Suvarnabhoomi Airport Immigration Taking Photographs

[sam6345]

I was returning from Bangkok on my second tourist visa last week when to my surprise I was asked by the immigration person at the desk to pose for a photagraph. Is this a regular thing for outgoing tourists?

[Forkinhades]

I was returning from Bangkok on my second tourist visa last week when to my surprise I was asked by the immigration person at the desk to pose for a photagraph. Is this a regular thing for outgoing tourists?

looks like your time is up, just give yourself in to your authorities

[Krub]

I was returning from Bangkok on my second tourist visa last week when to my surprise I was asked by the immigration person at the desk to pose for a photagraph. Is this a regular thing for outgoing tourists?

Yes standard procedure

[londonthai]

standard

discussed 2 days ago

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=133595&hl=

[SmokeandIce]

I just passed through last night, and the photos were taken of both tourists as well as Thai citizens.

[WAERTH]

yep it is standard. In the past 6 weeks I have had my photo taken six times. The last time I asked the immigration officer if my picture was selling that well that they needed new ones every time I come through. He had a good laugh!

Waerth

[londonthai]

if they are taking photographs more than 1 time means that they don't store them - so the whole exercise is to give more work hours/money for the emigration officers and their bosses as well as to scare the population.

On my first visit to thailand back when the photo taking was introduced in don muang in 2005, they photographed me on my departure - as I have entered on a 15 days visa on arrival, so no digital photo was taken just handing out a hard cophy. On each consequitive visit they never bothered to update my pics.

[Krub]

if they are taking photographs more than 1 time means that they don't store them - so the whole exercise is to give more work hours/money for the emigration officers and their bosses as well as to scare the population.

On my first visit to thailand back when the photo taking was introduced in don muang in 2005, they photographed me on my departure - as I have entered on a 15 days visa on arrival, so no digital photo was taken just handing out a hard cophy. On each consequitive visit they never bothered to update my pics.

They do store them together with your entry/exit details.

I always travel with the same bright yellow t-shirt for confort. I must ahve enterred/exited Thailand with this t-shirt on memorethan 30 times.

Last time the officer said to me 'you must love that t-shirt' and he pointed to his screen scrolling allthe pictures and sure enough (i went behind to look) he had access to all the pictures each time I passed at the airport.

[bartender100]

I was returning from Bangkok on my second tourist visa last week when to my surprise I was asked by the immigration person at the desk to pose for a photagraph. Is this a regular thing for outgoing tourists?

They even do this at Norwich International Airport ,do you not travel much?

[hotgeekus]

I bet the computers are not networked, so as long as you go to a different computer every time, you will be safe.....!!!!

[londonthai]

he had access to all the pictures each time I passed at the airport.

I don't see much sense why they would need your pic from each single entry other than to scare and intimidate you (you feel a little like a criminal when an official takes your picture) - maybe taking a pic is not that much time consuming, but is pointless and clogs their system with useless info.

Of all airports I have been to I have seen cameras taking pictures only in Cork airport in Ireland (but you didn't have to pose to the picture - they were just pointed at your face).

In any case - can be considered as a human rights violation if taken without reason

[Krub]

he had access to all the pictures each time I passed at the airport.

I don't see much sense why they would need your pic from each single entry other than to scare and intimidate you (you feel a little like a criminal when an official takes your picture) - maybe taking a pic is not that much time consuming, but is pointless and clogs their system with useless info.

Of all airports I have been to I have seen cameras taking pictures only in Cork airport in Ireland (but you didn't have to pose to the picture - they were just pointed at your face).

In any case - can be considered as a human rights violation if taken without reason

You've obviously never enterred the USA via Honolulu.

There they not only takeyour picture each time but also fingerprints of at least 2 fingers also each timeand they are online and they are checked against a database

Welcome to the free world !

[siam2007]

most people staying in Thailand for a longer period would be surprised or rather shocked to learn what kind and what a lot of information the immigration was able to get about them and their lifestyle in LOS....

by the way, do they do this "foto-shooting" only @ BKK ? or did they start doing the same at any other airport already ?

[K2K]

by the way, do they do this "foto-shooting" only @ BKK ? or did they start doing the same at any other airport already ?

In Phuket they have been doing this for ~2 years now.

[londonthai]

they started taking them after the tsunami - probably related to it.

in suvarnabhoomi they planned to scan fingertips, but a few months ago went back to taking photos