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

[overherebc]

1 minute ago, Salerno said:

At Swampy?

I was also under the impression your eye/s had to be very close to the scanner to get a result.

[Salerno]

2 minutes ago, overherebc said:

I was also under the impression your eye/s had to be very close to the scanner to get a result.

Can be done up to a few metres but pretty sure you have to have had them scanned initially.

[johng]

So no happy ending for him then.

[tjo o tjim]

8 hours ago, saigonsunset said:

Question is why do they need scans of four fingers right hand followed by four left hand followed by each the thumps where one thump scan should be plenty for indentification? Maybe they are afraid one might cut off that finger to commit heinous crimes undetected while in Thailand?

They are building their own database, so on initial entry they need everything. On exit it is just two or four fingers. (Forget which). This basically takes the place of whatever they currently have to track foreigners. 

[Tropposurfer]

Went through Suwby the other day with business class tickets n sailed right by all the bull.

pays to fly business ????

baggage is first out too.

so long suckers !

[emptypockets]

9 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

Went through Suwby the other day with business class tickets n sailed right by all the bull.

pays to fly business ????

baggage is first out too.

so long suckers !

I flew business class yesterday . Both hands scanned at fast track lane on the way in. Not sure what point you are trying to make. 

[norbra]

How many future tourists will be reconsidering their destination's in lieu of being compelled to provide fingerprints here. I know that the majority of Australians won't be willing to be compelled to do anything whilst on a holiday they will go elsewhere

[jkcjag]

10 hours ago, 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.

 

Fingerprints in Singapore and Malaysia too recently...

[emptypockets]

All the talk of biometric and facial recognition is a bit of a joke.  Why do you think Facebook was invented. They have literally hundred of millions of photos of people from many different angles... and many of them with names attached (tagged).

 

The recognition systems are so advanced that Australia has been discussing doing away with incoming immigration checks altogether and only using facial recognition.  I don't mean like they are doing now where you look at the camera and then the gate opens.  Cameras scanning hundreds of people simultaneously and recording the details.No gates., nothing. 

[Salerno]

2 minutes ago, norbra said:

I know that the majority of Australians won't be willing to be compelled to do anything whilst on a holiday they will go elsewhere

Thanks for the laugh ????

[Salerno]

5 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

The recognition systems are so advanced that Australia has been discussing doing away with incoming immigration checks altogether and only using facial recognition.

Similar to Dubai:

 

[Oxx]

24 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

The recognition systems are so advanced that Australia has been discussing doing away with incoming immigration checks altogether and only using facial recognition.

 

Don't the corks hanging from the brims of the hats cause problems?

[dallen52]

Went through 3 weeks ago. 

Left hand

Right hand

Two thumbs. 

It is cumbersome. 

Someone has obviously made a fortune supplying the scanners. 

 

Can see little reason why its done if the passport has biometric information in it already...

 

Okay maybe once.

And then just scan one hand or thumb. 

 

Nobody is going to have an hand transplanted...

[jimcarr65]

Just another reason to check off the list of misery. Thailand after living there for three years and visiting 4 times after that including this year just has zero appeal anymore. 

[overherebc]

12 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

Went through 3 weeks ago. 

Left hand

Right hand

Two thumbs. 

It is cumbersome. 

Someone has obviously made a fortune supplying the scanners. 

 

Can see little reason why its done if the passport has biometric information in it already...

 

Okay maybe once.

And then just scan one hand or thumb. 

 

Nobody is going to have an hand transplanted...

Haven't been through swampy for a few months so don't know where the scanners are. It sounds like a daft question I know but I take it they are on the IO's booth desk, similar to Malaysia.

So you get to the booth hand over PP and do the print scan and how long does it take for the scan to work, assuming it goes ok?

Last time I did similar was in UK it was passport page in the reader, right hand on the scanner look at the camera  and it took 4 or 5 seconds and there wasn't an IO in sight.

[wileycoyote]

My family were badly delayed Sat 1st June.

European + Chinese flights arrived at same time and queues multiplied as simply too long to process + non enough Immigration counters manned.

We were 90 minutes in queue and had to run to departures to make Bangkok Airways onward flight on separate ticket.

We had given 3 hours connection time and because of Immigration queues it was a close thing that we made the flight .

Bangkok Airways staff said this a happening all the time .

[EricTh]

I fail to understand why they need to scan 8 fingers and  2 thumbs?

 

Wouldn't the right thumb be sufficient to uniquely identify someone, if not, the left thumb combined should be more than enough.

 

That would at least cut down the queue time by half.

 

Edited June 28, 2019 by EricTh

[djayz]

10 hours ago, kotsak said:

Pick your choice, either stuck in traffic jams or at the immigration queue.

Or take the airport rail link and be packed in like sardines - admittedly, only during rush hour and the last few stations. Then, at the last station, Payathai, which is the real gem in the crown of jewels, people arriving have the pleasure of pushing their way,  with luggage, through the crowd of people trying to board the train to get to the 2 exits!!! What fun that must be!!!

The "architect" who designed that station should be prohibited from ever designing anything again! 

 

And then they scratch their heads and wonder why tourist arrivals from western nations are dropping!!! Only one of a long list of reasons. I can't help but think they've killed the goose that lays the golden egg.

 

Queues at the airport, traffic congestion, packed trains, poorly designed stations, low level of English spoken by a lot of people employed in the hospitality industry, some, but not all, incompetent and dishonest taxi drivers and tuk tuk drivers, double pricing at popular tourist sights, hunting down tourists who do yoga splits in front of historical/religious sites, dirty beaches, etc. etc. etc. 

And don't get me going on the exchange rate! 

[Mel52]

At Swampy?

 Swampy? Just about any port of entry in the world almost, airports land border crossings it’s international dealing with biometrics used to be part of my job sometimes I had a month long class on biometrics at immigration control checkpoints back in 2006. We even had an ICE Agent as a guest speaker in the class

 

 

[Call]

WOW, Thailand 4.0!

[Mel52]

Or take the airport rail link and be packed in like sardines - admittedly, only during rush hour and the last few stations. Then, at the last station, Payathai, which is the real gem in the crown of jewels, people arriving have the pleasure of pushing their way,  with luggage, through the crowd of people trying to board the train to get to the 2 exits!!! What fun that must be!!!
The "architect" who designed that station should be prohibited from ever designing anything again! 
 
And then they scratch their heads and wonder why tourist arrivals from western nations are dropping!!! Only one of a long list of reasons. I can't help but think they've killed the goose that lays the golden egg.
 
Queues at the airport, traffic congestion, packed trains, poorly designed stations, low level of English spoken by a lot of people employed in the hospitality industry, some, but not all, incompetent and dishonest taxi drivers and tuk tuk drivers, double pricing at popular tourist sights, hunting down tourists who do yoga splits in front of historical/religious sites, dirty beaches, etc. etc. etc. 
And don't get me going on the exchange rate! 

I’m guessing you’re from Australia

[stuandjulie]

10 hours ago, Razek said:

They just copy what european did .

No they don't.

[stuandjulie]

If the scanners are as good as the one on my Samsung I wouldn't worry, you could be Pablo Escabar and still get in.

[Mel52]

I was also under the impression your eye/s had to be very close to the scanner to get a result.

 

Not anymore. everyone ought to know technology is pretty amazing these days it’s amazing what they can do everyone who’s ever crossed over almost any international port of entry has seen the little lenses it’s part of the process before they stamp your passport into almost any country these days if you’re living here in Thailand and have ever traveled abroad you know exactly what I’m talking about

[djayz]

5 minutes ago, Mel52 said:

 

I’m guessing you’re from Australia

 

What does my nationality have to do with with queues, dropping tourist arrivals, unsatisfactory/inadequate public transport, etc.?

[Salerno]

10 minutes ago, Mel52 said:

 Swampy? Just about any port of entry in the world almost, airports land border crossings it’s international dealing with biometrics used to be part of my job sometimes I had a month long class on biometrics at immigration control checkpoints back in 2006

Sorry mate, when did they get the initial Iris scans from? Cameras at Swampy are not Iris scanners.

[Mel52]

What does my nationality have to do with with queues, dropping tourist arrivals, unsatisfactory/inadequate public transport, etc.?

Just your tone and particularly complaining about the exchange rate I feel sorry for you guys

[Traubert]

48 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

Can see little reason why its done if the passport has biometric information in it already...

 

 

To make sure it matches?

 

I mean, y'know, it's just a shot in the dark, but maybe........

 

Hells teeth, I despair......

 

Actually, no I don't, this is daily multiple occurrence.

[Mel52]

Sorry mate, when did they get the initial Iris scans from? Cameras at Swampy are not Iris scanners.

Dude I’m sorry but you’re honestly not making any sense maybe you’re trying to be funny if so I’m not getting the joke you kind of lost me there.

[djayz]

Just now, Mel52 said:

 

Just your tone and particularly complaining about the exchange rate I feel sorry for you guys

 

If you go back and read my comment, you'll see that it was not the main point. Personally, I'm not too pushed by the exchange rate as my income is in THB, so, am on the up side. 

 

The other complaints were all valid grievances which anybody, who travels/has travelled, would notice and compare to other cities/countries they'd been to.