New Automated Passport Control Enhances Suvarnabhumi Airport Experience

[Aussie999]

Let's see it used with more passengers  at busy times

[Cabradelmar]

1 hour ago, Highlandman said:

Not all arrivals. Apparently only if you've registered and from certain countries. Last year I was processed manually as I came with my family. 

 

I'll also get myself processed manually in the future even if I arrive on my own as I don't like this dystopian egate stuff.

 

Australia is the country where on departure only the infirm and disabled get to be processed manually. All others, including families with small children and babies are processed using the e-gates. If you complain, they won't flinch. You'll still be forced to use the e-gates.

As of May 2024, all foreign visitors to Singapore can use automated immigration lanes at Changi Airport's arrival terminals without enrolling in the system beforehand. 

 

https://www.timeout.com/singapore/news/all-foreign-travellers-arriving-in-singapore-can-now-use-automated-lanes-at-changi-airport-051724

[CharlieH]

Reported post removed.

[madmitch]

There's quite a lot of information missing such as how many will gates be installed and who will be eligible to use them. It wouldn't surprise me if, at least initially,you will still need to queue for a stamp in the passport. Thailand loves stamps.

 

I was recently surprised to encounter these e-gates at Tirana Airport in Albania. Through immigration in seconds. 

[Liverpool Lou]

6 hours ago, bluemoon58 said:

You know what the jobsworths are like for their paperwork.

Gawd...

[geisha]

10 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Arrivals? Where did you read that?

 

That comes under future plans, so don’t hold your breath.

Exactly. Thailand wishes you a speedy departure, but not a hearty welcome .

[treetops]

10 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Arrivals? Where did you read that?

 

The original order was said to be for 80 machines.  56 for BKK departures, 16 for BKK arrivals and 4 each for DMK arrivals and departures.

[DonniePeverley]

Finger prints is archaic when they also take a photo, and with photo recoginition technology. 

 

Why can Singapore, Dubai etc do automatic gate on arrival ?

[Highlandman]

4 hours ago, madmitch said:

There's quite a lot of information missing such as how many will gates be installed and who will be eligible to use them. It wouldn't surprise me if, at least initially,you will still need to queue for a stamp in the passport. Thailand loves stamps.

 

I was recently surprised to encounter these e-gates at Tirana Airport in Albania. Through immigration in seconds. 

 

Nonsense. E-gates don't do passport stamps and there's no need for one if you use one.

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, Highlandman said:

 

Nonsense. E-gates don't do passport stamps and there's no need for one if you use one.

Of course e-gates don't do passport stamps but there are countries with e-gates that still stamp your passports after clearing the gate. I got a stamp in Portugal after using an e-gate but didn't in Albania. Which way will Thailand go, especially bearing in mind the state of the Government's computer systems where there's no communication between the various departments.

 

My money's on a stamp!

[still kicking]

9 hours ago, Cabradelmar said:

It's a start. Departure passport control checks are the easier of the 2. Full passport control automation on arrival is a bit tricky. I think Singapore is probably the only one doing so for ALL arriving passengers.

Where I live, we had automated passport checks for years arrival and departure no matter what nationality you are.

[arick]

I most of missed it

[cowellandrew]

14 hours ago, kevozman1 said:

 

For international arrivals I don't think anything is changing, which is the real problem. Worst I have queued for departure is maybe 30 minutes. Worst queue on arrivals over an hour in a cattle grid after a long flight to be 'welcomed' by a grumpy member of staff at passport control who will barely acknowledge my existence. A far cry from arriving all those years ago in Don Mueang (when it was the main international airport) and being greeted by happy smiling staff at passport control after queuing for 30 seconds.. I can't help but be nostalgic on a regular basis thesedays. 

I am yet to see a cattle grid in Thailand!

[Mr Meeseeks]

14 hours ago, Spilornis said:

In Singapore it's egates for almost everyone on arrival. On your first arrival in Singapore you scan your thumb print at the e-gate. Next arrival just your passport.

Exit and entry at Singapore is now a breeze. Literally 1-2 minutes after walking into the immigration hall

 

Same as KL, Malaysia.

 

You have to register on the app first though.

[geisha]

It’s not only the departure , the arrival in a country is your first welcome to thousands of passengers daily !  At the moment it is a horrendous experience for most, the queues and then the disorderly baggage belt.  Why oh why do the suitcases take so long, I have often waited 20 to even 30 minutes ! And for those who say “ fly business “ , I can assure you I already do and it doesn’t make any difference to the belt wait . ( I fly Emirates and Swissair) . I go through Heathrow at least once a year and I have never had a wait . Even Bali where the airport is from an other era is very reasonable.The airport authorities should do a complete retrain of their staff, miserable lot and often downright rude , they should sort out their methods and their technology, for goodness sakes, get some experts on the job !  Stop with the nepotism and cronyism. It should be made illegal. ( don’t laugh). 

[kevozman1]

8 hours ago, cowellandrew said:

I am yet to see a cattle grid in Thailand!

 

i don't know my guy, just my term for describing how people are treated more and more thesedays, like farmyard animals..

[kevozman1]

19 hours ago, Highlandman said:

 

Firstly, I've often waited longer at departure immigration than arrivals and departures is time critical because you still need to make your flight and preferably not by running to the gate.

 

I once missed a flight at Don Muang (before the opening of Suvarnabhumi) because departure immigration processing was too slow and that was after I decided to cut the queue.

 

Don Muang arrivals was always very slow and the worst part was how long you'd have to circle to come in for a landing particularly for evening arrivals. It was always at least half an hour of circling before landing, unlike at Suvarnabhumi where that only happens during inclement weather.

 

As for friendliness of the officers - I don't recall Don Muang being any better than Suvarnabhumi. 

 

If you want friendly officers, go to a quiet border crossing such as Nan or Chong Sa-ngam.

 

Very friendly officers at both.

 

Busier ones such as Nong Khai and Hat Lek occasionally have chatty and friendly officers as well.

 

Opposite to what I experienced.. Always had good experiences in Don Mueang (prior to 2006) and I am not going to lie the overall experience in Thailand was so much better then that maybe I do have some negatives I gloss over, but also I do tend to remember notably negative events and places.. and my land border crossings experience which is only Poipet and Mae Sot-Myawaddy were very drab and not worth talking about. Not sure why you would go into comparing minor land crossings with international airports but hey I guess we all have different ways of reasoning. 

 

Actually I went away for a little while and still struggle to remember many hiccups or delays back then... Did I and everyone I know get lucky or was there similar problems back then with arrivals and departures? I must admit my memory is not the greatest.

[richard_smith237]

22 hours ago, renaissanc said:

I'd like to see a digital stamp put on the passports of people who have a one-year visa so that they can use the passport machines at the airport.

 

Entering and departing could rely on biometrics and tied to your Immigration Profile - just as it does in many other countries. Finger Prints & Photo taken on arrival and departure, just like many other countries.

 

There's no need for any stamps - everything is already linked to your Immigration Profile - you should know already how many 'days you get'... over stay and the system flags it upon departure. 

 

I now enter many countries without an entry stamp, just using the e-gates.

 

 

People with long term Visas, & extensions of stay based on residency visas such as Non-Immigrant (based on work, Marriage, Guardianship, Retirement etc)... Could easily be issued a 'Card'...   that could be used in conjunction to enter and exit, everything is digital and stored on the card - this card could then be carried as ID to comply with the legal requirements to carry 'Government issued ID' in lieu of a Passport.

 

 

[dogfish180]

It's already been in the departure area for months. I've used it multiple times. Saves the stupid rubber stamp filling up your passport pages. Just need it on the arrivals side now. Let's hope they can get it like Singapore, then they'll be zero waiting in line. 

[KannikaP]

On 6/10/2024 at 2:36 AM, webfact said:

This continuous flow system eliminates the need for passengers to go through checks one at a time.

Eh?

[richard_smith237]

6 hours ago, geisha said:

It’s not only the departure , the arrival in a country is your first welcome to thousands of passengers daily !  At the moment it is a horrendous experience for most, the queues and then the disorderly baggage belt.  Why oh why do the suitcases take so long, I have often waited 20 to even 30 minutes ! And for those who say “ fly business “ , I can assure you I already do and it doesn’t make any difference to the belt wait . ( I fly Emirates and Swissair) . I go through Heathrow at least once a year and I have never had a wait . Even Bali where the airport is from an other era is very reasonable.The airport authorities should do a complete retrain of their staff, miserable lot and often downright rude , they should sort out their methods and their technology, for goodness sakes, get some experts on the job !  Stop with the nepotism and cronyism. It should be made illegal. ( don’t laugh). 

 

True story coming up...   At one of the US airports a common complaint came up - the wait for baggage was too long.

A 'marketing genius' at the airport resolved the issue by moving the 'arrival gate' further from the baggage area, the baggage arrived at the same time, but as people had a longer walk, they waited less for the baggage and complained less. 

 

I find the 'baggage handling' and timing at Suvarnabumi airport pretty decent, I get fast-tracked through Immigration etc with Thai Elite so am usually one of the first waiting - I'm therefore well aware of the 'wait times'.... 

 

Now that there is a satellite terminal, 'some' will take longer to arrive at the baggage hall and be incredible impressed at their reduced wait time because they've taken an extra 10 mins to get to there. 

 

Thus - the solution to your 'waiting for baggage' is not to fly business, but to travel economy, sit at the back of the plane, you won't have to wait for your baggage !!... 

 

 

Realistically: I'm often in the Baggage hall in less than 10mins from the air-craft doors opening - so a 10-20min wait for baggage is quite reasonable, certainly no worse than many other Airports IMO. 

 

I know Suvarnabumi enjoys a bashing from many on this forum, but travelling around a lot, its one of the better airports, and if the regular Immigration queues which have blighted arrivals can get resolved, this will make a huge difference for many. 

 

It's good to see AOT concentrating on the right thing.

 

Its also good to see the 300 Baht tourist charge not being added, as this was potentially going to cause further choke points unless they could achieve a way for streamlining that and avoiding choke points. 

 

Now they have to address the 'insurance' issue with so many tourists arriving without health / emergency insurance (travel insurance) and their hospital bills are not covered - it would be good for Thailand to find a way in which arrivals can either show they have insurance or purchase cover that ensures they get treatment without the controversy and negative optics that we see in the news.

 

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

On 6/10/2024 at 2:36 AM, webfact said:

This continuous flow system eliminates the need for passengers to go through checks one at a time.

Eh?

 

Yeah...  Someone used AI for that and input 'write an article on automated e-gates in the manner of a tampon advert' !! 

 

Continuous flow is obviously over egging it...   No e-gate system in the world is 'continuous flow'... you still have to stop, scan your passport, get your photo taken, place your finger prints, then when the system ID's you and matches your photo an fingerprints to your biometrics on record you get the green light - its a 30 second process at best, certainly not continuous. 

 

 

[Aussie999]

let's see how it performs with a few planeloads arriving, not just 1 jerk, on a photo op.

[Highlandman]

3 hours ago, kevozman1 said:

 

Opposite to what I experienced.. Always had good experiences in Don Mueang (prior to 2006) and I am not going to lie the overall experience in Thailand was so much better then that maybe I do have some negatives I gloss over, but also I do tend to remember notably negative events and places.. and my land border crossings experience which is only Poipet and Mae Sot-Myawaddy were very drab and not worth talking about. Not sure why you would go into comparing minor land crossings with international airports but hey I guess we all have different ways of reasoning. 

 

Actually I went away for a little while and still struggle to remember many hiccups or delays back then... Did I and everyone I know get lucky or was there similar problems back then with arrivals and departures? I must admit my memory is not the greatest.

 

Whether we're talking land borders or airports, both are entrance points into the country where you have to pass immigration. There really is no difference and thus it IS very relevant to talk about.

 

Poipet is in Cambodia so your experience there isn't relevant to Thailand unless you are referring to Aranyaprathet. 

 

Mae Sot I found less friendly about 10 years ago but they improved after around 2015 once that unfriendly immigration lady I often encountered was transferred to another location. Mae Sot is irrelevant nowadays to us farang as we can't cross there now. It's for Thais and Burmese only.

 

Don Muang prior to 2006 - nope, didn't strike me as being friendly. Most of the time officers would be grumpy, stamp your passport and place it down on the table with no smile, no welcome or sawatdee krab/ka.

 

I have encountered the occasional friendly officer at Suvarnabhumi though. In the immediate post Covid period, late August 2022, the lady immigration officer I had was a gem. Very polite and engaging.

[Highlandman]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

True story coming up...   At one of the US airports a common complaint came up - the wait for baggage was too long.

A 'marketing genius' at the airport resolved the issue by moving the 'arrival gate' further from the baggage area, the baggage arrived at the same time, but as people had a longer walk, they waited less for the baggage and complained less. 

 

I find the 'baggage handling' and timing at Suvarnabumi airport pretty decent, I get fast-tracked through Immigration etc with Thai Elite so am usually one of the first waiting - I'm therefore well aware of the 'wait times'.... 

 

Now that there is a satellite terminal, 'some' will take longer to arrive at the baggage hall and be incredible impressed at their reduced wait time because they've taken an extra 10 mins to get to there. 

 

Thus - the solution to your 'waiting for baggage' is not to fly business, but to travel economy, sit at the back of the plane, you won't have to wait for your baggage !!... 

 

 

Realistically: I'm often in the Baggage hall in less than 10mins from the air-craft doors opening - so a 10-20min wait for baggage is quite reasonable, certainly no worse than many other Airports IMO. 

 

I know Suvarnabumi enjoys a bashing from many on this forum, but travelling around a lot, its one of the better airports, and if the regular Immigration queues which have blighted arrivals can get resolved, this will make a huge difference for many. 

 

It's good to see AOT concentrating on the right thing.

 

Its also good to see the 300 Baht tourist charge not being added, as this was potentially going to cause further choke points unless they could achieve a way for streamlining that and avoiding choke points. 

 

Now they have to address the 'insurance' issue with so many tourists arriving without health / emergency insurance (travel insurance) and their hospital bills are not covered - it would be good for Thailand to find a way in which arrivals can either show they have insurance or purchase cover that ensures they get treatment without the controversy and negative optics that we see in the news.

 

 

Travelers need to exercise personal responsibility, not be forced to buy things.

 

While travel/medical insurance is a good idea, I don't think it should be forced.

 

Myanmar aside, which still requires Covid/medical insurance at least to apply for a visa, all other regional countries have scrapped insurance requirements. Why would/should Thailand impose such a requirement when even Singapore doesn't? 

 

Tourists would stop coming to Thailand and visit Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam instead.

[Cabradelmar]

13 hours ago, still kicking said:

Where I live, we had automated passport checks for years arrival and departure no matter what nationality you are.

Which is where? What airport?

[Lazybones]

13 minutes ago, Cabradelmar said:

Which is where? What airport?

I don't know where this person is from but it's certainly the case in Melbourne

[Cabradelmar]

10 minutes ago, Lazybones said:

I don't know where this person is from but it's certainly the case in Melbourne

For departures. But only people with ePassports (microchipped passports) can use the fully automated Smartgates on arrival 

[Mr Meeseeks]

2 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

let's see how it performs with a few planeloads arriving, not just 1 jerk, on a photo op.

 

It won't work on arrival. 

[black tabby12345]

On 6/10/2024 at 6:19 AM, Robbkk said:

 

Fully automated immigration checkpoint at international arrivals would be wild. 

 

 

A little computer bug can cause  all the mess out there.

The mechanical malfunction and there will be a half-mile line of the irritating people.

And then, they might conclude: Manual processing will be better and safer.

 

Their online 90-day report does not always work.

I know quite a few people who experienced it(including myself).