Waiting to pass immigration. How long?

[swissie]

With all this Fingerprinting going on, how much time does it currently take to go thru immigration?
Arrival time would be 05:30 AM.

I am asking this because if the waiting time would be as descibed recenty, I am contemplating to take along a foldable "camping-chair" in my hand-luggage.
 

[Puchaiyank]

I always stick my middle finger out to be finger printed first...something about being elderly and not understanding what's going on...don't you know...????

[gdaf123]

I don't take a chance anymore.  I either go through the Thai line w/ my Thai wife (we use the pregnant/disabled line) or if I'm flying alone I pay 1200 Baht for the fast track which gives you an agent waiting as you exit the plane to escort you through the fast track line that Thai Airways Business Class use.

[NCC1701A]

hard to say, the fingerprinting adds maybe 30 seconds if you understand English.  

the last time i went through, from plane to exit building was 50 minutes. arrival was at 09:30.

 

On 7/23/2019 at 10:22 PM, swissie said:

With all this Fingerprinting going on, how much time does it currently take to go thru immigration?

 

[Wiggy]

3 hours ago, gdaf123 said:

I don't take a chance anymore.  I either go through the Thai line w/ my Thai wife (we use the pregnant/disabled line) or if I'm flying alone I pay 1200 Baht for the fast track which gives you an agent waiting as you exit the plane to escort you through the fast track line that Thai Airways Business Class use.

I think you’ll find the latter has been discontinued.

I’ve never tried the Thai line; how does that work with the automatic e-gates?

[ThaiBunny]

On 7/24/2019 at 1:22 AM, swissie said:

With all this Fingerprinting going on, how much time does it currently take to go thru immigration? Arrival time would be 05:30 AM.

As I recall TG has carefully ensured that the maximum number of its own flights from Europe arrive at precisely that time

[elgenon]

Haven't been fingerprinted yet. Soon?

[KhunBENQ]

44 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

I think you’ll find the latter has been discontinued.

You could contact them to check.

The website is unchanged.

https://www.limousine.in.th/fast-track-immigration.html

[peterb17]

4 hours ago, gdaf123 said:

I don't take a chance anymore.  I either go through the Thai line w/ my Thai wife (we use the pregnant/disabled line) or if I'm flying alone I pay 1200 Baht for the fast track which gives you an agent waiting as you exit the plane to escort you through the fast track line that Thai Airways Business Class use.

No it does not give you fast track anymore- the rules have changed ( due to selling fast track passes scam) 

If you arrange the meet and greet service you MUST be traveling business to get fast track. 

[GordonP]

I landed Saturday at 13.45, joined the queue at the middle of the slope to Immigration desks at 14.07 and cleared Immigration at 15.11.

 

[bluemoon58]

Been through 3 times now since the fingerprint scanning started. Not had a problem so far but maybe I've been lucky.

[alien365]

I assume you will be on flight TG 971. There will be about 10 flights that come in between 5:25 and 5:35 so it depends if your flight arrives early or if you can beat the others to the desk. I'd expect your plane to land about 20-25 minutes early so that should give you a good head start. (the only plane that landed at 5:30 within the last 7 days was on a Saturday)

[luk AJ]

No it does not give you fast track anymore- the rules have changed ( due to selling fast track passes scam) 
If you arrange the meet and greet service you MUST be traveling business to get fast track. 

It is even worse in Don Mueang, business class, BOI, VIP are non-existent


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[riche60]

Fast track has not changed i booked today 1200 baht

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, peterb17 said:

No it does not give you fast track anymore- the rules have changed ( due to selling fast track passes scam) 

If you arrange the meet and greet service you MUST be traveling business to get fast track. 

 

Nope,

 

I have just done it. Well, booked, paid and got confirmation

 

. 2100 baht for meet and greet and taxi from Swampy to Don Muang.

[maprao]

39 minutes ago, riche60 said:

Fast track has not changed i booked today 1200 baht

With who?

Certainly not BFS

Bangkok Airport Flight services 

[Searat7]

I arrived at 5:30 AM on July 7 and the Immigration area was really empty. A good time to arrive I think.

[Saltire]

It's pot luck I think.

 

2 weeks ago I arrived BKK at 9.30 AM to a deserted immigration with officers waiting on customers. No questions, bags came exceptionally quickly, straight through customs and out to a no-queue taxi rank. Even the traffic was light!

 

Off course there are other times the same process has taken 1 to 2 hours. Pot luck.

[CelticTam]

Five minutes waiting, finger print, and stamped in. I know the Thai immigration do get a bad press, but I came in on 14th July and the staff were spot on.

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

As I recall TG has carefully ensured that the maximum number of its own flights from Europe arrive at precisely that time

 

Not only TG. All or most flights arriving from Europe. Just the way it works. Busy, busy time. I once arrived at that time and not one immigration desk was manned. Not one. They soon showed up though. They'd probably been busy clicking heels and saluting each other to start the day.

I'm glad I'm now old enough to use the old farts exit, so now I'm sure of not hitting a long line.

Edited July 25, 2019 by Bangkok Barry

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, luk AJ said:

It is even worse in Don Mueang, business class, BOI, VIP are non-existent


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

That's probably because Don Mueang is mostly, maybe entirely, a budget airline airport. No business class, no VIPs. Bummer. I'll be using it next month arriving from Singapore and was hoping to come in through the old farts entrance. I asked on here a few weeks ago and surprisingly didn't get a definitive answer one way or the other if there was a VIP/old folks entrance or not.

[Chicken George]

If I walk I can keep going. If I have to stand in a queue I will just have to sit on the floor.. Legs ain't what they used to be...

[JulesMad]

It is what it is

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Not only TG. All or most flights arriving from Europe. Just the way it works.

There are two main time frames for nonstop flights.

Flights leaving Europe in the early afternoon, arriving early morning.

Flights leaving Europe in the evening, arriving in the afternoon.

 

Example from FRA:

14:45 - 06:25 (TG)

20:40 - 12:30 (TG)

22:00 - 14:10 (LH)

[swissie]

4 hours ago, Chicken George said:

If I walk I can keep going. If I have to stand in a queue I will just have to sit on the floor.. Legs ain't what they used to be...

Same here.

Thanks for all the input guys. Now I am torn. I have 3 choices:
- Bring along my folding Camping-Chair.
- Choose the "fast track option".
- Ask a Big Fat Mama in the waiting line if she would allow me to sit on her for the duration.
Decisions, decisions........

 

[sunnyboy2018]

8 hours ago, Wiggy said:

I think you’ll find the latter has been discontinued.

I’ve never tried the Thai line; how does that work with the automatic e-gates?

I used the 1200 baht VIP fast track service two weeks ago. Excellent service. 

[sunnyboy2018]

6 hours ago, maprao said:

With who?

Certainly not BFS

Bangkok Airport Flight services 

I used the VIP fast track service two weeks ago. 1200 baht. Excellent service.

[DJ54]

1 hour ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

I used the VIP fast track service two weeks ago. 1200 baht. Excellent s

How do you book? 

[swissie]

11 minutes ago, DJ54 said:

How do you book? 

Indeed, how "`to book"? During flight with Thai Airways? Displaying cash to the "flight-attendant" in a "brown envelope", 10 minutes before landing?"

My travel-agent tells me there is no such things in existance with "Thai-AIrways". Unless one travels with a "first-class-ticket".

We shall see. Wiil keep you posted. For better or for worse.

Stay tuned.

 

[Chou Anou]

14 hours ago, peterb17 said:

No it does not give you fast track anymore- the rules have changed ( due to selling fast track passes scam) 

If you arrange the meet and greet service you MUST be traveling business to get fast track. 

You have no idea what you're talking about. Still working, and it's a great service. I use it whenever I have to fly in/out of BKK and I don't happen to be on a business class ticket.