Asian Invasion Overwhelms Airport Immigration

[george]

Asian invasion overwhelms airport immigration

PHUKET: -- The Phuket holidays of about 2,200 East Asian tourists got off to a slow start early this morning, when they were forced to wait hours to clear Immigration at Phuket International Airport (PIA).

Twelve flights landed in little over an hour, overwhelming the Immigration officers on duty. It took officials until past 4 am, some three-and-a half hours after the first flight landed, to process the crowd of holidaymakers.

The first of the flights landed at 12:30 am, followed by 11 more charter and scheduled flights from China and South Korea, landing at about five-minute intervals.

Weera Thippayathad, a PIA official, said that the delays at Immigration were exacerbated by most of the visitors not being able to speak or read English, hence unable to complete immigration arrival cards.

The usual per-person processing time took much longer than the usual 30 to 40 seconds as officers had to complete the forms for them, K. Weera explained.

The eight Immigration officers on duty were assisted by 10 PIA staff called in to help with the mammoth task.

“The problem lies with the landing slots allocated by the Department of Civil Aviation, which is responsible for flight scheduling. I don’t understand why they arranged for so many flights to land in such a short period of time,” K. Weera complained.

At 2 pm, Phuket Governor Niran Kanlayanimit chaired an urgent meeting to discuss ways to prevent a recurrence and instructed PIA and the airport Immigration office to inform the Department of Civil Aviation of the problem.

At the meeting, Phuket Airport Immigration Office Superintendent Pol Col Surasak Atthapanyawanich urged the Tourism Authority of Thailand to make sure that tour operators assisted their customers with filling out immigration forms.

-- Phuket Gazette 2006-02-22

[cdnvic]

It's not like flights arrive without warning. Someone dropped the ball in schedualing.

[borracho]

It's not like flights arrive without warning. Someone dropped the ball in schedualing.

Cant really schedule for a charter. The charter operators should be spanked.

They don't contribute much to the island herding Koreans and Chinese around in big tour busses.

Should put a 500 baht per head surcharge on them.

[visarunner]

If they are tours than the operator should have personal/staff to assist before the herds hit Immigration.

I thought the Thai's look for quality Tourist .

[jasreeve17]

Bangkok - I'm often down by the Grand Palace, and on the riverboats. I've noticed a huge increase in Korean and Chinese tourists this year. They are everywhere, and a big hindrance when I'm trying to get on the riverbuses. They do like to stand in big groups blocking passages / walkways.

They must be bringing lots of cash into the economy though, as they are overcharged for everything.

(I get the riverbus for 13 baht, they are all herded into the private river taxis, and pay at least a hundred baht each for the same journey - in less comfort.)

[Couthy]

It's not like flights arrive without warning. Someone dropped the ball in schedualing.

Cant really schedule for a charter. The charter operators should be spanked.

They don't contribute much to the island herding Koreans and Chinese around in big tour busses.

Should put a 500 baht per head surcharge on them.

Errmmmmm........aircraft over 5,700kg ; flight plans in advance, airport know long in advance when the ###### thing is touching down

Charter?. Surely not a spur of the moment thing to fill an Airbus or 767?.

Communications error somewhere in the line between whoever is running the show and immigration.

Or maybe they ain't paying O/T to the Imm guys and Gals no more?.

[sbk]

I don't see how Immigration can be expected to know that hundreds of people will be unable to fill out their Immigration cards correctly.

Weera Thippayathad, a PIA official, said that the delays at Immigration were exacerbated by most of the visitors not being able to speak or read English, hence unable to complete immigration arrival cards.

The usual per-person processing time took much longer than the usual 30 to 40 seconds as officers had to complete the forms for them, K. Weera explained.

[kc_phil]

The usual per-person processing time took much longer than the usual 30 to 40 seconds as officers had to complete the forms for them, K. Weera explained.

30-40 Seconds? My last three trips (on a bi weekly basis between mid Jan & Early Feb) )in to phuket airport have involved huge lines and there haven't been any chinese or korean tourists in sight. More like 3-4 minutes per person.

I am glad this is getting some attention because this high-season, getting through immigration has been dreadful...

Is there an old airport in Phuket they can repoen to help shoulder the load?

[Mid]

I don't see how Immigration can be expected to know that hundreds of people will be unable to fill out their Immigration cards correctly.

Weera Thippayathad, a PIA official, said that the delays at Immigration were exacerbated by most of the visitors not being able to speak or read English, hence unable to complete immigration arrival cards.

The usual per-person processing time took much longer than the usual 30 to 40 seconds as officers had to complete the forms for them, K. Weera explained.

yes agreed ,

after all it was the first time was it not ??

spelling

[malee401]

These big tour operators like Turismo asia are the cheapest of the cheapskates.

If anyone is guilty of trashing and raping the island it is these POS.

Their busses congest traffic and send billows of smoke clouds in your face.

The tourists they bring are noisy, dirty, and rude mutts wherever they go. Worse that any american. australian, or european.

[NBT TV Phuket]

To see an Interview with Panu Maswongsa, Vice President of the Phuket Tourist Association or PTA on airport & flights congestion, go to http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=205763