Immigration Form Crisis at DMK?

[dddave]

This evening I flew Air Asia from Manila to DMK.  At the time the pilot announced we were starting our descent into DMK, Immigration forms still hadn't been handed out.  I asked a passing FA what was happening..  She replied that the airline hadn't been able to get any forms from Immigration for almost a week.  

When I got to DMK Immigration, there were no forms to be seen anywhere.  fellow passengers were running around the place, everybody asking everybody else where they were.  I asked at the health screening desk and the officer brusquely waved me off.  I guess I wasn't the first to ask.   Finally a lady Immigration officer appeared and started handing a few out.  I was close by and snagged one but others who came rushing over were directed vaguely in another direction.

The good news was the line was short because nobody had the damn form.

Boggles the mind.

Can't even keep the most basic of supplies on hand.

 

 

[Puchaiyank]

Amazing Thailand!   ????

[NanLaew]

Not a totally unknown happenstance. The more savvy, less drama-queen traveler already knows to carry at least one spare one.

[poohy]

On 9/12/2019 at 10:25 AM, NanLaew said:

Not a totally unknown happenstance. The more savvy, less drama-queen traveler already knows to carry at least one spare one.

Hardly a drama queen asking for what is required by law is it

i have been travelling frequently from here for 20 years its never ever crossed my mind to carry  a spare

 

Guess i have been lucky 

[Suradit69]

On September 15, 2019 at 8:30 AM, poohy said:

Hardly a drama queen asking for what is required by law is it

I thought the arrival card had been scrapped. Probably stopped distributing the forms in anticipation.

 

 

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is to scrap the TM6 arrival and departure card for foreign tourists.

 

 

[Colabamumbai]

Soon we won't need one. 555

[Caldera]

I flew into DMK yesterday, also with Air Asia. They seem to have fixed this problem, they handed out the forms pretty much once we were in the air.

 

That said, I didn't need the form but I always keep a spare and fill it in before departing, as my handwriting is bad enough even when I'm not on a shaky plane.

[Bangkok Barry]

On 9/12/2019 at 10:25 AM, NanLaew said:

Not a totally unknown happenstance. The more savvy, less drama-queen traveler already knows to carry at least one spare one.

 

Which I complete before going to the airport. Much better than filling it in on the plane. But it will soon be a thing of the past. Why they claim it will be "phased out" instead of simply ending in now is something only Thai bureaucracy would understand.

[Searat7]

A friend arrived at BKK on Sunday and was told by IO that TM 6 is no longer required.

[Tayaout]

They will be scrapped soon. They are in high demand right now because it will become a collectible relic. 

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Which I complete before going to the airport. Much better than filling it in on the plane. But it will soon be a thing of the past. Why they claim it will be "phased out" instead of simply ending in now is something only Thai bureaucracy would understand.

Yep, always fill one in before heading to the airport & take a replacement one for the next trip when they hand them out

 

Does anybody know when the TM6 will be phased out (At Swampy if it makes a difference), I see 1 post above saying "A friend" didn't need one when they entered last Sunday but would have thought there would have been reams of posts on TVF if they'd stopped needing them.

 

Guess I'll find out next Thursday (I'll complete one just in case :)) 

[Max69xl]

On 9/12/2019 at 10:25 AM, NanLaew said:

Not a totally unknown happenstance. The more savvy, less drama-queen traveler already knows to carry at least one spare one.

For more than 30 years I have always gotten a TM6 card during the flight. WHY should I carry a spare one? Give me one reason! 

[Bangkok Barry]

37 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

For more than 30 years I have always gotten a TM6 card during the flight. WHY should I carry a spare one? Give me one reason! 

 

I'll give you three.

1 - Easier to fill out before you travel, rather than in the cramped space on the plane. Unless you can spread out in Business Class of course, which the vast majority cannot.

Unlikely but still valid reasons:

2 - Sometimes the airline gives out the forms minutes before landing, which means you have to hurry to complete it before landing.

3 - You might have forgotten to have a pen handy.

 

[Mike Teavee]

40 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

For more than 30 years I have always gotten a TM6 card during the flight. WHY should I carry a spare one? Give me one reason! 

I don't carry a spare one, but do complete the form before I head to the airport so have one with me

 

NB, I visit Thailand on average 20 times a year & more often than not go to the airport straight from work (1 stop on the MRT) so it's no hassle for me to complete the form at my desk & take it with me. 

 

[emptypockets]

12 hours ago, Searat7 said:

A friend arrived at BKK on Sunday and was told by IO that TM 6 is no longer required.

I also arrived on Sunday. Handed the IO passport, boarding pass and TM6. No mention of the TM6 not being required.

[merijn]

On 9/19/2019 at 10:45 AM, Searat7 said:

A friend arrived at BKK on Sunday and was told by IO that TM 6 is no longer required.

They are (still) required.

There are talks about scrapping the TM6 card but if that ever happens, who knows ?

[Max69xl]

On 9/12/2019 at 10:25 AM, NanLaew said:

Not a totally unknown happenstance. The more savvy, less drama-queen traveler already knows to carry at least one spare one.

Why would a normal traveller carry a spare TM6-card? If they don't give you one and let you through immigration, what's the problem? 

[Peter Denis]

31 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Why would a normal traveller carry a spare TM6-card? If they don't give you one and let you through immigration, what's the problem? 

> The unique number on the TM6 entry/departure card, is required for filing a TM30.

[Max69xl]

6 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

> The unique number on the TM6 entry/departure card, is required for filing a TM30.

I know that, tell the Immigration officer at the airport. You can get a new TM6-card. No problem at all. Nothing to worry about. 

[Tayaout]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

Why would a normal traveller carry a spare TM6-card? If they don't give you one and let you through immigration, what's the problem? 

I don't do it but it could be usefull to save time by filling it while you are landing or on some other transport. The only time I carry a pen is when crossing a border to save time even if they provide one most of the time. 

[007cableguy]

I had it the last week coming into Swampy on Gulf air and my mate had the same a couple of days before me on the same flight!

[Max69xl]

8 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

I don't do it but it could be usefull to save time by filling it while you are landing or on some other transport. The only time I carry a pen is when crossing a border to save time even if they provide one most of the time. 

You save time filling it in before you land. That's what normal people do.

What can I do if they don't give me a card? That's nothing to worry about. 

[Max69xl]

On 9/19/2019 at 10:45 AM, Searat7 said:

A friend arrived at BKK on Sunday and was told by IO that TM 6 is no longer required.

I have a hard time believing that. Why would the IO say that when it's not true? But I wish it was true.

[Max69xl]

10 minutes ago, 007cableguy said:

I had it the last week coming into Swampy on Gulf air and my mate had the same a couple of days before me on the same flight!

You and your mate had what last week? 

[Tayaout]

5 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

I have a hard time believing that. Why would the IO say that when it's not true? But I wish it was true.

It was in the news not long ago. 

 

 

[merijn]

On 11/18/2019 at 3:33 PM, Tayaout said:

I don't do it but it could be usefull to save time by filling it while you are landing or on some other transport. The only time I carry a pen is when crossing a border to save time even if they provide one most of the time. 

I always have a couple of TM6 cards in my luggage and fill it in before i start flying to Thailand.

This saves me the hassle of filling it in at the airport/plane or when the crew doesn't have them on the plane.

[Max69xl]

11 minutes ago, merijn said:

I always have a couple of TM6 cards in my luggage and fill it in before i start flying to Thailand.

This saves me the hassle of filling it in at the airport/plane or when the crew doesn't have them on the plane.

Yeah, it's a real hassle to fill in an arrival card on a plane. The 3-4 minutes it takes to do it must be tough. 

[gk10002000]

On 9/14/2019 at 6:30 PM, poohy said:

Hardly a drama queen asking for what is required by law is it

i have been travelling frequently from here for 20 years its never ever crossed my mind to carry  a spare

 

Guess i have been lucky 

ah ignore that guy.  He will critique anybody that he thinks says anything negative about Thailand

[gk10002000]

On 11/18/2019 at 12:50 AM, Tayaout said:

It was in the news not long ago. 

 

 

nice idea but not so good if they expect all travelers to have a phone that supports such  an app. 

[Tayaout]

1 hour ago, gk10002000 said:

nice idea but not so good if they expect all travelers to have a phone that supports such  an app. 

They plan on scrapping the tm6 card. The app is for Tm30 reporting and only concern owner of accommodation. I'm already using it since it saves me and my wife 3h driving.