Foreign visitors arriving at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport are again reportedly facing waits of two to three hours at immigration during some periods, as stricter screening and staff shortages create bottlenecks.

Tourism industry sources say the long queues have returned as a major concern at the airport, with the delay affecting travellers' first experience on arrival in Thailand. The problem is most apparent during busy flight periods, when checks can build into lengthy lines.

Tougher checks add time at the border

One factor is the government's increased scrutiny of suspected Chinese grey-capital groups, transnational criminal networks and the use of special Fast Track services, according to tourism industry sources.

The more detailed screening process means immigration officers need longer to process individual passengers. Arrivals whose information is incomplete, or whose documents require further examination, can add to delays which then accumulate during peak periods.

Previously, some agent networks offered facilitation services allowing tourists to pass through immigration more quickly, charging several hundred baht per person. Following inspections and tighter controls by relevant agencies, those channels have become more restricted, leaving most passengers to use standard immigration queues.

For foreigners living in Thailand, tourists and those arriving to activate or return under a visa, the reported delays mean it may be sensible to allow extra time after landing before booking airport transfers, connecting domestic flights or appointments. Passengers should ensure arrival information and supporting travel documents are complete and readily available.

Immigration staffing remains a constraint

A source at Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) said the other main issue is a shortage of immigration personnel relative to the continuing rise in international passenger numbers.

The airport has expanded its space and increased the number of immigration counters, but staffing at the Immigration Bureau remains insufficient to handle the volume of arriving international passengers, the source said.

Tourism operators believe prolonged immigration waits are damaging Thailand's tourism image at a time when the government is seeking to revive the economy through the sector. They have called on the agencies involved to increase staffing, improve screening procedures and introduce technology to ease congestion.

A priority for Thailand's tourism gateway

Suvarnabhumi is a principal entry point for overseas visitors and returning residents, so delays there can affect holidaymakers, business travellers and expatriates alike. A slow arrival process can also complicate onward travel for passengers heading to other Thai destinations.

Industry figures argue that resolving immigration delays is urgent if Thailand is to retain its position as a regional tourism and aviation hub. They say the first impression created at the border may have a lasting effect on the country's image among visitors.

Picture courtesy of Manager Online

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17 July 2026

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This isn't a queue; it's a mandatory physical fitness test after a 12-hour flight. 🏋️‍

Edited July 16Jul 16 by Nemises

You only get one chance to make a good first impression.

If you really want a bad experience, try JFK as a foreigner!

All the lonely people. Where do they all come from?

-- John & Paul

Already many many years there are complaints about the slow working immigration on the airport. Now suddenly it is claimed extra checks, but everyone who enters must have a TDAC form, and their passport, What more checks do they need to do? and why are other airports much quicker than Thailand? I believe that the main course is that not all the counters are open all the time. Only when there is big queue several desks are starting, but with a constant flow of arrival passenger, they cant handle it anymore and the waiting time is created...With declining arrivals and longer waiting times, the tourists will stay away. Nobody wants to wait hours for entering the country, surely not after a long flight.

The priority lane is not a few hundreds of THB but at least 1700THB which is of course very very expensive, just to enter the country. There must be a reorganization and more immigration officers.. It is now low season and the queues and waiting time is long. What would it be when it is high season??

Edited July 16Jul 16 by ikke1959

53 minutes ago, Jim Waldron said:

You only get one chance to make a good first impression.

If you really want a bad experience, try JFK as a foreigner!

try jfk as anybody

yesterday was aprox 45min ,even to long . all baggage was already deliverd. many people send back in the Q for not have whatever document

bcs i read it before , i tried get a support wheelchair , the airline told me that now is a surcharge of 30 usd since one week ( dont know the airline charge..but they said its the airport) i older so on airport i tried it, need? its not full neccesary

What a joke. Time to properly staff the airport if there are new regulations that is making things take longer. Or if the Chinese are the issue, have a special line for them. No need that everyone should have to wait.

If you haven't got enough staff at the airport then take from the provinces, last year at my marriage visa extension I had 5 officers turn up at my house to do the home visit

What happened to automation? Many countries you "self serve" immigration process through an automated system if you have a passport that is coded.

16 minutes ago, giants49 said:

What a joke. Time to properly staff the airport if there are new regulations that is making things take longer. Or if the Chinese are the issue, have a special line for them. No need that everyone should have to wait.

Time to stop making excuses: it is not as if flights decide to drop down into Swampy at the last minute unannounced! They get many hours warning of a plane being on the way and know how many passengers. So much for the efficiency the TDAC was expected to produce!

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

What more checks do they need to do?

I guess it means they are asking more questions of the traveler. Usually they say nothing. They just check the details of your passport and match it with the TDAC details on their screen. If all the same, they stamp you in and that's it. But if the IOs are questioning travelers now, I can see how that would add to the backlog,

2 hours ago, Yagoda said:

try jfk as anybody

Try LAX and MIA.

Plan for overnight stay instead of same day domestic connection.

Having your driver hanging around for 2-3 hrs might warrant a tip.

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The more detailed screening process means immigration officers need longer to process individual passengers.

So all the automation and digitalization has not made things better. It's made them worse. Why? Because the more they can search and prod and inspect, the more they will do so.

3 hours ago, Jim Waldron said:

You only get one chance to make a good first impression.

If you really want a bad experience, try JFK as a foreigner!

LAX and ORD are as bad, but they are not in Thailand either!

Apparently the safe entries resume from tomorrow and only operate at evening / night times, charging a whopping 8-10K baht instead of the old 3-5K baht as well on top of that it then still requires you to send in all historic stamps before being 'approved'.

Land borders same shizzle with 5-6K + Laos visa + travel costs itself. Then but not least they actively refuse 30 day extensions and not even give the 7 days refusal. It's cooked entirely.

Last but not least they now announced at least 2 times in recent months the 'cabinet decided' 2 times the 'tourism board decided' and informal another X times in the past 1-2 years alone, that the visa would change from 60 to 30 day, none is ever approved in the Royal gazette. All they are doing is in a way not even official law, it is just a power trip play and internal fight clearly.

All this for a poor attempt, with no results that even compensate for the loss they cause, to get a trade agreement with EU, which unlikely they even get on the ends they need it for (agriculture), tourism is irrelevant so is production, lack skills and cost high. Oh yeah and in a bid to join that other soviet style OECD thing.

Edited July 17Jul 17 by sunrisecoconuts

Arrived at BKK 10:30 PM on Wednesday. Took exactly 22 minutes in the immigration queue. Less than one minute from the time I handed over my documents to getting stamped in. 3 guys ahead of me in the queue got sent back to the TDAC kiosks, and this time there was no long discussion or argument like there were in the past.

It was my 40th consecutive monthly arrival, and quite an improvement over the previous 2 or 3 when there was a queue of between one and 2 hours. Luck of the draw, I guess.

Tdac can be filled out 3 days prior so no need to wait until airport. They should have a different line for novices.

7 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Try LAX and MIA.

Plan for overnight stay instead of same day domestic connection.

We travelled back to the States from BKK and landed at MIA. It wasn’t bad, just … is the best word “awkward”? It wasn’t well coordinated, very congested where you initially get your luggage, and then a crazy path one has to take to see the immigration officer. We’re fortunate to have Global Entry, that kept us from the lengthy line, but MIA could absolutely take lessons from other major entry airports! DFW was pretty good!

Just now, Rockyroad said:

Tdac can be filled out 3 days prior so no need to wait until airport. They should have a different line for novices.

TDAC and digital arrival forms have nothing to do with any of this. They are to collect additional general information, same as Singapore, USA, even Europe requires nowadays, that the standard Airline systems not share due to privacy laws in countries to collect all that data in 1 system. That is the reason for that only. The TDAC is not the check your actual visa history or whatever.

Edited July 17Jul 17 by sunrisecoconuts

This kind of thing is thoroughly inexcusable. Immigration has the schedule of all incoming flights and they should be able to prepare for larger than usual crowds at any given point in time. In the case of people coming from America you've just gotten off of 21-hour flight with a connection, and the last thing in the world you want to do after walking 2 km from the gate is wait for hours on a line.

Something must be done urgently. Thailand has already been getting a lot of bad press due to its inconsistent visa policy and unwillingness to address so many problems that have been plaguing the country for decades now. The neighbors are trying a lot harder and doing a much better job of adapting to modern times. Thailand has fallen way behind the curb and unfortunately it continues its march backwards towards oblivion and irrelevance.

Just now, spidermike007 said:

This kind of thing is thoroughly inexcusable. Immigration has the schedule of all incoming flights and they should be able to prepare for larger than usual crowds at any given point in time. In the case of people coming from America you've just gotten off of 21-hour flight with a connection, and the last thing in the world you want to do after walking 2 km from the gate is wait for hours on a line.

Something must be done urgently. Thailand has already been getting a lot of bad press due to its inconsistent visa policy and unwillingness to address so many problems that have been plaguing the country for decades now. The neighbors are trying a lot harder and doing a much better job of adapting to modern times. Thailand has fallen way behind the curb and unfortunately it continues its march backwards towards oblivion and irrelevance.

You don't get it at all either do you? This is not a 'accident' or 'mistake', they are doing a nazi style raid on every arrival, that is the cause. Anyway, it is over after today as already known since a week by the proper connections, the safe entries continue too.

It is as i said so many times already a exact repeat of 2014-2015, 1:1 with everything, except this was a judicial coup without tanks. The EU/USA should be ashamed for themselves for no even seeing this, or pretending to not see it. it's factually proven.

Then this happening the second time in under 12-15 years time, it's time to pack up and leave, just from a moral point of view.

Edited July 17Jul 17 by sunrisecoconuts

No reason to do anything....what you gonna do once here, you are stuck...suck it up 😁

1 minute ago, baansgr said:

No reason to do anything....what you gonna do once here, you are stuck...suck it up 😁

Feel sorry for those who do, plenty of members here are clearly stuck, else you could not possibly be that much in denial.

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1 hour ago, lapamita said:

yesterday was aprox 45min ,even to long . all baggage was already deliverd. many people send back in the Q for not have whatever document

bcs i read it before , i tried get a support wheelchair , the airline told me that now is a surcharge of 30 usd since one week ( dont know the airline charge..but they said its the airport) i older so on airport i tried it, need? its not full neccesary

This business of charging handicapped people for wheelchair access is cruel and inhumane, sad really. All persons requiring help and seniors can exit on the right hand side and have a minimal wait.

Yep, March 2026, I had all my TDAC done, in line BKK 1.5 hours. Barely made my BKK airlines connector as they were closing doors. At the desk, "sorry sir can't guarantee your luggage will make it". As I sat down, looked out the window, truck pulls up, my bag out gets loaded up.

Plug for Bangkok Airways 👍 they rock.

They need to consider opening lanes for those with long term visas.

The scary thing is that it is currently low season. One shudders to think what high season will bring.

I arrived at Phuket yesterday from Singapore. There was a queue for foreigners, but about a third of what I usually see in high season.

I was with my Thai wife so we could go straight through the Thai channel. She pointed out to me a single automated gate sitting tucked away at the far left of the Thai channel. It’s for Thai’s only but since there is never more than 1/2 people in the Thai queue, not used.

So in Phuket at least, there is no automation. The web based arrival page simply replaced the old written forms and the new app simply replaces the old web based arrival card. It’s pretty much stone ages stuff.

I won’t go on about my experience in Singapore immigration because I have done so in other threads. Suffice it to say, it is technologically miles ahead of Thailand.