Immigration System Overhaul Underway at Suvarnabhumi Airport

[webfact]

File photo courtesy: Matichon

 

Thailand's Immigration Bureau (IB) announced plans to enhance services at Suvarnabhumi Airport, aiming to strike a balance between streamlined efficiency and national security. The changes will be driven by the development of the Thailand Immigration System (TIS), which aims to modernise the immigration process with advanced technology.

 

Discussing this initiative, Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimpadee, head of Immigration Division 2, emphasised the importance of integrating faster services for the anticipated influx of passengers.

 

With prior experience in managing immigration at five key international airports, Maj Gen Choengron is well-placed to lead these improvements.

 

With Suvarnabhumi currently accommodating an average of 120,000 passengers daily, projections for peak season suggest this number could rise to 135,000.

 

Hence, the need for additional staff and resources is pressing, following the Prime Minister's recent visit highlighting the issue of congestion.

 

To address these challenges, new systems have been introduced to reduce the processing time per passenger from 1-2 minutes to approximately 45 seconds.

 

The elimination of certain steps, such as manually entering flight data, will contribute to these efficiencies. As a result, the total waiting time, including queuing, is expected to be under 20 minutes.

The planned roll-out of the Advanced Passenger Processing System (APPS) further aims to bolster security by flagging individuals wanted internationally before they even reach passport control.

 

Looking ahead, the IB aims to complete the TIS within two years, integrating AI for enhanced security measures. Automatic channels mirroring those at Singapore’s Changi Airport could further streamline processes.

 

While these technological upgrades promise speedier services, the dedication to national safety remains paramount, with immigration officers keeping vigilant to prevent potential threats, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2024-11-18

 

 

[Mburo]

Oh….so it’s  “within you years “….says it all. 

[Edwin Cameron]

Hopefully they keep the 'Immigration chanels' for the elderly travellers,they shouldn't have to wait in a queu.

[GoodieAfterDark]

 

[kwilco]

Thai authorities and IT.....makes me shiver!

[daveAustin]

Came through couple times this year and despite long lines it was pretty quick and polite. Peak season another matter I guess. Just let the Chinese walk right in… as we all know they’re squeaky clean. 🙂

[CygnusX1]

Took me 95 minutes to get through immigration arriving at Sydney airport, with its 100% electronic system, a couple of months back. Hope Thailand’s not going to introduce anything like that.

[tandor]

22 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Came through couple times this year and despite long lines it was pretty quick and polite. Peak season another matter I guess. Just let the Chinese walk right in… as we all know they’re squeaky clean. 🙂

..and all look the same (so I'm told)

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the dedication to national safety remains paramount, with immigration officers keeping vigilant to prevent potential threats

vs

the dedication to their wallet remains paramount, with officers keeping vigilant not to miss any backhander opportunity

[NedR69]

I've never seen long immigration lines in Suvarnabhumi, either arriving or stamping out, except during early quarantine days.  IME, it's always the check-in with the airline that is slow.  But that experience was when I flew Qatar flying west.  Going in the other direction, Korean has a lot fewer bottom feeders, and the check-in and inflight experience is better.

[Pompeygeezer]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

Came through couple times this year and despite long lines it was pretty quick and polite. Peak season another matter I guess. Just let the Chinese walk right in… as we all know they’re squeaky clean. 🙂

Polite!!!  

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, Edwin Cameron said:

Hopefully they keep the 'Immigration chanels' for the elderly travellers,they shouldn't have to wait in a queu.

They don't have to. Over 70s can come through the Thai passport channels and now they have the auto gates there is very few at the kiosks. When I came back a fortnight ago only one in front of me.

Going out was even quicker, straight through an auto gate.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

Thai authorities and IT.....makes me shiver!

Indeed, regular disruptions similar to Heathrow could be the way forward here.

[Cuchulainn]

Abolish the draconian 90 day reporting nonsense and send the 90 day staff at CW to help at the airport.

 

Or is that too sensible?🤣

[richard_smith237]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The elimination of certain steps, such as manually entering flight data, will contribute to these efficiencies. As a result, the total waiting time, including queuing, is expected to be under 20 minutes.

 

 

These folk seem to have trouble with this issue...  

... Its not the processing time thats the issue - it never has been. Its the queueing time.

 

Of course, processing time impacts queueing time, but having enough kiosks open is the very basic and very simple solution that never seems to be taken on board, over the past few years, reading all the similar 'reports' and 'announcements' about improving air-port services, not once I have I read that there will me more immigration officers manning more desks to reduce the congestion. 

 

 

30 minutes ago, Cuchulainn said:

Abolish the draconian 90 day reporting nonsense and send the 90 day staff at CW to help at the airport.

 

Or is that too sensible?🤣

 

Too sensible - Quite a logical solution, but I suspect the issue would be 'face' whereby certain immigration officers believe they are above the 'manual leg work' of sitting at an air-port immigration kiosk... 

[richard_smith237]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

including queuing, is expected to be under 20 minutes.

 

20mins is not unreasonable given the queues in other airports (UK, Tokyo etc)... But it should not be a target, as its really too long. 

If Thailand wants to 'woo' the tourists - they should be taking measures to make the Immigration Line completely forgettable, i.e. less than 10mins at the very most.

[Cadan]

Left abroad Saturday and the airport around 6 am is super busy. However this time was amazing with the automated system for passengers to leave. Zero queue. I could not believe how quiet it was. Almost deserted. Even hand luggage checking improved. Really well done. The best I have ever seen it. Once they figure out arrivals it will be an amazing experience. Amazing Thailand. It takes time but once it’s done its world class 😁👏

[StayinThailand2much]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

To address these challenges, new systems have been introduced to reduce the processing time per passenger from 1-2 minutes to approximately 45 seconds.

 

1-2 minutes?? Not in my experience, at least not at Arrival. 1 to 2 minutes checks out for the efficient processing at Departure, but at Arrival it's more like 3-5... I always worry, whether the IOs there know how to read the data, or why it is so slow. 

[Sydebolle]

Less systems, less working groups, less forms, less paragraphs, well TM1-TM9999 ......... would be the answer. 

Look at Singapore, look at Europe - they managed immigration issues without all those police generals, police lieutenants and what-else-you-may-have.

Completely overloaded bureaucracy ...........  

[BigStar]

39 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Look at Singapore, look at Europe - they managed immigration issues without all those police generals, police lieutenants and what-else-you-may-have.

 

Or look at Sydney:

 

3 hours ago, CygnusX1 said:

Took me 95 minutes to get through immigration arriving at Sydney airport, with its 100% electronic system, a couple of months back.

 

 

[Patong2021]

42 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Less systems, less working groups, less forms, less paragraphs, well TM1-TM9999 ......... would be the answer. 

Look at Singapore, look at Europe - they managed immigration issues without all those police generals, police lieutenants and what-else-you-may-have.

Completely overloaded bureaucracy ...........  

 

Europe is still a nightmare at many airports. CDG was a zoo last time I was there, as was FCO. FRA and AMS are wonderful, but I cam through  at offpeak hours.

Singapore only has to handle 14 million or so  visitors. Bangkok is on target for 40 million+  international visitors this year.

 

[daveAustin]

4 hours ago, Pompeygeezer said:

Polite!!!  

Yes, believe it or not. Have rarely, if ever, had a problem with them especially in recent years. My last entrance was very pleasant... the lovely young lady was most smiley apologetic on realising her error when asking how many days I'd be staying, having previously seen that I was on an ext' of stay. When I said 365, it tickled her pink. It was so gratifying that I was nearly tempted to ask for her LINE.

 

I guess it depends who you meet and what kind of day they're having, and if the imm officer finds themself staring at an unkempt, loud, tattooed & ancient wife-beater-wearing whitey. 😋

[Guderian]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The changes will be driven by the development of the Thailand Immigration System (TIS)

 

They missed a chance there and should have called it the Thailand Immigration Technology System. Visitors would love the acronym, lol.

[Burma Bill]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The changes will be driven by the development of the Thailand Immigration System (TIS), which aims to modernise the immigration process with advanced technology

FOR REFERENCE:

 

My apologies if I have mistaken this technology as the "facial recognition system", which is supposed to be in operation.

 

Last Thursday 14th November, I returned home to Siem Reap (SAI Cambodia) from Chiang Mai (CNX) using Air Asia's "Fly-thru" service.

On arrival at Air Asia's check-in desk, I was issued with two boarding passes CNX to DMK and DMK to SAI. The new facial recognition technology was installed but not operational. In fact the camera was blocked by an AA placard explaining cabin baggage size and weight. At the Immigration desk I presented my passport and both boarding passes, eventually being cleared to leave Thailand. At the departure gate, all passengers had to show their boarding passes.

 

So much for the new Thai technology operational from 1st October - defunct!!

 

 

 

 

[BigStar]

53 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

So much for the new Thai technology operational from 1st October - defunct!!

 

I don't recall any article promising the system operational in CNX from 1st October. Link?

[Burma Bill]

1 hour ago, BigStar said:

 

I don't recall any article promising the system operational in CNX from 1st October. Link?

 

My sincere apologies - I should have quoted the 1st November 2024

In reality, when I travelled from CNX to DMK on 14th November 2024, no such identification system was in operation - i.e. defunct!

 

Reference Google:

 

As of November 1, 2024, six airports—including Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Mae Fah Luang/Chiang Rai, Phuket, and Hat Yai—now use automated biometric identification for domestic travelers.Nov 6, 2024

[impulse]

I've flown into Swampy every month for the past 19, and I've been extremely pleased at the short immigration queues. Mostly, less than 5 minutes with one or 2 times being 20 minutes.  None longer. 

 

Departure immigration has also gotten shorter with the automated lines.

 

Worlds better than clearing immigration into the USA...  That's a cluster something that rhymes with duck.

 

[khunjeff]

Is the good general clueless? Or does he think we're clueless? Or did the reporter just cut and paste from old stories? 

 

14 hours ago, webfact said:

new systems have been introduced to reduce the processing time per passenger from 1-2 minutes to approximately 45 seconds.

 

This is from 1 Dec 2022:

 

"Commander of the Immigration Bureau Pol. Maj. Gen. Choengron Rimphadee has said that officials only spend 45 seconds checking each arrival's passport information, visa status, biometric information, and blacklist status."

 

https://domesticflightsthailand.com/news/suvarnabhumi-airport-ready-to-process-150-passengers-each-minute

 

And this is from 5 Feb 2024:

 

"The inspection revealed that it normally takes about 45 seconds for a person to enter Suvarnabhumi Airport."

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/tourism/2024/02/05/pm-evaluates-the-suvarnabhumi-issues-with-his-own-eyes/

 

15 hours ago, webfact said:

The planned roll-out of the Advanced Passenger Processing System (APPS) further aims to bolster security by flagging individuals wanted internationally before they even reach passport control.

 

That's very interesting, because APPS has already been in use for the past nine years: 

 

"AOT will start using Thailand APPS on 1 December 2015. Arrival passenger, transit-transfer passenger and departure passenger will be charged 35 THB."

 

https://dcs.aero/product/thailand-api/

 

If you don't believe that, look at any international ticket that you've bought since that date, and in the "taxes and surcharges" section you'll see that 35 baht fee under the code E7...

 

 

[Captain Flack]

A trolling anti thai post has been removed.

 

@NoshowJones Reminder of Rule 14. You will not post slurs, degrading, or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, Thai people, Thai culture, Thai institutions such as the military, judicial or law enforcement system, or specific locations within Thailand.

[geisha]

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

20mins is not unreasonable given the queues in other airports (UK, Tokyo etc)... But it should not be a target, as its really too long. 

If Thailand wants to 'woo' the tourists - they should be taking measures to make the Immigration Line completely forgettable, i.e. less than 10mins at the very most.

I always fly into terminal 5 Heathrow. There are dozens of swipe passport lanes and I’ve never waited a minute . Though I’ve never been I during summer holidays. 
Thailand has been disgraceful up to now. Let’s hope they get the right machines in to actually welcome people into their country. And important  , sort out the baggage belt interminable wait !!    I believe there should be separate machines/ queues for Chinese and manned by Chinese speaking immigration helpers, as they always seem to have some sort of problem .