Unaccompanied Children

[gustave]

I have my 3 young, unaccompanied children coming on a Swiss flight to Bangkok. None of them speaks Thai or english (at least not enough to communicate correctly). I ask at airport information how we can make them pass the immigration. The answer was quiet unexpected even typical impolite: They follow the stream of passengers and come to immigration. If there is a problem or question the officer speaks french also. .... I find out already that the officers, immigration or airport information have mostly and already problems to speak understandable english. I never meet anyone speaking french.

This is not a reproach, we are here in Thailand and not in France Switzerland or somewhere else but why not allow to 1 of the parents to pick them up "before" immigration and lead them through the controls.

I must admit the officer at the airport info desk where especially short bounded and very unpleasant (I thought until today CDG in Paris was the most "customer-unfriendly" airport).

Is there anybody in this forum who could help me get a pass for this case or provide a convenient solution? By the way, the arrival is end of june by Swiss from Zuerich and they stay for over 2 month.

Thanks for constructive and helpful replies

Gustave

[DrFisher]

If it helps at all I know many of them do speak French and quite a few speak German as well. I have seen a German put to the side and the officer called over a German speaking officer and the man was sent on his way no problems. If nothing else don't worry I'm sure everything will be fine.

[onzestan]

I'm not sure, but I do believe that the airline is supposed to give assistance to these children.

By best advice : contact the airline.

Cheers et bonne chance

onzestan

[cclub75]

The answer was quiet unexpected even typical impolite: They follow the stream of passengers and come to immigration. If there is a problem or question the officer speaks french also. ....

Strange.

Can you imagine a child of 6 years old going to immigration and dealing with a thai officer ?

Children with "UM" status (traveling alone) are taken in charge by the air hostesses, from the ground (when you leave them at the airport, after check in) to the arrival (after immigration controls, and lugages).

I seriously doubt that Swiss Air has a different process.

[chinthee]

I have had my two kids travel to Thailand for years as "unaccompanied minors." This has always been from the USA on both Thai and United Airlines. All airlines have a program for this, where they assign an escort for the kids all the way from check-in, where they are taken specially to a crew room and personally escorted through any immigration and customs procedure. If it involves changing airlines, you need to contact all airlines to ensure the process. However, there is no way they let unaccompanied minors go through immigrations and customs alone, especially if you have done this procedure. It always costs about $100/child, and one parent or guardian has to sign the kids out at departure, and another parent or guardian has to sign them in at arrival. In every case in Bangkok, my kids have walked out being supervised by a Thai airways crew. I would not worry about speaking English or French. The procedure is well known, and as long as their documentation is in order, and ensure they have your mobile phone number in Thailand and that you are outside customs. Sometimes, I have been taken in behind customs too, as they sometimes ring you up.

No problems.

[lomatopo]

Contact Swiss Air for UM services, fees and details...

http://www.swiss.com/web/NS6/id-tp-service-commitment/

10. Special customer care

SWISS guarantees to provide as much help as possible to any passengers needing extra assistance to, from or between their flights.

If you require special assistance owing to physical infirmity, we ask you to inform us of this when you make your booking. We can then arrange for wheelchair assistance to and from your flight (for which you may be asked to pay an additional fee). Wherever local facilities permit, customers requiring such assistance will also be looked after in special waiting areas before being accompanied to their flight.

Children aged between five and 12 who are travelling alone will be accompanied by specially-trained personnel who are specifically assigned to these duties. Please note that, to take advantage of this “unaccompanied minor” service – for which a fee is also charged – you will need to request it when making your reservation.

Once aboard, our skilled and qualified staff will ensure that unaccompanied minors and customers in need of special assistance receive all the care and attention they need throughout the flight. Needless to say, our maîtres de cabine and all our other flight attendants are fully trained in first aid, too.

[flightcrew1]

As flight crew I have brought UM (Unaccompanied Minors) into the country several times. At boarding point they are handed over to ground crew and brought through immigration and brought onto the aircraft where one crew member is in charge of that child. At arrival he is picked up at the door upon landing by ground crew and walked throught immigration where all documents are checked. It's very smooth with no problems. Once in awhile the air crew such as myself will also walk them through depending on the airport. In 22 years of flying I've never had a problem. Children will be only handed over to the parents or designated person on the UM form. No exceptions.

Good Luck!!

[gustave]

Thanks a lot,

I believe this helps

cheers

gp

[phuketrichard]

Thanks a lot,

I believe this helps

cheers

gp

All airlines offer this service

kids 5-12 will be accompinied with staff from first check in, thru immigration and then someone that u designate will meet them after immigration and customs and they will be handed over.

For Thai it is not cheap, runs $50/kid/sector.

My daughter last flew to the states when she was 11 and i let her go alone but she speaks english and thai and has flown a lot

They treat them very good and at elast on Thai and Singpaore really look after them

[A_Traveller]

Far as I know all airlines automatically assign UM status, based on passenger data though some charge for it these days. The passenger will be guided from check-in through to immigration at final destination by crew members who are always able to communicate with the passenger in their native tongue. The fun I had on BOAC in this position, happy days.

Regards

/edit mad keyboard strikes again //

Edited May 27, 2007 by A_Traveller