Immigration At Airport Longest On The Planet!

[pepi2005]

Hello,

just have to air my feelings about Immigration at the airport ... now it happened the THIRD time in a row to me (means: it happened every time I arrived at the new airport) that I crossed the corner before the immigration officers just to find endless rows of people and having to queue at least ONE HOUR just to get my surveillance photo done and the stamp in my passport.

I'm sure the officers at immigation are innocent for it, but maybe someone who reads this and knows someone who knows someone could ask this special person in which way the new airport has improved in this matter (I never had to wait longer than 5 minutes at the old one), and if there are plans in distant future to improve the situation even more....

[tropo]

Your delays at Immigration have nothing to do with the new airport. It's the new visa regulations that necessitate a much longer inspection of passports that is to blame for your delays.

[sriracha john]

They want you to stand in line for an hour plus in order for you to gaze about.... in anticipation that given this extra time you will fully appreciate what a wonderfully designed new airport it is.

Edited September 12, 2007 by sriracha john

[Maigo6]

Sometimes I get lucky and don't wait too long, it depends on what time of day you arrive.

Same in Japan, I have been lucky at times and was the first in the line, other times I have been waiting a very long time, they're pretty efficient in Tokyo but Immigration queues are just something we travellers have to put up with.

As Tropo pointed out, the new Visa regs don't help either.

[mr_hippo]

Only one hour? Think yourself lucky that you are not at Jeddah and at the start of Ramadan - 6 wide-bodies in at the same time, 5 from Muslim countries and a BA. After clearing immigration, it's baggage collection time (No pick up your case and go through green - might have changed now), full luggage search and out after 9 hours - your one hour was a picnic!

[LivinLOS]

Last time I came through I had a shocking wait also.. If you intend to clear customs then recheck in for a non airside transfer its something to really think about these days.

[jonniebkk]

i agree...it's mostly a matter of luck...how many other 747s landed within the past hour of yours...just a few of those = a few thousand people at immigration. my past 3-4 arrivals have been really smooth...only 3-15 minute immigration waits. however, i have a few times in the past had waits of up to 45 mins to an hour.

[TAWP]

Last landing 3+ busses was being emptied (and more behind) from landing airplanes, but I did my usual fast walk and ended up 5th or 6th in the que through immigration...

[somtaamgaiyang]

Hello,

just have to air my feelings about Immigration at the airport ... now it happened the THIRD time in a row to me (means: it happened every time I arrived at the new airport) that I crossed the corner before the immigration officers just to find endless rows of people and having to queue at least ONE HOUR just to get my surveillance photo done and the stamp in my passport.

I'm sure the officers at immigation are innocent for it, but maybe someone who reads this and knows someone who knows someone could ask this special person in which way the new airport has improved in this matter (I never had to wait longer than 5 minutes at the old one), and if there are plans in distant future to improve the situation even more....

I came thru last evening in 5 minutes. I had to get to DM and very politely asked if I could go thru the Thai booths. I had to show my onward reservation. It is all a matter of timing sometimes it is awful and other times it is quick. Nice thing last night they announced which carousel the luggage was coming out on.

[Prakanong]

I think it is a matter of luck at the new airport.

When it first opened it was OK but as others have pointed out maybe the new visa reg's are causing delays.

There seems to be two queing systems at different places too - one with a single queue that snakles around and another with single queues for each officer.

I used to arrive from Europe either very early morning or late afternoon- sometimes at DM the late afternoon could be very busy weith the euro flights and Asian flights arriving together

Now I arrive from within Asia I always arrive in the evening and this can be there was an Etihad and Emirates just emptied as well as flights from a few Asian destinations - massive queue.

Next time I arrive after 10 at night - lets see what its like then.

[thaihome]

Don't think the OP gets around much. Try crossing into HK from the mainland at Wu Lo, that has got to be the worst. I have waited over an hour at many places.

TH

[james512]

Don't think the OP gets around much. Try crossing into HK from the mainland at Wu Lo, that has got to be the worst. I have waited over an hour at many places.

TH

Agreed. Houston, Rio, Cairo are just some of the places i've waited more than an hour for immigration processing. It's just bad luck if you catch the queues ,last time through Suv i waited around 10 mins. Helps if you've a seat in business or near the front of economy.

[Shrubbery]

I arrived at BKK 4th Sept around 7pm and waited less than 10 minutes to clear immigration.

Departed yesterday morning aroun 10.30am and was less than 5 minutes to clear.

I was flying TG and saw that the immigration queues were longer near the TG check in desks, so I walked up to the far end of the terminal by the post office and there were just a handfull of people queueing.

[canuckamuck]

I arrived two days ago, and had only 3 folks in line in front of me. maybe 10 minutes in line.

Different story when I left Thailand earlier in the week, waited in a fairly long line just to have the guy go on break when I arrived at the front. I then had to start in a new line. I imagine that that happens everywhere though.

[britmaveric]

Sometimes I get lucky and don't wait too long, it depends on what time of day you arrive.

Same in Japan, I have been lucky at times and was the first in the line, other times I have been waiting a very long time, they're pretty efficient in Tokyo but Immigration queues are just something we travellers have to put up with.

As Tropo pointed out, the new Visa regs don't help either.

I agree a few times at Narita I've waited 3hrs. You know its a bad sign when they have signs at different spots in the line, telling you what the wait time will be from that point.

[edh]

Try Miami, New York (JFK) very close to an hour there as well.

[wpcoe]

i agree...it's mostly a matter of luck...how many other 747s landed within the past hour of yours...just a few of those = a few thousand people at immigration.

And, just wait until a few A380's arrive just ahead of you.

There seems to be two queing systems at different places too - one with a single queue that snakles around and another with single queues for each officer.

Although the situation has changed a few times, the last two times I arrived there were three Immigrations lobbies to choose from. The left- and right-most lobbies had individual queues for each Inspector. The middle lobby had the "bank-queue" that snakes around.

In the recent past (earlier this year?) that middle lobby was only for V.O.A. (NOT 30-day visa-waiver stamps, but a true Visa on Arrival), Thai passports and air crew. The past two times, though, some of the lines were again available for all foreign passport holders.

If you arrive at a particular Immigrations lobby and find it packed to over flowing, keep walking a bit farther and check on the other two. Sometimes only one lobby is full and the others are fairly empty. It is NOT like Don Muang where Terminal 1 arrivals had to go to Terminal 1 Immigrations -- there is only one terminal at Suvarnabhumi, and anybody from any flight can use any of the three Immigrations lobbies.

[Dah fahrang]

Don Muang used to have four types of desk:

1 Foreign Passports

2 Thai Passports

3 Residents of Thailand (labelled in English)

4 ASEAN Passports.

I always opted for the 'Residents of Thailand' line, as I live here, and have a continuously extended visa to prove it.

Nobody posts seeing (or using) a 'Residents of Thailand' line at Suwana-pooooo.

Does this mean it is a thing of the past?

I have yet to arrive at the new airport (October 17).

Dreading it.

[PhilHarries]

I've had fairly good experience at camp Swampy but one time it was an hour and twenty minutes. Should try Ninoy Aquino (Manila), passport control there is mind numbingly slow ALL the time.

Regarding the comment regarding the new visa regs. I'm not sure it's so much the pp checking but the unpreparedness of the travellers that contributes to the delays. Time before last, when I had the hour and twenty queue, I had everything together (pp, TM6(?), boarding card and return ticket) and I don't think I spent any longer than normal at the desk.

It was funny that trip. I had a one year open return LHR to BKK and a similar open return BKK to Da Nang and was coming into Thailand on a visa exempt stamp. Only presented my LHR-BKK ticket at EVA check in and no comment. At BKK immigration still only presented my LHR-BKK ticket (with the BKK-DAD ticket in top pocket) and the immi officer wasn't interested in it at all, just passed it back without a glance. He asked me how many days I wanted and I told him six. Checked the stamp later and he'd given me thirty, maybe if I'd asked for thirty he'd have asked to see the ticket.

[tw25rw]

Don't think the OP gets around much. Try crossing into HK from the mainland at Wu Lo, that has got to be the worst. I have waited over an hour at many places.

TH

I've waited 1hr+ at Schiphol numerous times when big jets have arrived from North America and there's only 2 officials checking passports.

One thing that gets me at BKK is the number of people who join the queue without filling out their landing cards and who are then allowed to fill it out in front of the officer instead of being sent away and forced to queue again.

[Payboy]

Try crossing into HK from the mainland at Wu Lo, ...

strange people those chinese - when i crossed from HK to mainland the crossing was called lo wu...

[Nignoy]

Hello,

just have to air my feelings about Immigration at the airport ... now it happened the THIRD time in a row to me (means: it happened every time I arrived at the new airport) that I crossed the corner before the immigration officers just to find endless rows of people and having to queue at least ONE HOUR just to get my surveillance photo done and the stamp in my passport.

I'm sure the officers at immigation are innocent for it, but maybe someone who reads this and knows someone who knows someone could ask this special person in which way the new airport has improved in this matter (I never had to wait longer than 5 minutes at the old one), and if there are plans in distant future to improve the situation even more....

You should try arriving at Brisbane International a minimum of 2 hours at immigration is standard procedure, and if theBronco,s or the lions were playing the night before then 4 hours and as happened to us last year, some one by mistake turned the xray machines off took us 11 hours to get checked through Immigration and customs, can be just a little bit dodgy if you have to take insulin within 4 hours of landing and your next injection is in the fridge at home, these days you have to wait at every airport ,its a sign of the times, personally not being able to go through the xray machines because of all my metal bits and implants , just love the body searches especially if its by a female officer Nignoy

[brahmburgers]

Years ago I was in line coming in at Narita - it was about 3 bodies wide and 90 meters long - everybody dead tired and irritable. By the long time I got right near the front, a group of 3 black American rappers showed up and harassed the guy right in front of me - saying, "hey man, we got to get in line in front of you because we got a $5,000 interview to catch." The rappers averaged about 250 lbs and over 6' (I think the shorter fat one was 'Big Daddy,' since deceased) and the guy they were picking on was a shrimp - but he held his ground even though his knees were shaking like Elvis. Finally, one of the rappers blinked by saying "chill, man, chill" they looked at me, and the rest of the weary travelers, none of whom had said a word, and moped on back to the back of the line. That's the 1st time I heard the word 'chill' used as a verbal admonission.

[onzestan]

One thing that gets me at BKK is the number of people who join the queue without filling out their landing cards and who are then allowed to fill it out in front of the officer instead of being sent away and forced to queue again.

Exactly, that's most of the times the reason for delays. Happened to me numerous times, especially when Taiwanese are involved.

cheers

onzestan

[samran]

Try crossing into HK from the mainland at Wu Lo, ...

strange people those chinese - when i crossed from HK to mainland the crossing was called lo wu...

seems that they change more than the side of the road they drive on then......

[tw25rw]

One thing that gets me at BKK is the number of people who join the queue without filling out their landing cards and who are then allowed to fill it out in front of the officer instead of being sent away and forced to queue again.

Exactly, that's most of the times the reason for delays. Happened to me numerous times, especially when Taiwanese are involved.

That's who I had in mind. A lot of the time, they get one person to hold a place in line while the family group loiters somewhere. When he gets to the front, they all converge and start filling their cards out.

Should be someone wandering round making sure the cards are filled out and sending them away if not.

[moonhunt]

Hello,

just have to air my feelings about Immigration at the airport ... now it happened the THIRD time in a row to me (means: it happened every time I arrived at the new airport) that I crossed the corner before the immigration officers just to find endless rows of people and having to queue at least ONE HOUR just to get my surveillance photo done and the stamp in my passport.

I'm sure the officers at immigation are innocent for it, but maybe someone who reads this and knows someone who knows someone could ask this special person in which way the new airport has improved in this matter (I never had to wait longer than 5 minutes at the old one), and if there are plans in distant future to improve the situation even more....

I've been there on August 31st, and no problem.

I had 4~5 people in front of me, and one guy had trouble with passport control officer.

Passport Control has posted "1. Passport 2. E/D card 3. boarding pass" ready, but some people just ignore it.

Other thing is that passport control officer can not speak in English that much.

Except that, it was normal processing, which may take a little bit of time - 1 or 2 min? - to take picture/photo from web-cam installed. :-)

For me, it took about 10 min to pass passport control area including waiting in line.

I was arrived around 09:00pm or something like that.

On my way to back home, I used Chicago Ohare airport, and first time in my 13 years experience in airport, nobody was in line for immigration inspect area when I got off the airplane.

So I got passed immigration area in less than 2 min.

But later I found out that immigration officer forgot to stamp "Admitted" on my passport.

[malzy]

Hi all

So what times did yew's all actually land at Swampy ?

What is the worst time of day or night to land, Im in at 12.05 on a Sunday hope this aint

too congested.

Cheers Malzy

[Captain Chaos]

Hi all

So what times did yew's all actually land at Swampy ?

What is the worst time of day or night to land, Im in at 12.05 on a Sunday hope this aint

too congested.

Cheers Malzy

If it's 12.05 PM, you may be disappointed - peak hours in my observation appears to start from about 10.00am onward. To be fair, Don Muang was the same...

[malzy]

Hi Captain Choas

Yep 12.05 PM hoping Sunday aint too busy, . Have always landed night time never had too long wait at those times

first time for me landing at midday.

Cheers malzy