Immigration At Airport

[hotgeekus]

Left airport (su-wanna-poon) and for the first time I can remember, I got photographed by webcam at immigration (ie, like first time at Bummengrad). Not that I care, I don't mind. But there was a long wait at the immigration check, as it seems new. Anyone know what this is for?

I really don't care and I feel sorry for whoever is behind me, as I have tons of stamps since I arrived in los last May. I have proper paperwork, but they have to check lots, as the stamps are from going out with significant other, getting tv every three months. I think my average time going or returning is in excess of 6-7 minutes. Last time the immigration officer even asked for a favor when I gave him my business card....

This becomes a fun procedure, I wonder how you can go to Hong Kong and get through in 10 seconds and Thailand needs 10 minutes. I guess that is job security for them...

[skippybangkok]

This becomes a fun procedure, I wonder how you can go to Hong Kong and get through in 10 seconds and Thailand needs 10 minutes. I guess that is job security for them...

Quite normal, in HK and Singapore ( both places I dont like by the way ) they have a quick system, obviously had the productivity consultants over haul the process.

If it were me, I would want to use my staff time for verifying the person and their validity for entering the country rather than wasting alot of time on paper work which could be automated / improved.

[londonthai]

they had cameras in Don Muang - in the new airport they wanted to install fingertip reading (like in the us of a), but nothing happened out of it.

so go back to cameras - but really it's more to scare tourists (and give more work for the emmigration officers than convenience or security).

in majority of the countries they use passport barcod readers on all border crossings (like in hkk) linked with the central database. In thailand there is probably no central database or some of the border crossings don't have those mashines. Thus why stamps have to be counted on the calculator/paper instead by the central computer database in Bangkok.

Edited August 2, 2007 by londonthai

[skippybangkok]

they had cameras in Don Muang - in the new airport they wanted to install fingertip reading (like in the us of a), but nothing happened out of it.

so go back to cameras - but really it's more to scare tourists (and give more work for the emmigration officers than convenience or security).

in majority of the countries they use passport barcod readers on all border crossings (like in hkk) linked with the central database. In thailand there is probably no central database or some of the border crossings don't have those mashines. Thus why stamps have to be counted on the calculator/paper instead by the central computer database in Bangkok.

Aparently its the room of no return where they get stored ( them little slips ) - 1,2 heave hooooooooo

[IMA_FARANG]

Left airport (su-wanna-poon) and for the first time I can remember, I got photographed by webcam at immigration (ie, like first time at Bummengrad). Not that I care, I don't mind. But there was a long wait at the immigration check, as it seems new. Anyone know what this is for?

I really don't care and I feel sorry for whoever is behind me, as I have tons of stamps since I arrived in los last May. I have proper paperwork, but they have to check lots, as the stamps are from going out with significant other, getting tv every three months. I think my average time going or returning is in excess of 6-7 minutes. Last time the immigration officer even asked for a favor when I gave him my business card....

This becomes a fun procedure, I wonder how you can go to Hong Kong and get through in 10 seconds and Thailand needs 10 minutes. I guess that is job security for them...

The last time I came through the airport (in June this year), the photo process added all of 30 seconds to the immigration (stamp on arrival) process. Most of the delay was due to the inspector looking through the passport and trying to calculate "how many days" I had been out of country since my last arrival.

The photo thing has been in effect a good two years, I guess. And if you want to be paranoid about something...well it has to do with Interpol and the international registry of pedophile suspects...a database of known suspects of suspected child sex offenders.

Beyond that, how the photos are processed and who does the processing, I have no idea.

[jackspratt]

And if you want to be paranoid about something...well it has to do with Interpol and the international registry of pedophile suspects...a database of known suspects of suspected child sex offenders.

How does this work - if a ped is using their correct name in their passport, and it is on the "international registry of pedophile suspects", how does a photo assist?

If they have a false passport, same question. Does the Thai immigration photo database scan against the photos held on the "international registry of pedophile suspects"?

[londonthai]

as I remember they introduced cameras in Don Muang shortly after the tsunami - so probably it has more to do with the internal security than cooperation with the other countries about pedophiles

[jackspratt]

as I remember they introduced cameras in Don Muang shortly after the tsunami - so probably it has more to do with the internal security than cooperation with the other countries about pedophiles

Precisely!