Last time I arrived at Heathrow it was a nightmare. 

1 minute ago, Thingamabob said:

Last time I arrived at Heathrow it was a nightmare. 

 

 

Actually, that is a fair point. Last time took me 45 mins vs 50 mins at Swampy last week.

 

I did make the mistake of choosing the non EU passport line (shorter - but turned out longer) because my Thai missus was with me.

Last time I arrived at Heathrow it was a nightmare. 

Heathrow can get pretty crowded sometimes as well definitely, so can Dulles in the states. That’s my whole point it’s the same at other airports in a lot of major world cities

 

Andrew Bigs is an idiot. He should return to the outback. An Australian teaching English is an abomination to the labguage

Bottom line Suvarnabhumi airport has always been one of the top 10 most crowded airports I’ve ever seen in the world since I first started coming here 10 years ago. It has absolutely nothing to do with the issues with the current government situation. Now I’ve been retired here for over 5 years and each day is better than the last I love it here. It’s just another crowded airport in another major world city it’s not some mass government conspiracy almost every country in the world has similar procedures at the airport if not exactly the same procedures, although I do think Suvarnabhumi airport ought to build at least a few new terminals to accommodate the massive amounts of people who come here everyday.
 
 
 
 

After all Thailand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world so this is perfectly normal. People have to be screened coming into the country for security reasons especially in this day and age! As people are screened the same way in almost every other country in the world!!!

I still don't understand why the long waits so very often. I think 80% of the time I've waited in long longs at either BKK or DMK. I'm from Atlanta, supposedly the # 1 busiest airport by traffic and I now live in Netherlands, with the 11th busiest airport in the world. I've also been to many of the other top ten airports, though not repeatedly and none of them compare to the amount of time and how often it happens in Thailand.  Love the people and love the country, but I think the administration in many areas of Thailand has sub-par performance. I know they want to improve, but for some reason, they cannot get their management corrected. I will say, last time I came, arriving to BKK in May around 6pm, I only waited 15 minutes; however, I waited almost an hour for the luggage. Still, I was very happy with the performance, thus I thought the problem was fixed, but I guess not.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

In its defence, a spokesperson for immigration sought to explain why there were such long midweek queues at Suvarnabhumi saying officers have EIGHT things to do in 50 seconds. 

50 seconds per person is obviously not enough and not working, especially with the new fingerprints system that by itself takes up most of that time. Either scrap the fingerprint system, or calculate more time per person, and add in additional staff accordingly. It's simple math, really.

8 things to do. He forget a couple of things there. Glare at you like, you have a proper tourist visa and you have the audacity to visit our country. What are you? A criminal.

Andrew Bigs is an idiot. He should return to the outback. An Australian teaching English is an abomination to the labguage

LMAO [emoji23] oh come on be nice. Although I often do have trouble understanding some Australians not all of them but some of them. I was talking to an Australian guy in a restaurant one night and I had to ask him to repeat himself a few times when I was trying to listen to him because I honestly was having trouble understanding his Australian accent they do sometimes pronounce some words in English a lot different than the rest of us lol.

He was a really nice guy though he bought my wife and I a beer and he didn’t even offer it first he just asked the waitress to get my wife and I another beer just out of pure kindness.

Pipat Ratchakijprakan might address this first; it is nothing short of ridiculous. If the system would be as good as they say then there would be neither criminals nor overstayers left. 

I avoid Bangkok for many years; living in Nong Khai lets me board regional flights in Vientiane or Chiang Mai. Less convenient but saving hours of queueing and silly "pai nai" questions! 

27 minutes ago, reargunnerph3 said:

rich Indians that are coming soon?

...do you really think RICH Indians would visit Thailand? They have all in Goa. So why Thailand? Just to experience how stupid govt can be? Or how they mistreating GUESTS?

Pipat Ratchakijprakan might address this first; it is nothing short of ridiculous. If the system would be as good as they say then there would be neither criminals nor overstayers left. 

I avoid Bangkok for many years; living in Nong Khai lets me board regional flights in Vientiane or Chiang Mai. Less convenient but saving hours of queueing and silly "pai nai" questions! 

I live up in the north eastern area of Thailand and I like to visit Bangkok once in a while but I wouldn’t want to live there because it’s literally more crowded all throughout the city than New York City. Bangkok is like New York on steroids. That’s just how Bangkok is it’s a crowded place you can’t blame everything on the government.

"Welcome to Thailand" They do not care at all, why should they? First impressions count etc!

 

Poor Immigration, Poor Police, Poor long stay rules, poor Baht value, bad attitude Thai's etc (not all though) but like D Trump says if you don't like it "LEAVE"!!

 

Either accept it, get on with your life and look forward to tomorrow or sorry to say go elsewhere, but it might be just the same!

 

 

46 minutes ago, Parsve said:

Hmm, so Thailands most wellknown teatcher of the Enghlish language have critisis the ques on the airport and the Thais says look what a good life we have get you. If you not like it go back. If he have had a better life here, noone of us could say, but for sure he has give many Thais a better life, so maybe you should thank him instead, but that would of course be very "unthaish" to thank a farrang. Realise that the country is a developing country and be thankful for every help you get.  

He did all that for free did he? What a nice man. Or is he milking the Thai students who need English qualifications to get into foreign schools and universities? Have you seen his fees? Astronomical.

 

By the way, I'd give him a call if I were you. If you can afford him, he could do a job for you.

7 hours ago, aqua4 said:

 

For all those expat cuckolds in Thailand with their Stockholm syndrome. Look he writes Thai, speaks Thai and adds value to Thailand's education and look how quickly they take offence to a legitimate criticism. Then automatically he is the evil farang who Thailand gave something to. You will never be Thai and you are not wanted here. 

 

Exactly.

 

Thais simply don't care about Farang; we are not humans to them.

 

The moment they can attack a Farang for anything, they will do so in great numbers.

 

Something to think about for all the Farang on this forum who seem to love Thais unconditionally.

 

8 hours ago, darksidedog said:

 Thailand has REALLY bad ones way more regularly than anywhere else I have ever seen. 

Have you seen the non EU nationals queue at Heathrow recently ? Just wondering.

He did all that for free did he? What a nice man. Or is he milking the Thai students who need English qualifications to get into foreign schools and universities? Have you seen his fees? Astronomical.

 

By the way, I'd give him a call if I were you. If you can afford him, he could do a job for you.

 

No, I do not know him and I did not supposed him to work for free, and I have never heard about anyone that not take the salary they can get.

2 hours ago, geoffrobbo said:

Why do you have to scan all 10 fingers every time. Surely once on the first time to record the information then only a single thumb scan for comparison on every subsequent trip.

 

In a few years time they will be wanting a print of the 11th finger so be thankful it's still only 10.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Celebrity English teacher and journalist

 

Suvarnabhumi is hell" screams Thailand's most famous English teacher

 

That must be one or two steps above Thailand's Most Famous Hotel Bellhops/Porters

8 hours ago, ezzra said:

Frankly i'm surprised at this Andrew guy who by all account should have known better, what response was he expecting from Thai people other than 'if you don't like it go back home' and 'you are biting the hands that fed you all those years you ungrateful farang'... now Once and for all, Thai people in general do not give a stuff how a foreigner/farang feel or being treated in this country and it's futile to complain or try to make a point of it...

And they seem to forget the knowledge he has pumped into his students. Perhaps they will understand his reference to hell was about the mayhem, not Thailand. Another case of shooting the messenger. When Thais understand that complaining about something brings change perhaps things will chang, hopefully for the good.

54 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

50 seconds per person is obviously not enough and not working, especially with the new fingerprints system that by itself takes up most of that time. Either scrap the fingerprint system, or calculate more time per person, and add in additional staff accordingly. It's simple math, really.

Sorry. You think too much.????

There are not many advantages to being over 70. Queues at Suvarnabhumi is one of them.

39 minutes ago, Traubert said:

He did all that for free did he? What a nice man. Or is he milking the Thai students who need English qualifications to get into foreign schools and universities? Have you seen his fees? Astronomical.

 

By the way, I'd give him a call if I were you. If you can afford him, he could do a job for you.

A ridiculous statement! He's a person selling his knowledge such as a baker sells his bread. No quips about it's OK if you've lots of dough.

2 hours ago, Hotrudester said:

 I have had this type of incident happen in many other countries including the UK (for my Thai wife). 

If you're from EU your Thai wife should accompany you through the EU passport queue.

Implementing ext technology is a change and a challenge. It takes time to run smoothly. I went through the process on July 17. It went fine in less than 40 minutes. The behavior of the immigration officer was professional and perfect, even if her workload was heavy. This may be the real image given by Thailand and well received smile in the country of the same symbol. Quite sure you do not get this in other “western countries.  Be happy

5 minutes ago, Didier Delaval said:

Implementing ext technology is a change and a challenge. It takes time to run smoothly. I went through the process on July 17. It went fine in less than 40 minutes. The behavior of the immigration officer was professional and perfect, even if her workload was heavy. This may be the real image given by Thailand and well received smile in the country of the same symbol. Quite sure you do not get this in other “western countries.  Be happy

Lovely.

 

It did not take long for the "damage control" brigade to show up.

Try comparing it to LAX. Maybe 3000 people in line. Never LAX again.

Oh yeah LAX is another one that’s over crowded but I haven’t flown into or out of LAX in over 5 years though

Exactly.  

Thais simply don't care about Farang; we are not humans to them.

 

The moment they can attack a Farang for anything, they will do so in great numbers.

 

Something to think about for all the Farang on this forum who seem to love Thais unconditionally.

 

 

Jesus! Some of these people on this forum are truly certifiable WOW!!!! “We’re not human to them Thai people hate us all” LMAO [emoji23]. I’ve been treated with nothing but respect from almost every Thai person I’ve ever met including the immigration Officers. This post I’m replying to is just crazy. Have a drink or something jeez you don’t have to live in or visit Thailand if that’s how you feel.

 

Now I understand why in the United States being declared mentally incompetent by a judge disqualifies you from getting a passport at all. I mean just read some of these posts lol [emoji23] WOW!!!!!

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Traubert said:

Me neither seeing as how the average human only has eight fingers.

 

Maybe it's a provision for inbred mutants from Alabama.

And where the hell are you from