Thailand's PM Paetongtarn Pushes Airport Upgrade for Tourist Season

[webfact]

Picture courtesy: National News Bureau of Thailand

 

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently made a noteworthy visit to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, underscoring the urgency of improvements ahead of Thailand's bustling tourist season.

 

The visit saw her closely assessing the airport services alongside a delegation that included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Juangroongruangkit and Minister of Tourism Sorawong Thienthong.

 

This move aims to enhance service quality, elevate Thailand's status as a travel hub, and invigorate the economy through tourism.

 

Meeting with officials at the airport, the Prime Minister highlighted the necessity of making international visitors feel welcome. She called for more cohesive efforts from various agencies and volunteers to manage the influx of tourists smoothly.

 

She placed particular emphasis on embracing Thailand's Soft Power, envisioning efficient check-in processes bolstered by technological advancements to streamline service flows.

 

 

One key feature during her visit was the airport's Biometric Identification System. This innovation leverages facial recognition technology to expedite traveller entry and exit, a crucial factor for a seamless experience, especially in northern regions recovering from recent floods.

 

Prime Minister Shinawatra, who is set to attend the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru, expressed her ambition to engage further with airport authorities on these upgrades.

 

Government Spokesperson Jirayu Huangsub revealed a 19.2% rise in passenger traffic for 2024, with major tourist contributions from China, India, and South Korea.

 

Automated systems, like Common Use Self-Service kiosks and Automated Passport Control, have already cut waiting times significantly.

 

Additionally, the newly opened Midfield Satellite Concourse, a nominee for UNESCO's Prix Versailles award, expands Suvarnabhumi's capacity, fortifying its position in regional tourism and aviation, reported NBT World.

 

-- 2024-11-12

 

 

[Luuk Chaai]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy: National News Bureau of Thailand

 

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently made a noteworthy visit to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, underscoring the urgency of improvements ahead of Thailand's bustling tourist season.

 

The visit saw her closely assessing the airport services alongside a delegation that included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Juangroongruangkit and Minister of Tourism Sorawong Thienthong.

 

This move aims to enhance service quality, elevate Thailand's status as a travel hub, and invigorate the economy through tourism.

 

Meeting with officials at the airport, the Prime Minister highlighted the necessity of making international visitors feel welcome. She called for more cohesive efforts from various agencies and volunteers to manage the influx of tourists smoothly.

 

She placed particular emphasis on embracing Thailand's Soft Power, envisioning efficient check-in processes bolstered by technological advancements to streamline service flows.

 

 

One key feature during her visit was the airport's Biometric Identification System. This innovation leverages facial recognition technology to expedite traveller entry and exit, a crucial factor for a seamless experience, especially in northern regions recovering from recent floods.

 

Prime Minister Shinawatra, who is set to attend the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru, expressed her ambition to engage further with airport authorities on these upgrades.

 

Government Spokesperson Jirayu Huangsub revealed a 19.2% rise in passenger traffic for 2024, with major tourist contributions from China, India, and South Korea.

 

Automated systems, like Common Use Self-Service kiosks and Automated Passport Control, have already cut waiting times significantly.

 

Additionally, the newly opened Midfield Satellite Concourse, a nominee for UNESCO's Prix Versailles award, expands Suvarnabhumi's capacity, fortifying its position in regional tourism and aviation, reported NBT World.

 

-- 2024-11-12

 

 

too late for this tourist season ...    how about putting the money and efforts to good use ....

especially in northern regions recovering from recent floods.

[Mburo]

Before the busy season ? I thought the busy season had already started . More blah, blah….

[Stevemercer]

I used the facial recognition gates to catch my plane to Australia last week. It worked fine. But it was a bit un-nerving to see the vast rooms of empty border control lines. I wonder where all the immigration staff will be redeployed?

[Jack Hammer]

During the high season months they should open up more manual check-in counters. Every time I have arrive in Bangkok there is always a sea of heads  waiting to get through Immigration and there are numerous  rows  of empty check-in counters.

[Cabradelmar]

Nothing like waiting to the last minute to act 😂 😂 what BKK really needs is redesign of SAT-1 so checked bags don't take 1 hour to make it to the luggage carousel 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

This move aims to enhance service quality, elevate Thailand's status as a travel hub, and invigorate the economy through tourism.

Didn't Srettha do the same thing?

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Stevemercer said:

I used the facial recognition gates to catch my plane to Australia last week. It worked fine. But it was a bit un-nerving to see the vast rooms of empty border control lines. I wonder where all the immigration staff will be redeployed?

Inactive staff room?

[Smokey and the Bandit]

"Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently made a noteworthy visit to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, underscoring the urgency of improvements ahead of Thailand's bustling tourist season"

 

Does it say WHICH YEAR?😂

[RandolphGB]

Leaving Thailand is much smoother with the new machines. Coming back through immigration is still a drag. The immigration cops are all as thick as rocks and can't organize even the simplest queue system. 

[Deez]

Who cares what the unelected nepotism girl has to stay.

[Sydebolle]

5 hours ago, Stevemercer said:

I used the facial recognition gates to catch my plane to Australia last week. It worked fine. But it was a bit un-nerving to see the vast rooms of empty border control lines. I wonder where all the immigration staff will be redeployed?

They will be reassigned with some more interesting bureaucratic f-a-rts, the 90 days might be boiled to 30 days or someone has to check, if all the photocopies are signed with exclusively blue ink. If I see, what the immigration madness has resulted in this country ...... the sky is the limit! 

[outsider]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently made a noteworthy visit to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, underscoring the urgency of...

 

Shouldn't they talk about upgrades months before the tourist season actually started, instead of now, so that there's time to implement the upgrades? If the upgrades were really going to happen, that is. What this farce actually underscored is how immensely clueless this unelected kid and those manning her puppet-strings, are. 

[billd766]

Who will pay for the upgrade?

 

Let it be Phuket who will benefit, and if they need money, go to the AOT (who will also benefit) and TOT for it and NOT the people of Thailand, the majority of whom will never use it.

[Spamhead]

Obviously a last minute decision. She was in such a rush she forgot her shoes and had to

borrow a pair. Wrong colour and three sizes too big.

[watchcat]

23 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

too late for this tourist season ...    how about putting the money and efforts to good use ....

especially in northern regions recovering from recent floods.

 

And what about the vote buying 10000 baht?

[treetops]

On 11/11/2024 at 10:07 PM, Stevemercer said:

I used the facial recognition gates to catch my plane to Australia last week. It worked fine.

 

I noticed these going airside and at the gate on a domestic departure a couple of weeks ago but they weren't then in use.  What's the process to use them on international departures?

[Stevemercer]

I think they are trialling them at the international airport departures during 0ff-peak times.