Delayed flights cause passenger surge and extended queues at Suvarnabhumi airport

[webfact]

A sudden influx of passengers, resulting from the landing of delayed flights, led to extended queues at Suvarnabhumi airport in the early hours of Monday, as reported by the Immigration Bureau.

 

The Chief of Immigration Division 2, Choengron Rimpadee, noted that between midnight and 2am, the airport witnessed a 33% surge in inbound traffic as 5,563 passengers arrived on 22 flights. This surge was significantly above the norm, with approximately an extra 1,000 passengers.

 

Passenger queues overflowed the immigration hall at Suvarnabhumi airport, causing a 40-minute wait through immigration, despite fully staffed immigration booths. According to Rimpadee, the peak time for arriving flights is typically between 1pm and 8pm, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Rimpadee also suggested that travellers keep their boarding passes easily accessible to expedite the immigration process, as these documents need to be registered by immigration officers.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo courtesy of iStock

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-27

 

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[Sig]

40 minutes? Not bad! I remember arriving to a mess of people in the middle of the night, exhausted from 18 hours of travel, and it took 2 hours to get through! 40 minutes would be like a dream.... Glad to hear that 40 minutes is considered a major overflow these days!

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

This surge was significantly above the norm, with approximately an extra 1,000 passengers.

Any international airport should be able to handle a few extra passengers.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 - Does anyone have any experience of having to show their boarding card to immigration anywhere else in the world?

2 - Do the airlines when preparing to land instruct their passengers to retain their boarding pass and not leave it on the plane?

3 - How does showing your boarding pass 'expedite the immigration process'?

4 - Why do these ''documents' (boarding passes) 'need to be registered by immigration officers'?

[cowellandrew]

despite fully staffed immigration booths.

😂😂😂😂😂

[ezzra]

 

29 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Any international airport should be able to handle a few extra passengers.

Few extra passengers? more like thousands more, it seems that every man and his dog are flying on those days not

unusual owing to the fact that this is when they get off work on to holidays and get their bonuses...

Edited December 26, 2023 by ezzra

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm…. Looks like the airport looked every time i flew through there, a few years ago.  I can feel a headache coming on(again)

[AhFarangJa]

17 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

1 - Does anyone have any experience of having to show their boarding card to immigration anywhere else in the world?

2 - Do the airlines when preparing to land instruct their passengers to retain their boarding pass and not leave it on the plane?

3 - How does showing your boarding pass 'expedite the immigration process'?

4 - Why do these ''documents' (boarding passes) 'need to be registered by immigration officers'?

Saudi Arabia & Bahrain used to ask for them. Admittedly not every time, but when they did the normal queues used to get horrendous. I agree with point 3, how does this card expedite immigration when you have the landing card and passport......jobs worth maybe.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 minute ago, AhFarangJa said:

Saudi Arabia & Bahrain used to ask for them. Admittedly not every time, but when they did the normal queues used to get horrendous. I agree with point 3, how does this card expedite immigration when you have the landing card and passport......jobs worth maybe.

They don't need a landing card now - although you still need to complete one if entering by land - but they need a boarding card. Thai logic in action. You need the landing card at x arrival point but not at y arrival point. I'm sure it makes sense to the locals, but we aren't educated enough to understand.

[Deserted]

Doesn't look like there is too much room for complaint here.

[2baht]

I breezed through on Monday, always show the boarding pass, they want to know where you've come from, easier than the form previously required! Here's a tip, fly business class! 

[PETERTHEEATER]

The reason the Immigration boss says a Boarding Pass expedites the entry is because they want to see it. Never mind the reason why. When an IO asks a passenger for a BP and they fumble to locate it or worse, have thrown it away, it holds up the queue. 

Incoming passengers need to understand the BP should be retained and put in their PP when they present it to the IO.

[MangoKorat]

55 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

1 - Does anyone have any experience of having to show their boarding card to immigration anywhere else in the world?

2 - Do the airlines when preparing to land instruct their passengers to retain their boarding pass and not leave it on the plane?

3 - How does showing your boarding pass 'expedite the immigration process'?

4 - Why do these ''documents' (boarding passes) 'need to be registered by immigration officers'?

Their rules may be crazy - filling in your 'address in Thailand' is crazy, having to report to immigration every 90 days is also crazy, lots of things seem crazy to us but its how it is.  I've been aware of having to produce my boarding pass for years - but only as a result of not having it on one occasion.

 

Just as they used to hand out landing cards and tell you to fill them in, the airlines should tell you to retain your boarding passes - I've never known them to. 

 

However, to answer your question as to why they need to be registered, I don't think they actually do. I've been in the queue several times when people in front of me haven't kept their boarding cards and after a brief exchange, they've been waved through. I believe the only info that is recorded from the pass is the flight number. I guess it depends on how pedantic the I.O. wants to be and how long he wants the queues to stretch.

Edited December 27, 2023 by MangoKorat

[MangoKorat]

37 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

when you have the landing card

There haven't been landing cards for a while.

[daveAustin]

6 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

The reason the Immigration boss says a Boarding Pass expedites the entry is because they want to see it. Never mind the reason why. When an IO asks a passenger for a BP and they fumble to locate it or worse, have thrown it away, it holds up the queue. 

Incoming passengers need to understand the BP should be retained and put in their PP when they present it to the IO.

^^ Hmm, very robotically puke-worthily put. I always keep it because I know the score, but h ow would miss Fanny Adams from Iowa know what a Thai official wants? It is one of the few places in the world that requires it. Airlines should probably get on the horn before landing and instruct people to keep hold of them.

[PETERTHEEATER]

1 minute ago, daveAustin said:

^^ Hmm, very robotically puke-worthily put. I always keep it because I know the score, but h ow would miss Fanny Adams from Iowa know what a Thai official wants? It is one of the few places in the world that requires it. Airlines should probably get on the horn before landing and instruct people to keep hold of them.

Exactly. Many incoming pax throw away their Boarding Pass because it has served its purpose. It is incumbent on Thai Immigration to advertise the fact that a BP is required to be shown during entry by air. World wide Thai Consulates should have a visible banner on their websites.

I suspect the reason for IOs wanting to see the BP is to record which airline was the carrier for some 'commercial' reason.

[mikeymike100]

23 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

The reason the Immigration boss says a Boarding Pass expedites the entry is because they want to see it. Never mind the reason why. When an IO asks a passenger for a BP and they fumble to locate it or worse, have thrown it away, it holds up the queue. 

Incoming passengers need to understand the BP should be retained and put in their PP when they present it to the IO.

Presumably, immigration want to see where the passenger is coming from, just in case they need to send them back?

[PETERTHEEATER]

3 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Presumably, immigration want to see where the passenger is coming from, just in case they need to send them back?

If an incoming passenger is denied entry it becomes an airline problem, i think, which is why airlines want to see an appropriate entry visa or better, a return ticket.

[bamnutsak]

I saw a video from last Friday evening (22 Dec) and the lines stretched down the ramp and west along Concourse D practically back to the intersection with E/F/G.

 

 

 

[alex8912]

13 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

If an incoming passenger is denied entry it becomes an airline problem, i think, which is why airlines want to see an appropriate entry visa or better, a return ticket.

When you have an appropriate visa then you DO NOT need a return ticket to show an airline. You don't need to return to your original destination either. 

[ikke1959]

Thai immigration is always a problem, delays, or anything are said to make the problems, but with slow working officers, a lot of administfration at the desk, it will never improve. Why is in the EU or a lot of other countries never a problem  But in Suvarnabhumi always long queues ... Last time we came back on 6 October and it was the same problem.. No delays no extra flights but a crowded area at the immigration.. and it takes a time before you passed them.. In 2023 it is not updated yet although they want more tourists, but 30 minutes to enter is far too long....

[Toby1947]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

1 - Does anyone have any experience of having to show their boarding card to immigration anywhere else in the world?

2 - Do the airlines when preparing to land instruct their passengers to retain their boarding pass and not leave it on the plane?

3 - How does showing your boarding pass 'expedite the immigration process'?

4 - Why do these ''documents' (boarding passes) 'need to be registered by immigration officers'?

Because the Thais love paperwork, there must be a pile of useless paperwork the size of Mount Everest somewhere. After all they are only children 🤣😂🤣

[dogfish180]

I seem to recall the chief of immigration announced that no one would wait more than 5 minutes, just recently 🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣

[cracker1]

Seems strange that Immigration require a "Boarding Pass" from arriving passengers.

I always considered the boarding pass to be the document that allowed me past the boarding gate and onto the aircraft and to my nominated seat.

I often left them on the aircraft or ditched them in the first bin I came to.

I will now have to change my habits of more than 60 years of travel.

[Danderman123]

So, if so many people are coming into Thailand, why the complaints about lack of tourists?

[Elkski]

It does appear they are running the scheduled arrival times judiciously.   And they actually know the  numbers so it doesn't sound like they are blaming delays on the planes were late "its ok" card. 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Elkski

[AhFarangJa]

1 hour ago, MangoKorat said:

There haven't been landing cards for a while.

I was referring to Saudi & Bahrain where they still use them but sometimes ask for boarding pass too.

[AhFarangJa]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

They don't need a landing card now - although you still need to complete one if entering by land - but they need a boarding card. Thai logic in action. You need the landing card at x arrival point but not at y arrival point. I'm sure it makes sense to the locals, but we aren't educated enough to understand.

I was referring to Saudi & Bahrain using landing cards...

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

1 - Does anyone have any experience of having to show their boarding card to immigration anywhere else in the world?

2 - Do the airlines when preparing to land instruct their passengers to retain their boarding pass and not leave it on the plane?

3 - How does showing your boarding pass 'expedite the immigration process'?

4 - Why do these ''documents' (boarding passes) 'need to be registered by immigration officers'?

 

1 - Each country has their own immigration regulations.

2 - No, but they should.

3 - See 1 above.

4 - See 1 above.

 

[NanLaew]

55 minutes ago, cracker1 said:

Seems strange that Immigration require a "Boarding Pass" from arriving passengers.

I always considered the boarding pass to be the document that allowed me past the boarding gate and onto the aircraft and to my nominated seat.

I often left them on the aircraft or ditched them in the first bin I came to.

I will now have to change my habits of more than 60 years of travel.

 

Change is good.