula and adjusted the arrival times of the flights, they could probably increase the efficiency of the process greatly without a significant increase in costs. Not going to always work out due to weather issues and other delays that could still result in too many planes arriving too close together, but overall it could be an improvement.

 

Also keep in mind, when Swampy first opened it was expected that they wouldn't hit their max capacity (of arrivals/departures) for something like 10 years. However, they surpassed those numbers within a couple years and had to start Phase 1 of the expansion years ahead of schedule, and then start Phase 2 soon after that (and now are talking about yet another expansion).

I looked up the arrival numbers a couple months ago and except for 2 small downturns (after the tsunami and after the last coup) the numbers of arrivals (nationwide) have been skyrocketing every year.
I think Swampy was expecting to hit an annual peak of 10 million arrivals/departures (passengers, not planes) within 10 years but passed that within 3. 
The facilities are being "swamped" and there is no easy, cheap or fast fix to it. 

 

More IOs manning the desks would be a good start though.

[Lysdexic]

2 hours ago, grumbleweed said:

When the the roof leaks, make the hole bigger

Adding extra staff will likely result in more buffoons to make the process even longer.

What about replacing the current staff with chimpanzees?

 

Thai Immigration staff are far more efficient, polite and accommodating that their American counterparts.
Perhaps if you didn't fling feces you might not encounter so many chimpanzees.
Just a thought.

[RayD]

1 hour ago, 1337markus said:

speedy immigration process

 

For us farang who have multi entry and year extension; just look at that page no need to examine every page in the passport as they always do. I told one IMO the last IMO guy 3 weeks ago at airport Immigration did that, found nothing so why must you spend 5 minutes repeating this useless exercise. Or maybe its the only training they get???????

This, oh so much this. My passport is full of stickers and stamps. Every time I go through the IO  settles down with a cup of coffee and a snack to read them all. For the love of God, why!

 

How it should work:

1. Check face matches passport photo

2. swipe passport, computer says no or stamp x days

3. stamp passport and enjoy your stay in Thailand

NEXT!

 

Perhaps next low season they can have a jolly to Australia to see how an efficient immigration system works.

 

[Fex Bluse]

5 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

I would say, make sure they are all staffed with female immigration officers.

they tend to be more efficient.

I always look for a booth staffed by female officers.

Good job ladies 

 

I'd apply this female only policy to ALL foreigner-facing business in Thailand. No need at all for the blokes really and the women tend to be better educated anyway. 

[cnx355]

Why not institute an electronic arrival card ( TM6 ) et eliminate at the same time the departure car as it will be in the computer.

 

Singapore is already implementing this.

 

 

Efficient and very quick.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/around-the-globe/1551346/singapore-e-arrival-cards-for-tourists-starts-thursday

 

V

[rwill]

show them what a smile looks like...it is after all supposedly 'the land of smiles'

 

[madmitch]

Someone mentioned the e-arrival card but more and more countries are moving to e-visas. All the info is submitted online in advance so when you arrive in the country the immigration process is simple. Dodgy characters can be eliminated at source. Yes, it's no doubt expensive to implement, but a fee is obviously charged to offset the costs. I don't think a 1000 baht fee, for example, would put off tourists, especially if it were dual entry, and the 30 day stamp would effectively be redundant.

 

Australia has such a system and Immigration there was all automated; I didn't see an Immigration Officer. I have just got a Sri Lankan e-visa and it'll be interesting to see how simple that is when I go in a couple of weeks.

 

One problem I see is that Thailand is the world hub of rubber stamps. A passport which isn't full of stickers and stamps is surely not the Thai way, though it could mean mine would actually make it to its expiry date for the first time since I've been here!

 

 

[Ron19]

Troll, Off Topic posts and replies have been removed.

[guest879]

6 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

How about starting with keeping all the available immigration booths manned at all times.

That would be a game-changer.

really just opening more booths for foreigners and less for thais would have the same effect with out increasing staff numbers. I have passed through and there is an over one hour wait for foreigners and almost no thais going through the 6 booths open for thais.

[saltire1]

1 hour ago, Lysdexic said:

Thai Immigration staff are far more efficient, polite and accommodating that their American counterparts.
Perhaps if you didn't fling feces you might not encounter so many chimpanzees.
Just a thought.

Absolutely correct.  Solutions to delays are many and varied but one way to lessen the negative effects of delays is to have friendly staff.

I remember many years ago arriving in the middle of the night in Don Mueang after a long flight.  I was greeted by a female IO who, on looking at my passport pic and then at me pointed at my passport pic and said "young man" and then at me with "old man" followed by a huge smile.  Must admit that cheered me up.  Having gone through immigration in about 50 countries I rate Thai and Chinese immigration highly.  UK, US, South Africa not so much.

Edited October 22, 2018 by saltire1
improve understanding

[robsamui]

24 minutes ago, madmitch said:

One problem I see is that Thailand is the world hub of rubber stamps. A passport which isn't full of stickers and stamps is surely not the Thai way, though it could mean mine would actually make it to its expiry date for the first time since I've been here!

 

 

You got that right!

There's NO way a Thai official is gonna miss a chance to glare, strut about,  intimidate, inflict pain and suffering, and assert his superiority by making everything as complicated as possible.

 

And it's not just pitched at farangs - the Thai people seem to detest govt officials of any kind . . . but they just shrug and bear it as they have nothing else to compare it to.

Edited October 22, 2018 by robsamui

[Mavideol]

57 minutes ago, rwill said:

show them what a smile looks like...it is after all supposedly 'the land of smiles'

 

you forgot a very important word before smiles """FAKE"""""

[Mavideol]

"""One problem I see is that Thailand is the world hub of rubber stamps. A passport which isn't full of stickers and stamps is surely not the Thai way,....."""

guess you haven't use China immigration

[Bournville]

3 hours ago, 1337markus said:

speedy immigration process

 

For us farang who have multi entry and year extension; just look at that page no need to examine every page in the passport as they always do. I told one IMO the last IMO guy 3 weeks ago at airport Immigration did that, found nothing so why must you spend 5 minutes repeating this useless exercise. Or maybe its the only training they get???????

Exactly! I open my passport to my OA visa.. Yet the bkk IO flip through every page.. Twice! It's insane! What's he hoping to find? 

[transam]

4 hours ago, tso310 said:

Came through Swampy last week late afternoon. Through immigration in under 10 minutes. Luckily a large herd of Chinese tourists were being gathered so got in before them. 

How did you manage that without an Elastoplast or two..?  ????

[Mickmouse1]

Why until now he is Acting and not confirmed?

What do they mean by ill intentioned groups?

Edited October 22, 2018 by Mickmouse1

[Bartmam]

I have flown in and out of the Country 4 times in the last 3 months. Always to and from China. The Check in, security and immigration queues have been almost non existent. sometimes as low as 15 mins for all 3. coming back almost the same almost no queues at all. Last night there as no queue at all, Straight to an IO.

 

It almost like nobody is coming to swampy at the moment. DMG was crazy though.

[DJ54]

Awesome... uhh maybe. I remember my last flight in a bunch of tourist and a short 4 hour wait........isn’t there a special line they’ve 

just created for some folks....