Must Read Welcome to Thailand - and welcome to immigration queues!

[EricTh]

7 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Yes. At this rate they'll be challenging Kuala Lumpur (KUL) for the longest inbound immigration line gold medal.

Is KUL line the longest in Asia? I haven't been there.

[GroupA]

If you are unhappy you should stay in europe. 

[Creasy]

11 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Is KUL line the longest in Asia? I haven't been there.

I was there just after New Year, and we were literally through immigration in under 5 minutes

[Mel52]

You know it did just occur to me that there is a difference between the iris scanner and retina scanner. I blocked that other guy because he was being a jerk but he was partially correct about the iris scanners at airports around the world. They are iris scanners like I said I’m not a techy or an eye doctor but I’ve been aware of this biometrics screening technology all over the world for several years now. Sorry if I don’t know the difference between the iris scan and the retina scan jeez.

 

I do recall when I was working in the Washington DC area I had to visit the Pentagon a few times and another agency’s headquarters quite a few times and in those buildings there were some offices that actually did have the full fledged retina scanners where you would have to get scanned in order to get access to that particular office only if you were authorized access to that particular office of course because of the sensitivity of their work. They have SCIFs within the SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) SCIF. Not all SCIFs require a retina scan to get in but some of the really sensitive SCIFs in the Pentagon do as well as other government agencies.

 

But my point is that I do remember the difference now I’ve been retired for a while and I was using the term “iris scanning” in my posts above from yesterday I just simply got iris scan and retina scan confused I guess. Honestly who cares it’s a little lens at airports and other ports of entry around the world that scans your eye ball. But apparently some people like that other guy I blocked over think it I guess. It’s biometrics screening it’s nothing new and of course it’s gonna get upgraded periodically as the technology advances.

 

 

 

 

 

[Salerno]

Whatever, sorry if calling out bullshit and being actually interested in accurate and legitimate information makes me a jerk ????

[jphripjah]

On 6/28/2019 at 9:10 AM, darksidedog said:

Hmmm. I suspect the fast lane ticket scam is going to make an inevitable return, just days after supposedly being shut down. The timing of sudden massive queues seems highly coincidental.

What scam is this or was this?  I've used the fast track line, both with and without a fast track ticket. I've also used the Thai citizens line, the diplomats line, the disabled line, etc.

[fakser]

On 6/28/2019 at 8:55 AM, Eligius said:

This scanning of our fingerprints is so disgusting. For most of my life - decades and decades - it has always been only CRIMINALS who have their fingerprints taken.

Now the sheep all think it is perfectly acceptable for us all to be herded and monitored and branded. 

I will never agree with this insane Orwellian system of fake 'security' obsession and psychotic control-freakery - when the real monsters (yes, monsters) are the criminals in high places (the less than 1%) who are running the whole filthy show.

 

It is to prevent CRIMINALS harming you and if they do,  to ease apprehending them

 

[sjaak327]

5 minutes ago, fakser said:

It is to prevent CRIMINALS harming you and if they do,  to ease apprehending them

 

So what you are saying is, all people entering the country should be treated as criminals, and have 10 fingerprints scanned, causing massive queues. When do people like you stop whitewashing this utter <deleted> ? It will do NOTHING to criminals, absolutely nothing. I have news for you, the vast majority of criminals in Thailand don't enter the country via airports period. 

 

No-one has up until now provided proof that fingerprinting everyone that enters the country legally will make any difference to the level of crimes, or even the possibility to apprehend the criminals. And in fact, fingerprinting people upon arrival at the Airport will do nothing to improve this situation, it is hardly rocket science. Stop whitewashing this utter nonsense. 

[Okis]

29 minutes ago, jphripjah said:

What scam is this or was this?  I've used the fast track line, both with and without a fast track ticket. I've also used the Thai citizens line, the diplomats line, the disabled line, etc.

Corrupt higher ups at airports sell them off to agents e.tc who then sell them on to travellers like us. It's not you who are getting scammed, it is not suppose to be possible for anybody to just buy a "ticket" for the fast track lanes. 

 

It came up in a media some months ago before the old immigration boss got fired.  They said that it has stopped but ofcourse it hasn't. 

Immigration blamed the airport itself and the airport blamed the immigration. 

[dallen52]

22 hours ago, Mel52 said:

 

Yes exactly it’s truly amazing what they can do today imagine what they’ll be able to do in the next 10 to 20 years

 

I would be quite happy with a microchip in my wrist. 

Showing everything. 

My dog has one showing its de sexed.

Same me....

The chip would save me saying,  "trust me, you won't get pregnant ".

 

[Mel52]

I would be quite happy with a microchip in my wrist. 
Showing everything. 
My dog has one showing its de sexed.
Same me....
The chip would save me saying,  "trust me, you won't get pregnant ".
 

Yeah well you’re probably more likely to get kidnapped by aliens and anally probed

[Roy Baht]

On 6/28/2019 at 12:53 PM, NanLaew said:

There is no great flood of disenchanted foreigners queuing up to leave Thailand.

 

However, there's a colossal amount of TV members queuing up on this forum claiming that they are.

Dude, I know expats who are leaving. For real. And moving to Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, back to their home countries.  I also know people who were planning to retire here but have had to change their plans. You're acting like it's a choice. For most of these people, it's not. They just can't satisfy the visa requirements (800K baht deposit, health insurance) so they are gone.

[White Christmas13]

10 hours ago, skorp13 said:

Amusing Thailand. As they continue to try and emerge from a 3rd world country they keep slipping backwards. Immigration queue's at Swampy all these years later are worse now than they were at DMK 20 years ago

Agree I waited 2 hours coming in on the 15th this month

[White Christmas13]

8 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

I've been to KL three times this month never had to wait more than 5 mins.

 

I've just landed on TG484 from Perth at BKK and the queues are out the door. 

 

Looks like a 30 minute wait at least.

 

A disgrace really.

yes I came in on TG484 as well I had to wait nearly 2 hours

[Roy Baht]

On 6/28/2019 at 3:09 PM, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

It's a safeguard, in case you loose a finger while in Thailand. 

They also don't won't you leaving with more fingers than you came in with. (Some people have sticky fingers.)

[Mel52]

Agree I waited 2 hours coming in on the 15th this month

I’ve waited 3 plus hours multiple times at Dulles international airport in DC several years ago it’s not just Thailand it’s most major world cities

[moe666]

I had a top secret clearance so they have my prints , people are getting in a huff about nothing, it is all part of the deal boys. How many of you complainers have a credit card or a cell phone they have you in the cross hairs

[White Christmas13]

3 hours ago, Creasy said:

Every moron who has not completed their form when they reach the front of the line should be escorted right to the back.

 

I'm looking at you Chinese

Well another racist, I came on TG 484 a couple of weeks back as mentioned before

the only people who did not fill in their form where Thais, most foreigners

including Chinese had no problems

 

[moe666]

30 minutes ago, Roy Baht said:

Dude, I know expats who are leaving. For real. And moving to Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, back to their home countries.  I also know people who were planning to retire here but have had to change their plans. You're acting like it's a choice. For most of these people, it's not. They just can't satisfy the visa requirements (800K baht deposit, health insurance) so they are gone.

So these people you know planned on staying here by telling a lie that they had the income. Good good ridance

[White Christmas13]

5 minutes ago, Mel52 said:

I’ve waited 3 plus hours multiple times at Dulles international airport in DC several years ago it’s not just Thailand it’s most major world cities

Yes maybe but this only happen to me the first time since

the finger print scan

[Mel52]

I had a top secret clearance so they have my prints , people are getting in a huff about nothing, it is all part of the deal boys. How many of you complainers have a credit card or a cell phone they have you in the cross hairs

That has nothing to do with it and if you really did have a TS/SCI security clearance you would probably know it’s dependent on whether or not you have ever traveled to whatever country depending on what your job was. For example if you’ve never been to uhhm I don’t know France then you will not be in their biometrics database. You never had a Security Clearance or ever worked for the government at least not the US government anyway otherwise you’d know better

[Mel52]

My knowledge of the biometrics system has nothing to do with my security clearance that I used to have I only know of it’s existence because of my old job otherwise I probably would not even care about this topic and all the nonsense people post about it. I used to have a TS/SCI level 6 Security clearance but I believe it expired back in 2017.

 

[Mel52]

If I discussed the details of why I have some training regarding biometrics screening I’d be violating the United States espionage act. But I’ll tell you that it has something to do with passports and other identities if you haven’t gotten the hint

 

 

 

 

[Mel52]

Yes maybe but this only happen to me the first time since

the finger print scan

 

Hey man I’m sorry to say but get used to it this is just the post 9-11 world we live in it sucks sometimes compared to the old days but it’s just the way things are today. Although they should have taken airport security more seriously 30 plus years ago because it was during the late 70’s and 80’s was when hijackings first became a big problem unfortunately now the aholes got the idea of flying planes into buildings so unfortunately now the world has changed whether we like it or not it really is a shame

[White Christmas13]

7 minutes ago, Mel52 said:

 

Hey man I’m sorry to say but get used to it this is just the post 9-11 world we live in it sucks sometimes compared to the old days but it’s just the way things are today. Although they should have taken airport security more seriously 30 plus years ago because it was during the late 70’s and 80’s was when hijackings first became a big problem unfortunately now the aholes got the idea of flying planes into buildings so unfortunately now the world has changed whether we like it or not it really is a shame

Hey look I am not complaining about the scan I have nothing to hide

it just delayed my departure and i missed  my flight to another dissociation 

[HHTel]

2 hours ago, sjaak327 said:

fingerprinting people upon arrival at the Airport will do nothing to improve this situation,

If your argument is valid then it applies to many airports around the world both east and west.  This is not a 'Thai thing'.  They're just catching up with what has been happening for years.

[Roy Baht]

On 6/28/2019 at 10:49 PM, kritsana77 said:

That would require to much reasoning and forethought

And less graft and corruption

[Mel52]

Hey look I am not complaining about the scan I have nothing to hide
it just delayed my departure and i missed  my flight to another dissociation 

I know and it blows. I complain about it sometimes it’s cool. I understand today getting prepared for an international flight sucks compared to the old days I wouldn’t blame you for complaining about it

[Mel52]

I really hate taking off my shoes at the airport so I complain about stuff at the airport to.

 

 

 

 

[White Christmas13]

4 minutes ago, Mel52 said:

I really hate taking off my shoes at the airport so I complain about stuff at the airport to.

 

 

 

 

why? you have smelly feet?