Big Joke orders airport upgrade: Premium Lane will henceforth be known as "Fast Track"

[rooster59]

Big Joke orders airport upgrade: Premium Lane will henceforth be known as "Fast Track"

 

Image: Thai immigration website on Facebook

 

The Thai immigration website on Facebook has announced new measures and procedures for VIPs and businessmen who qualify for speedier processing at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok. 

 

Chief Lt Gen Surachate "Big Joke" Hakparn has ordered that the priority lane previously known as "Premium Lane" be rebranded as "Fast Track". 

 

The project has been called "Fast Track 2019". 

 

New "Fast Track" signage will go up for both inbound and exiting VIPs with the buzzwords "beautification" "modern" and "international standard" being bandied about on Facebook. 

 

The Lt Gen wants visitors to be impressed with the airport and procedures. 

 

Controls over the printing process of cards and the approval system was also mentioned as was rooting out fake cards.

 

Source: Thai immigration website on Facebook

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-01-12

[seajae]

ah, but will it be a fast lane or be swamped and become slow as it is now. Was surprised last trip when I went through immigration faster than a man that used the "premium" lane.

[PatOngo]

Is there no end to this amazing man's talents? Premium Lane to Fast Track....brilliant!

[NanLaew]

The current 'Premium Lane' already existed in a previous life as a clearly marked and signed 'Fast Track'. That was changed under the misguidance of a previous government-employed fiddler of things that were already working fine. I guess the companies that make the new signs will be happy with the new business though.

 

PS. If you look at the left-hand side of the picture in the OP, you can see the gold 'Priority Lane' which the current 'Premium Lane' and soon to be reborn 'Fast Track' have also been called in their previous, brief existences.

[Ossy]

10 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The project has been called "Fast Track 2019".

Jeez . . . what an original name. This Big Joke can certainly think on his feet, as photo ref. 2019.01.15367 makes clear.

[bluesofa]

He must have been up all night to think of reusing the old name that new idea.

[Geordie59]

But will they refuse to process people who don't qualify for Fast Track?

[baansgr]

4 minutes ago, Geordie59 said:

But will they refuse to process people who don't qualify for Fast Track?

Not if you book and pay the required amount

[richard_smith237]

24 minutes ago, seajae said:

ah, but will it be a fast lane or be swamped and become slow as it is now. Was surprised last trip when I went through immigration faster than a man that used the "premium" lane.

I passed through the 'Premium' lane approximately 10 times last year, and already 2 times in 2019... there is very rarely more than one person in the queue ahead of me... a glance to my right shows hoards of people on occasion queueing up from the concourse... 

 

I hope the 'additional' promotion of the 'Fast Track' lane does not increase congestion there.

[overherebc]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I passed through the 'Premium' lane approximately 10 times last year, and already 2 times in 2019... there is very rarely more than one person in the queue ahead of me... a glance to my right shows hoards of people on occasion queueing up from the concourse... 

 

I hope the 'additional' promotion of the 'Fast Track' lane does not increase congestion there.

Quite a few chinese obviously mis-translate the sign for the over 70's lane.

[KhunBENQ]

Fine, so the "PREMIUM LANE" that was labeled as "PRIORITY LANE" at departure will now be "FAST TRACK" (as it was often referred to in the past).

No confusion at all

Picture from June 2018, departure:

 

[holy cow cm]

3 hours ago, baansgr said:

Not if you book and pay the required amount

They cancelled that. I paid and did Vietairs best seat and was denied. Now that is a joke!

[holy cow cm]

Just now, holy cow cm said:

They cancelled that. I paid and did Vietairs best seat and was denied. Now that is a joke!

But again that was inbound. Outbound for vietjet’s best seat is a give me

[johnny49r]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Premium Lane will henceforth be known as "Fast Track"

Wow, another news worthy achievement. New visitors to the land of confusion will certainly be impressed by the new signage and be glad that the dept. of Jokes is watching over these meaningful travel details. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

14 minutes ago, johnny49r said:

 the dept. of Jokes

 

I think someone's coined a phrase here!!!!

 

[IAMHERE]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The Lt Gen wants visitors to be impressed with the airport and procedures. 

As I stand waiting my turn in the regular lane I do not have thoughts of niceness towards those who have a bigger wallet and zipping thru the 'Fast Lane'. How about speeding all the lanes up.

[phantomfiddler]

So how much for the "Fast Track" ? I am reluctant to exposing myself to the possibility of waiting in the Immigration line for 5 hours, I think I would lose the plot ????

[somtumwrong]

4 hours ago, Geordie59 said:

But will they refuse to process people who don't qualify for Fast Track?

Yes, I often see people, especially from India, being rejected and sent to the loooooooooooong queue for the mortals. I guess they get lost on their way from the VoA service right next door.

 

The Prem.. Fast Lane is nice, but they need some glue or something for the female IOs to make them smile.

 

'Can't wait' to get to see the changes when I arrive next Friday :D

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

As I stand waiting my turn in the regular lane I do not have thoughts of niceness towards those who have a bigger wallet and zipping thru the 'Fast Lane'. How about speeding all the lanes up.

Its called jealousy... 

 

But, I agree... On occasions I have seen Immigration horribly overrun...  I think its unfair to expect anyone to wait longer than 15mins in an immigration queue. That said, pretty much every country has shocking Immigration queues unless you are 'fast tracking'.... 

 

I heard that at a couple of airports In the UK they have an 'instant upgrade - fast track lane' where where if the queues a the departing Airport security are too large you can pay £5 to queue jump and 'fast track'... which to be honest is quite sickening.... instead of trying to improve the procedure the airports are attempting to profit from their inefficiency.

[somtumwrong]

8 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

As I stand waiting my turn in the regular lane I do not have thoughts of niceness towards those who have a bigger wallet and zipping thru the 'Fast Lane'. How about speeding all the lanes up.

I love Asia for the fact that people with money get better treatment, unlike in Europe where everyone is equal and has the equal right for an iPhone, sponsored by someone else's money ????

[PatOngo]

Found his theme song.

 

[bdenner]

Great news as I turn 70 this year and looking forward to rubbing shoulders with the 'elite' in this newly named enviroment!

 

Seriously:

Last Oct. I arrived in the evening to find the whole left side arrivals hall barracaded and closed. Walked the 100 meters to the right side to find it in turmoil!

 

Now that's a 'Big Joke'

[fruitman]

3 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

As I stand waiting my turn in the regular lane I do not have thoughts of niceness towards those who have a bigger wallet and zipping thru the 'Fast Lane'. How about speeding all the lanes up.

I've been in the line for many hours at Swampy, a chinese lady in front of us even let it all flow, she didn't want to go to the toilet and loose her spot...

[DrTuner]

The real problem is trying to figure out which lane you can use on any given day. Last time they put me in the Chinese line that had 0 people in it, sometimes Thai lane, on a couple of occasions I went the diplomatic route. Niihao maibpenrai hi-so oohyeah. 

[cracker1]

8 hours ago, Geordie59 said:

But will they refuse to process people who don't qualify for Fast Track?

Who qualify s for the Fast Track Lane and how do they know that they qualify ?

[Just Weird]

9 hours ago, Geordie59 said:

But will they refuse to process people who don't qualify for Fast Track?

Let's hope so.  Why would they process people who don't qualify, those who just try to play the system to their own selfish advantage?

[Just Weird]

9 hours ago, baansgr said:

Not if you book and pay the required amount

Obviously, in that case those people would qualify!

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

So how much for the "Fast Track" ? I am reluctant to exposing myself to the possibility of waiting in the Immigration line for 5 hours, I think I would lose the plot ????

Why would you think that you'd be queueing for 5 hours?

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, fruitman said:

I've been in the line for many hours at Swampy, a chinese lady in front of us even let it all flow, she didn't want to go to the toilet and loose her spot...

Many hours?  When?  That must have been reported if it were true, surely?

[mok199]

Is that the cardboard image or the real deal...