No more fast track immigration arrivals at BKK airport for biz/first class passengers?

[soi3eddie]

 

I just saw this article on Loyalty Lobby. No more fast track immigration arrivals at BKK airport for business and first class passengers. It seems that they are still keeping Priority immigration for seniors, disabled, pregnant pax, etc.

If Thai Immigration were efficient all the time and not so "hit or miss" regarding waiting times, then no fast track line would be needed. So many times I've arrived and the wait has been over one hour. Admittedly, on rare occassion, I have entered a totally empty immigration arrival hall as first passenger. Unfortunately, it is never possible to predict just what chaos, or otherwise, awaits. A 10-20 minute wait is acceptable but longer than that is not. They should keep fast track.

 

[georgegeorgia]

I'm glad they ended it ,it was discriminatory 

Having said that ,on my last trip I bought a walking 🏒 from Lazada and walked fast to the checkout then as I got slow I started to use the stick ,then I ended up in fasttrack 

 

I pretended I was- Brian -then I  thought I could be still kicking ...a still kicking Brian 

Edited August 22 by georgegeorgia

[Hummin]

Arriving with your wife helps.

Edited August 22 by Hummin

[Ralf001]

does this also include BOI fast track ?

[Foxx]

The link in the first post is wrong.  It should be 

https://loyaltylobby.com/2024/08/22/bangkok-airport-removes-fast-track-immigration-on-arrival-for-first-business-class-travelers/

[farmerjo]

So if no business fast track.

Does a retirement stamp in passport count as long stay to still go thru fast track.

Anyone tried it?

 

 

[bigt3116]

11 minutes ago, farmerjo said:

So if no business fast track.

Does a retirement stamp in passport count as long stay to still go thru fast track.

Anyone tried it?

 

 

 

If you are over 70

 

[farmerjo]

4 minutes ago, bigt3116 said:

 

If you are over 70

 

Ok that counts that out then.

The reason i asked is when i fly in if international flight is late arriving sometimes Thai will have a rep usher me to domestic flight.(2.5 hours difference)

If on time and no business fast track it will make it tight as the lines at immigration are normally chockers that time of day.

[Smokey and the Bandit]

It depends on what time you land to a large degree.

I have landed early morning on my last three entries into Thailand at BKK airport, at around 8.00am.

I had about a 3 minute wait at immigration, 2 people in front of me.

After lunch time the waiting times increase exponentially.

I know you can't always pick and choose, flights get delayed etc

[BrandonJT]

1 hour ago, farmerjo said:

So if no business fast track.

Does a retirement stamp in passport count as long stay to still go thru fast track.

Anyone tried it?

 

 

Long Stay = LTR Visa

[retarius]

Someone told me that you could use the priority lane if you were over 70, which I am. I usually fly business class and so use the priority lane with the business class ticket. I guess I can still use the lane now due to my age? 

[brianthainess]

5 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

I'm glad they ended it ,it was discriminatory 

Having said that ,on my last trip I bought a walking 🏒 from Lazada and walked fast to the checkout then as I got slow I started to use the stick ,then I ended up in fasttrack 

 

I pretended I was- Brian -then I  thought I could be still kicking ...a still kicking Brian 

If you Travel to/via India being in a wheelchair can take even longer as so many like to use them. IME.

[Mike Teavee]

Last time I returned to Thailand (May) I couldn't find the Fast Track channel but the standard lanes were pretty empty so I went through those... Ended up spending longer walking to find Fast Track than it would have been to just go through the 1st Standard channel & when I got to the 2nd one I found I had to walk all the way back because my luggage was on a belt outside that 1st one 😞. 

 

Can't say I'm happy about this as Fast Track access is more important to me than lounge access (I hate queuing) but in the UK (Manchester anyway) arriving Business/First Class travellers don't have Fast Track unless they use the paid for service either so Thailand isn't alone in doing this.

 

Edited August 23 by Mike Teavee

[dginoob]

7 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

does this also include BOI fast track ?

What is this?

[J Branche]

Agreed that Fast Track on International arrival is not posted well.  Or some employees are not informed of who may use.  Mid April 2024 arrived, looked for signs and attempted to enter around 3.  Told to walk down, then told to walk back, half way Official opened entry for my Retirement Visa entry. Around 10am no queue.

 

If anyone has photos or detailed description of fast track entry lanes for Long Stay visa holders it would be helpful.

[Captain Monday]

What about Thailand Elite?

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, Captain Monday said:

What about Thailand Elite?

Thailand elite is picked up by the arriving  gate, and transported through. Same service as the fast track airport services you could buy before. Not sure they are operative anymore.

[Satcommlee]

They have to suspend it to sort it out, especially the continued abuse by private companies chaperoning people through the diplomatic channel which was quite a scandal a few months ago. EIther they want to monetise it properly, or increase the tea-money..

My credit card is apparently offering me Fast Trak at Suvarnabuhmi on arrival and departure when they introduce DragonPass in a few months..

 

[cjinchiangrai]

3 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

It depends on what time you land to a large degree.

I have landed early morning on my last three entries into Thailand at BKK airport, at around 8.00am.

I had about a 3 minute wait at immigration, 2 people in front of me.

After lunch time the waiting times increase exponentially.

I know you can't always pick and choose, flights get delayed etc

That won't happen at midnight when all of the jumbos from Europe start coming in.

[cjinchiangrai]

What about APEC? Diplomats? Crew? It still needs to be there to meet contractual requirements.

[khunjeff]

7 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

does this also include BOI fast track ?

 

No. As the linked article mentions, 

 

"There is also a Diplomats/Officials lane, which includes access for travelers with an APEC Business Travel Card and certain Thai Visa holders such as those issued by the Board of Investment."

[khunjeff]

1 minute ago, cjinchiangrai said:

What about APEC? Diplomats? Crew? It still needs to be there to meet contractual requirements.

 

Those are still handled at Immigration Zone 2, next to Visa on Arrival. Premium class passengers were kicked out of that zone last year, and shunted over towards the Thai Citizens queue. The article is saying that First and Business class pax can no longer use that "new" queue, though elderly and disabled apparently still can. 

 

It's honestly rather strange that this is happening, especially with no announcement having been made (that I'm aware of). Premium pax can still use Fast Track on departure, so the idea hasn't gone away, and airlines were paying for the service anyway. I have to wonder whether this is just a temporary change during a renovation project or something (that has been very poorly communicated).

[Will B Good]

4 hours ago, farmerjo said:

So if no business fast track.

Does a retirement stamp in passport count as long stay to still go thru fast track.

Anyone tried it?

 

 

 

 

I flash mine to sneak through the Thai passport check.....works every time with or without SWMBO.

[georgegeorgia]

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

If you Travel to/via India being in a wheelchair can take even longer as so many like to use them. IME.

Your right Brian 😂 

I noticed that even in BKK , something about indian passengers using wheelchairs!

They seem to be lazy 

Oh don't be racist ! 

[jerrymahoney]

I don't know about fast-track entry but for fast-track exit it is posted age 70

[sabaijai]

I believe the Fasttrack and Priority Lines are not the same.

[PeachCH]

No more. Can't also no more buy fast lane through Klook. 

I'm old 🧓, in this case great 😁, have my fast track. 

[Ralf001]

1 hour ago, khunjeff said:

 

No. As the linked article mentions, 

 

"There is also a Diplomats/Officials lane, which includes access for travelers with an APEC Business Travel Card and certain Thai Visa holders such as those issued by the Board of Investment."

 

Nice, thanks.

[Foxx]

Former Prime Minister Srettha said he wanted to restore Suvarnabhumi Airport's status as a top 20 global airport within five years.

https://thailand.prd.go.th/en/content/category/detail/id/52/iid/265164

And the Tourism Authority of Thailand is constantly banging on how it wants to attract quality tourists.

I'm not sure that making first class passengers queue up for an hour or more on arrival just to get through Immigration (where perhaps half the desks are unmanned) is really going to contribute to those goals.

[Irish star]

17 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

I just saw this article on Loyalty Lobby. No more fast track immigration arrivals at BKK airport for business and first class passengers. It seems that they are still keeping Priority immigration for seniors, disabled, pregnant pax, etc.

If Thai Immigration were efficient all the time and not so "hit or miss" regarding waiting times, then no fast track line would be needed. So many times I've arrived and the wait has been over one hour. Admittedly, on rare occassion, I have entered a totally empty immigration arrival hall as first passenger. Unfortunately, it is never possible to predict just what chaos, or otherwise, awaits. A 10-20 minute wait is acceptable but longer than that is not. They should keep fast track.

 

Probably Chinese also