BANGKOK (NNT) - Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob recently inspected Suvarnabhumi Airport to assess its readiness to accommodate incoming travelers during the high tourism season.

 

The minister revealed that the airport has been facilitating 115,000 daily passengers this month, with this figure expected to reach 130,000 in December.

 

Minister Saksayam explained that foreign visitors will be traveling in greater numbers amid the high season, with Chinese tourists also expected to return to Thailand sometime during the first quarter of 2023 and no later than March.

 

Passport procedures have meanwhile been successfully streamlined, bringing the average queue time at immigration down to 15 minutes per traveler. Immigration officials now take an average of only 1 minute to process each traveler entering the kingdom, allowing the passport control area to process 3,000 passengers in just 20 minutes.

 

The transport minister also stressed the need to ensure that all luggage arrives at the baggage claim belt within 30 minutes at the latest.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG221128140653841

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-11-28

 

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11 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

...The transport minister also stressed the need to ensure that all luggage arrives at the baggage claim belt within 30 minutes at the latest...

Within 30 minutes from what point in time? From touch down of the plane, or from opening of the plane doors for disembarkation, or from the first passenger's arrival at the conveyor belt, or what?

26 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Chinese tourists also expected to return to Thailand sometime during the first quarter of 2023 and no later than March.

I have to disagree with this statement vehemently. China is again conducting mass lockdowns, and now are having riots because of it.  Unless Xi rolls over and gets rid of the Zero Covid policy, mainland Chinese will not be coming in droves.

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I have to disagree with this statement vehemently. China is again conducting mass lockdowns, and now are having riots because of it.  Unless Xi rolls over and gets rid of the Zero Covid policy, mainland Chinese will not be coming in droves.

I tend to agree, but after the Lunar New Year is a reasonable time to shift policy. I'd say April is more likely though.

 

I forget though how long the average Chinese tourist stayed in LoS pre-pandemic; I thought it was less than a week.  If that is the stay duration then it might be a long time before you see even 5,000 Chinese nationals coming per day, too much perceived risk.

Internatuonal Tourism is unlikely to return to prepandemic levels any time soon. Airfares are up some times triple prepandemic levels and Europe is in recession. Chinese are unlikely to be able to return in large numbers owing Covid restrictions which not expected to be relaxed in the near future especially as most Chinese have not had even one Covid vaccination.

Lets hope Immigratuon Officials are being trained to give a more welcoming behaviour.

115,000 a day?

 

That's impressive

12 hours ago, Puccini said:

Within 30 minutes from what point in time? From touch down of the plane, or from opening of the plane doors for disembarkation, or from the first passenger's arrival at the conveyor belt, or what?

Yes 30 minutes from the second the plane touches down ????. I'm sure your country is exactly the same. There is one Chief in charge of knowing when plane touches down, he releases all bags onto the tarmac  with a special button upon that happening. His name is Chief Somchai. However since he is soo good they put him in charge of the iris detector at belt ( let's say 14) so with this technology the eye detector knows exactly when the first person arrives at belt 12 that was on flight 64 from east bumchuck. Then bags are immediately released. Truly amazing TIT. 

14 hours ago, Puccini said:

Within 30 minutes from what point in time? From touch down of the plane, or from opening of the plane doors for disembarkation, or from the first passenger's arrival at the conveyor belt, or what?

Well do be honest I arrived on the 19 th and was amazed as to how quick everything was. Zero queues , loads of immigration booths all manned and the whole process was excellent. Something I never thought I'd say about Swampy. Because It was so quick through passport control had to wait for my luggage a bit but still around 30 minutes after getting of plane. Looked like my flight was the only one though that had arrived around then  as the time taken would confirm.

2 hours ago, Dialemco said:

Lets hope Immigratuon Officials are being trained to give a more welcoming behaviour.

The one I had was the usual happy smiling face ..not  

14 hours ago, Puccini said:

Within 30 minutes from what point in time? From touch down of the plane, or from opening of the plane doors for disembarkation, or from the first passenger's arrival at the conveyor belt, or what?

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob doen't care. He just needed to make a "blah blah blah" statement to justify his position aka welfare with honor.

For sure not touchdown. It’s 30 minutes when you at the belt / 45-60 min after landing on my last 3 flights landing in Bangkok. They are understaffed is the answer of the employees. Precovid max waiting time at the belt was 15 min

With many countries in recession, Thailand are pinning their hopes of tourism on very thin ice.

Who'd have thought it? You get a large increase in the number of planes and passengers to process so you suddenly need more processors.

Its called the high season - happens most years...

16 hours ago, Puccini said:

Within 30 minutes from what point in time? From touch down of the plane, or from opening of the plane doors for disembarkation, or from the first passenger's arrival at the conveyor belt, or what?

i believe they use “block” time.. or the time the aircraft brakes are set at the gate, as recorded by ACARS or their onboard Flight Management System  

What will they do with the Russians when they refuse to return.

The Russians are responsible for the mass increase.

Maybe I am missing something!!!?

I am not convinced about the Chinese influx.

The news says that they are in mass lockdown.

Why do they not return to welcoming the Aussies, Brits, USA, EU and the rest.

 

26 minutes ago, new2here said:

i believe they use “block” time.. or the time the aircraft brakes are set at the gate, as recorded by ACARS or their onboard Flight Management System  

Thank you. That looks like a logical starting point.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Passport procedures have meanwhile been successfully streamlined, bringing the average queue time at immigration down to 15 minutes per traveler. Immigration officials now take an average of only 1 minute to process each traveler entering the kingdom, allowing the passport control area to process 3,000 passengers in just 20 minutes.

When I came through last week the queue was indeed 15 minutes, but fewer than half of the immigration booths were staffed, so the line was gradually getting longer as more planes landed. Bags were available within about ten minutes of completing immigration formalities. 

 

I see they've now changed the claim about passport processing time from "45 seconds" a few weeks ago to "1 minute" today. And since they previously said that there are 119 total immigration counters, it's mathematically impossible "to process 3,000 passengers in just 20 minutes" - at one minute per pax, the limit for 20 minutes would be 2380 passengers, in a best case scenario. 

Are they doing fingerprints and photo for every passenger?

 

One minute sounds very, very optimistic.

 

 

21 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

When I came through last week the queue was indeed 15 minutes, but fewer than half of the immigration booths were staffed, so the line was gradually getting longer as more planes landed. Bags were available within about ten minutes of completing immigration formalities. 

 

I see they've now changed the claim about passport processing time from "45 seconds" a few weeks ago to "1 minute" today. And since they previously said that there are 119 total immigration counters, it's mathematically impossible "to process 3,000 passengers in just 20 minutes" - at one minute per pax, the limit for 20 minutes would be 2380 passengers, in a best case scenario. 

I was in Singapore a couple of weeks ago and I timed it. 25 minutes in the queue, eight desks open, and 1'15 for processing with the IO.  So one minute is pretty good, and in my experience that is the maximum.

3 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

Are they doing fingerprints and photo for every passenger?

 

One minute sounds very, very optimistic.

 

 

Yes they are, and no it isn't. That is about how long it takes.

4 hours ago, Dialemco said:

Lets hope Immigratuon Officials are being trained to give a more welcoming behaviour.

I posted elsewhere that they are noticeably more friendly post Covid.  I go through at least once a month travelling for work and they are friendly, I usually get a smile and sometimes a very brief chit chat.  (My last one took the photo and said "Gotcha!")   Maybe because I approach them with a smile - it helps.

Thai immigration are no friendlier or unfriendlier than any other country. Actually, scrub that, they are massively more welcoming than many countries. UK are rude, US are rude, many Asian countries (Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia) they are not friendly at all. The Thais are not that bad.

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Minister Saksayam explained that foreign visitors will be traveling in greater numbers amid the high season, with Chinese tourists also expected to return to Thailand sometime during the first quarter of 2023 and no later than March.

Not so sure about Chinese coming in droves.. Xi still has them firmly locked-in at home.

1 minute ago, hotchilli said:

Not so sure about Chinese coming in droves.. Xi still has them firmly locked-in at home.

 

 

No chance of that happening in the near future...................most of the proletariat are on the streets protesting Covid lockdown regulations.

18 hours ago, Puccini said:

Within 30 minutes from what point in time? From touch down of the plane, or from opening of the plane doors for disembarkation, or from the first passenger's arrival at the conveyor belt, or what?

It can take over 30 minutes for the plane to reach the gate, it can be stuck on taxiways, all the gates could be full etc? Would have to be from when the plane reached its stand at the gate and the cargo doors are opened?

To call it a 'surge' is a bit of a stretch.

 

International arrivals to Thailand reached 1.47 million in October, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, up from 1.31 million in September. So, just over 10% increase. These numbers are still less than half of the ones recorded pre-Covid.

 

Pedaling hard with a following wind, they may just reach 10 million for the whole year, which will be celebrated, no doubt, with lavish bonuses all round.

20 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I have to disagree with this statement vehemently. China is again conducting mass lockdowns, and now are having riots because of it.  Unless Xi rolls over and gets rid of the Zero Covid policy, mainland Chinese will not be coming in droves.

I just hate it when someone comes along and refutes government statements with facts..........????

2 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

It can take over 30 minutes for the plane to reach the gate, it can be stuck on taxiways, all the gates could be full etc? Would have to be from when the plane reached its stand at the gate and the cargo doors are opened?

Walking from the plane to immigration can sometimes take 20 minutes depending on the carrier