Passport control

[WalterTP]

Question, when I go through passport control at BKK can I go through with my Thai wife or must I wait on the long line with the other falang?

[DrJack54]

Interesting.

All the married guys post that's what they do.

I don't doubt those reports.

I never bother as have fast track and not married. Defacto 10+ years.

Anyway my most recent entry was Hanoi to DMK.

Thought I would give it a try.

They waved me away as my partner was in front of me. 

Pointing to general entry. 

No problem. I was surprised. 

[WalterTP]

OK, thanks. I guess I'll try

 

[Keeps]

On returning to Suvarnabhumi from Laos recently with my Thai GF I was steered towards the Thai passport lane with her. I wasn't actively looking to take this route but it certainly saved some time. 

 

May also depend on your age. If you are an elderly gentleman you may get away with it (or steered towards the fast track). I'm only mid 50's (and look around this age) so it wasn't down to me being elderly.

[Jaxxper]

Last time when my Thai wife and I came through, the Marshalls encouraged me to go through the Thai lines.

[bradiston]

I think the aged looking foreigners can join the "special" queue.

[brianthainess]

Take a walking stick    

[hotandsticky]

15 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Interesting.

All the married guys post that's what they do.

I don't doubt those reports.

I never bother as have fast track and not married. Defacto 10+ years.

Anyway my most recent entry was Hanoi to DMK.

Thought I would give it a try.

They waved me away as my partner was in front of me. 

Pointing to general entry. 

No problem. I was surprised. 

 

 

Disappointing.

 

Try again next time you enter at Swampy... I am also defacto 17+ years and ALWAYS enter together via the Thai side.

[khunPer]

16 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Interesting.

All the married guys post that's what they do.

I don't doubt those reports.

I never bother as have fast track and not married. Defacto 10+ years.

Anyway my most recent entry was Hanoi to DMK.

Thought I would give it a try.

They waved me away as my partner was in front of me. 

Pointing to general entry. 

No problem. I was surprised. 

Not married might be the problem...

I never tried to get through with my girlfriend – we are not married – but I've used it with my half Thai-daughter, she has same family name, and it worked out fine...

[PETERTHEEATER]

It helps if your last names are the same. Show the marshalls both PPs and head for the Thai line behind wife. Wife tells IO you are her husband. But then being a 'senior' helps.

[bbi1]

3 hours ago, bradiston said:

I think the aged looking foreigners can join the "special" queue.

What about the non-aged ones who identify as a 70+ year old? With today's ridiculous stupid pronouns, LGBTQ whatever and people identifying as this and that rubbish, that you can't discriminate against, why not, right?

[bradiston]

17 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

What about the non-aged ones who identify as a 70+ year old? With today's ridiculous stupid pronouns, LGBTQ whatever and people identifying as this and that rubbish, that you can't discriminate against, why not, right?

Not sure that would work here.

[oldcpu]

I've been going through the Thai line with my Thai wife for over a decade, ... where I entered using multiple visas ... such as Type-O, Type-OA, LTR visa, and even Visa-exempt.   In all cases (except for one slightly slower) I had no issues, and it was massively quicker than being in the foreigner line up.

 

In the case of the LTR-WP visa (which was slightly slower), when I entered Phuket immigration (right behind my wife, where she pointed out to the Phuket immigration IO that I was 'with her' (but this time she did not say married), the Thai line IO looked at my LTR-visa, and then had me wait for just over a minute, while he walked to another counter and talked to some other IOs.  He then came back and stamped me into Thailand, with my permission to stay matching the previous end date of my 5-year permission to stay.  One of the IOs he had talked to was standing close to my wife (where she was waiting for me), and that IO noted to her that they don't often see LTR-WP visas (as of yet) in Phuket.  Also, in Phuket, there was no 'fast track line' (as of that time) , where purportedly LTR Visa holders can go through a Thai airport's international fast track line.

 

So in summary, all my entries into Thailand, with my Thai spouse, were very quick going through the Thai line with my Thai wife, with only the above LTR experience, taking a bit longer.  I also note, the foreign lines (when I entered the Thai line with my LTR visa) were massive in size - and I would estimate 20 to 30 minute waits.

[mlkik]

Depends on the Immigration officer. Have been allowed many times to go through the Thai lane with the mrs but also have been told you are not Thai go to other lane.

[EVENKEEL]

Departing BKK is where you must use the foreigner line as the Thais have the scanning device with no actual person to stamp passport.

[Maestro]

On 2/4/2024 at 7:01 AM, EVENKEEL said:

Departing BKK is where you must use the foreigner line as the Thais have the scanning device with no actual person to stamp passport.

 

Aren't the automatic departure gates now available also to non-Thai nationals?

[EVENKEEL]

4 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

Aren't the automatic departure gates now available also to non-Thai nationals?

How would pp get stamped? 

[richard_smith237]

From various threads on this subject...  I don't think being married makes any difference because the person who decides if you can use that lane or not doesn't check your marital status etc.

 

I think its just comes down to 'whatever' the decision maker at the time is thinking or feeling... or even if they are bothered at all if you are simply accompanying a Thai.

 

I'm not sure there are any hard enforced rules and this is why experiences vary so much when we are trying to understand some sort of rule when there is a large degree of flexibility.

 

I think it just comes down to whoever is managing the queues at the time & by the time you get to an Immigration officer, for the most part they simply stamp you in.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

20 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

25 minutes ago, Maestro said:

Aren't the automatic departure gates now available also to non-Thai nationals?

How would pp get stamped? 

 

Automatic departure gates are in use for Non-Thai's.... 

 

There is no stamp in your passport if exiting via the auto-gates...   the departure is registered digitally against your immigration record thats all. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

On 2/4/2024 at 3:01 AM, EVENKEEL said:

Departing BKK is where you must use the foreigner line as the Thais have the scanning device with no actual person to stamp passport.

 

As pointed out above...  non-Thai's can use auto-departure gates (no need for an exit stamp).

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

As pointed out above...  non-Thai's can use auto-departure gates (no need for an exit stamp).

Not at the time and place of my daughter's departure.

[richard_smith237]

37 minutes ago, bradiston said:

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

As pointed out above...  non-Thai's can use auto-departure gates (no need for an exit stamp).

Not at the time and place of my daughter's departure.

 

If you want to pick holes and contradict you'll need to be specific...

 

The Auto-gates are at Suvarnabumi, and have been in use for foreigners since December 2023 and there are reports of foreigners using those. 

 

 

So, if your daughter was departing internationally from Hat Yai airport in 2020 - then no...

 

BUT.... IF your daughter is an adult, is one the approved nationalities to use the e-gates, was departing from Suvarnabumi last week - then she 'should' have been able to use the automated e-gates...  

 

And if fitting the criteria and was still unable to use the e-gate there may be another reason you are unaware of ?

 

Was she told she couldn't ? was she digitally rejected at the e-gate ?? etc ?

 

[EVENKEEL]

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Automatic departure gates are in use for Non-Thai's.... 

 

There is no stamp in your passport if exiting via the auto-gates...   the departure is registered digitally against your immigration record thats all. 

 

 

Wow, OK. Thanks.

[bradiston]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

If you want to pick holes and contradict you'll need to be specific...

 

The Auto-gates are at Suvarnabumi, and have been in use for foreigners since December 2023 and there are reports of foreigners using those. 

 

 

So, if your daughter was departing internationally from Hat Yai airport in 2020 - then no...

 

BUT.... IF your daughter is an adult, is one the approved nationalities to use the e-gates, was departing from Suvarnabumi last week - then she 'should' have been able to use the automated e-gates...  

 

And if fitting the criteria and was still unable to use the e-gate there may be another reason you are unaware of ?

 

Was she told she couldn't ? was she digitally rejected at the e-gate ?? etc ?

 

It was I who started this thread. She was at BKK, in a very long queue for foreign pp holders. The lines for Thai pp holders were empty. That's all.

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, bradiston said:

It was I who started this thread. She was at BKK, in a very long queue for foreign pp holders. The lines for Thai pp holders were empty. That's all.

 

Erm...  a I'm a bit confused by that comment bradiston...  WaltherTP started this thread...    

 

Honest questions: 

 

She [your daughter] was in a very long queue for foreign passport holders, was this upon departure ???  

 

Did she attempt to use the E-Gate ? (assuming this was this year - 2024) or just assumed she couldn't ???

 

 

Other non-Thai posters on this forum have reported that they used the e-gates on departure - I think its useful to know some facts about this... 

[bradiston]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Erm...  a I'm a bit confused by that comment bradiston...  WaltherTP started this thread...    

 

Honest questions: 

 

She [your daughter] was in a very long queue for foreign passport holders, was this upon departure ???  

 

Did she attempt to use the E-Gate ? (assuming this was this year - 2024) or just assumed she couldn't ???

 

 

Other non-Thai posters on this forum have reported that they used the e-gates on departure - I think its useful to know some facts about this... 

Oh ok, I didn't start this thread, I started one that had the same subject. She noticed a sign which read Thai passports only in the empty channels adjacent to where she was standing. She was departing. It was chaos. That's what she messaged me. 8 days ago.

[richard_smith237]

15 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Oh ok, I didn't start this thread, I started one that had the same subject. She noticed a sign which read Thai passports only in the empty channels adjacent to where she was standing. She was departing. It was chaos. That's what she messaged me. 8 days ago.

 

Ah ok... got you...   I saw that thread...   Your daughter was in a huge departure queue, saw a sign at the e-gates saying Thai's only...  (probably an old sign from pre-December that no one bothered to move).

 

 

A few posters have mentioned the use the e-gate on departure. There obviously needs to me more positive 'used the e-gate' comments from posters who have had success for us to fully trust its workable - IMO, its worth a try to avoid a large queue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Highlandman]

6 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

How would pp get stamped? 

It doesn't. The autogates are new for foreigners though. Previously, only Thais, permanent residents who've registered to use them and Singapore/HK nationals could use them. However, prior to December, I don't think many Sin/HK nationals knew this.