Airport queues: Immigration chief at Bangkok airport, meeting planned for Thursday

[webfact]

Airport queues: Immigration chief at Bangkok airport, meeting planned for Thursday

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

Immigration chief Lt-Gen Sompong Chingduang paid a visit to Suvarnabhumi airport on Saturday after widespread complaints about slow lines at immigration desks. 

 

Sompong ordered all available manpower to man desks and said that overtime was needed to plug up the gaps. 

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

He also ordered that priority lanes processing people like the handicapped, aged, those with children and expecting mothers should be fully functional to avoid delays. 

 

Naew Na reported that an improvement of 30% was needed. 

 

The chief has summoned all those under his command responsible for airport operations to meet at Suan Phlu in Bangkok on Thursday. 

 

Source: Naew Na

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-08-19

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[andre47]

There are priority lanes processing people aged?

I never saw them. How old you have to be to use them and are they also for farang?

[colinneil]

Heres a thought, why not put all those lackies who are prancing around behind Sompong to work on the desks.

That would help reduce the waiting.

[Maverell]

2 minutes ago, andre47 said:

There are priority lanes processing people aged?

I never saw them. How old you have to be to use them and are they also for farang?

Yes there are at Suvarnabhumi. 70 years and up - same desk as arriving Thais use. On the far right side as you look at the desks. This info is correct as of 6 months ago.

[RotBenz8888]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

widespread complaints about slow lines at immigration desks. 

First reported 10 years ago.

[NCC1701A]

"Chief, if Farang stand in line for 24 hours do they need to do TM30 form?"

"Yes"

 

[sotsira]

Confused!

 

I keep reading how tourist numbers are down and it's so 

quiet in all the tourist destinations around Thailand.

 

Now the airport is overrun with long queues due to so many 

arrivals, IO's will need to do overtime and increase their output

by 30%.

 

So which is it?

[sammieuk1]

A stone face welcome committee for one farang as the process of extraction begins enjoy your stay in LOS 555????

[SammyT]

Yet they'll still probably give the Chinese their own queue. Go figure.

[NCC1701A]

3 minutes ago, sotsira said:

So which is it?

the white people think things are slow. they are not.

just go where Chinese go. very busy. hua hin is very busy now.

the customer base is changing.

[Stocky]

11 minutes ago, sotsira said:

Confused!

 

I keep reading how tourist numbers are down and it's so 

quiet in all the tourist destinations around Thailand.

 

Now the airport is overrun with long queues due to so many 

arrivals, IO's will need to do overtime and increase their output

by 30%.

 

So which is it?

Lucky tourist numbers are down, otherwise the queues would be longer!

I think the issue is with the extra time taken to process fingerprints.

[scorecard]

19 minutes ago, Maverell said:

Yes there are at Suvarnabhumi. 70 years and up - same desk as arriving Thais use. On the far right side as you look at the desks. This info is correct as of 6 months ago.

Agree, about 6 months ago I was approaching the lines, a roving officer quickly and pleasantly took me to the 'over 70' line' and I was through within a few minutes.

[drrobert]

Priority Lane including for those over 70 is next to visa on arrival. For departure it is to the right of the escalators going up to security. This information is up to date as at last weekend. Also generally no queue except for those trying to buck the system. Just remember to say "jet sip". 

[andre47]

3 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

the white people think things are slow. they are not.

just go where Chinese go. very busy. hua hin is very busy now.

the customer base is changing.

Yes, Chinese are everywhere and here in Pattaya also many Indians (men :))

For those who know Cabbages & Condoms Hotel/Restaurant in Pattaya (it is not really cheap):
I went there yesterday and I was shocked how many Chinese customers were eating there. The tables were overflowing with food. Thailand is changing very quickly (unfortunately).

[RotBenz8888]

It takes 6 officers to explain how to do the fingerscan...each knows 1 English word.

Edited August 19, 2019 by RotBenz8888

[kellersphuket]

Nice to see him finally getting out and doing a bit..

All this time I thought he was sat behind his desk dreaming up childish new forms for us to sign ????

Edited August 19, 2019 by kellersphuket

[aussiep]

1 hour ago, andre47 said:

There are priority lanes processing people aged?

I never saw them. How old you have to be to use them and are they also for farang? 70

 

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, RotBenz8888 said:

It takes 6 officers to explain how to do the fingerscan...each knows 1 English word.

 

Why the Thai system needs to fingerprint all 10 digits is beyond me. Malaysia & Singapore seem happy enough with a pair of index fingers, that requires a single scan. Thailand needs 3 scans; 4 fingers right, 4 fingers left, and thumbs together. Trying to explain that in broken English to people who probably only speak broken English is just asking for trouble.

[GeorgeCross]

1 hour ago, RotBenz8888 said:

It takes 6 officers to explain how to do the fingerscan...each knows 1 English word.

 

one officer for each finger, one to press scan

 

 

[Yeahbutwhytho]

1 hour ago, sotsira said:

tourist numbers are down and it's so 

quiet in all the tourist destinations around Thailand.

 

Now the airport is overrun with long queues due to so many 

arrivals

Because the tourists are all stuck in the airport!!

[phetphet]

I flew in last week from the UK. Had a CIQ sticker for onward flight, so only had to pass through the internal immigration. Was shocked at how bad it was. Normally empty whenever I arrive, but it was packed, with multiple queues, mainly Chinese.

The only reasons I could think of were either multiple flights arriving at the same time, or the fingerprint procedure slowing things up.

[ozfarang]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

Agree, about 6 months ago I was approaching the lines, a roving officer quickly and pleasantly took me to the 'over 70' line' and I was through within a few minutes.

Exactly what happened to me on arrival at BKK 2 months ago.

 

5 minutes and I was through. 

[brucegoniners]

They are horribly understaffed there. At least half the desks are empty.

 

And there should be special lanes for those of us with residence visas. Let the tourists wait.

[dluek]

3 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

the white people think things are slow. they are not.

just go where Chinese go. very busy. hua hin is very busy now.

the customer base is changing.

Bangkok Post reported today that Samui tourism is way down first half this year, and that is a mainstay on the Chinese tourism circuit. All reports are that tourism is lagging overall, so still begs the question, why the long queues? 

[sensei]

Please tell these officers to learn how to smile too. They greet passengers tired from travelling like they are on the way to the jail. a little kindness goes a long way

[alant]

I wonder;

 

If all the immigration staff employed around the country engages in TM30 checks and 90 day reports no longer had to perform these less than productive tasks, just how many more desks at the airports could be open to process arrival and departure very productive immigration procedures?

[ebean001]

i think the first thing they need to do is set a goal. for example, upon entering the line it should not take more than 20 minutes to exit. measure this by the minute or 15 minute intervals. whatever. then apply manpower as required. they know when the workload is going up.

they fail if it takes more than 20 minutes.

another thing is to add manpower when the lines get longer than a certain point. (this has to take into consdiertion the number of desks active)

[darksidedog]

I flew out of Suvarnabhumi late last week and the queues for people departing were just shocking. After a crafty last minute ciggy, I went to immigration at 10 am for an 11.40 flight. Got to the gate at 11.25. Flight was delayed for half an hour as many were still stuck in the queues, and they weren't using the fingerprint scanners, which would have taken more time. Of 10 possible desks, six were open. I am really not looking forward to my flight back again in a couple of weeks. When I arrived at Heathrow I was through in less than a minute. All desks open and very efficient. You really can't put the problems at swampy down to anything other than pure incompetence.

[Deli]

Is there a word in Thai language for "planning" ?

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

Heres a thought, why not put all those lackies who are prancing around behind Sompong to work on the desks.

But who's gonna pull the sleigh?