Thailand To Issue New Immigration Card

[Soutpeel]

If the Thai government really wants to help foreigners

[Garry]

If this works as well as it does in HK (for residents) or Dubai (for anyone) then it will be great.

It will double the life of my passport for a start.

By taking out frequent travellers from the queue, it should benefit everyone; or alternatively, give them a chance to reduce the number of immigration officers.

I imagine it will use finger prints, same as HK and Dubai (probably the whole of UAE but I never been to anywhere else)

SC

Same deal here in Oman now SC, fast track with our labour, 1. insert card 2. thumbprint 3. face scan / pic

[paul1970]

If they do come out with this fact track immigration card all it's going to do is move the bottleneck from the immigration queues to the baggage collection.

I travel through swampy between 20 to 30 times a year and I would say that 95% of the time I'm hanging around waiting for my luggage to appear on the baggage claim belt. So unless the speed up the baggage handling then this new card is virtually going to have little or no impact at all.

[ubonjoe]

I think the line at immigration experience depends on what time you arrive. Most of the trips I have made arrived at around midnight and have experienced some long waits.

If they do the card right it will help.

Baggage wait I have had some of those be long also and I think the time of arrival affects that also.

[Ianatlarge]

ummm, one more card to carry, more personal information handed over to a 'government', more procedures! Will it in fact slow things down? Take more time? Cost more?

- professional cynic and doubter of governments.

[ezside]

hmmm..

The purpose of this is to accomodate farang?

I don't recall spending a lot of time at Thai Immigrations...

This doesn't make sense to me... I think missing some imformation.

It normally takes me about 1 - 2 Hours to get through immigration! I would be really interested in this card! but would like alot more info about it.

I came back on Tuesday & it took the usual 20-30 minutes even w/several flights arriving at once. Maybe they just don't like you?

[coocooforcocoapuffs]

i dont get it. i come to tland 4 times a year from nepal and i have never stood in line at immigration for more then 10 or 15 minutes...

[jimmyb]

I cany see a process where the holder of the passpot is not verified as the holder, in UK we have Iris which enable you to pass through once it sees your eyes.

If they gave them cards out and never verified who the passport holder was it would end up like UK where anyone gets in without documentation, unless they chipped the cards.

Sounds a good idea but need to see the process.

At what UK airport do they use iris scans? I'm from the UK and I am a frequent traveller mostly using Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow and Gatwick and I've yet to come accross this. I know they have talked about bringing it in but I doubt that it's being used at this time.

Jimmy, as a poster stated its terminal 3 on your next flight out after you get through the security on the right hand side there is on office, its closes at 9.00pm takes about 5 minutes.

Then on your return as soon as you enter immigration turn sharp left there are 2 booths ( there were two weeks ago) you look in a screen and line your eyes up and bobs your uncle.

Its very quick there were 2 people ahead, of course the added bonus is you can throw your passport away when you get on the plane and still get in the UK Or sell it on the plane

Thanks for puting me right. Please forgive me as never been through terminal 3.

[rabmail]

I am in and out of Bangkok and Phuket all the time 8-10 times a year and never have a long wait at Immigration always very smooth maybe I have just been lucky.

Travelling Biz Class helps because you are first off the plane but even stopping of for a much need cigerette or 2 I still dont have much waiting 10-15mins at most.

I come in and out on 2 passports does this mean that if the card is for tourists? and will be linked to only 1 passport if thats the case shall not be asking for one as that will be a great way of adding up consecutive days.

I come and go about 15 times a year (on an O Visa) and can't say it is always smooth in either Bangkok or Phuket. In Bangkok I have sometimes stood in line for 40 mins and in Phuket between November and March you can stand in line for over an hour if you arrive at a bad time. I travel First or Business Class and am normally first off the aircraft.

I have a Fast Track cards in Singapore and Jakarta. In Singapore it uses my Thumb Print and in Jakarta it uses an Iris Scan. Both work very well. In Singapore it is not a great advantage as there are usually not bad lines but in Jakarta it is a life saver.

After a few bad time in line in Phuket I have been considering a Elite Card.

Lets hope the Thai Immigration go ahead with this fast track card.

[asiaworld]

I have a Fast Track cards in Singapore and Jakarta. In Singapore it uses my Thumb Print and in Jakarta it uses an Iris Scan. Both work very well. In Singapore it is not a great advantage as there are usually not bad lines but in Jakarta it is a life saver.

?! Does Singapore has fast track for visitors, or are you resident ?! i know in Indonesia they allow visa-free visitors to apply for one , but never heard of one in Singapore ! <for frequent visitors i mean>

[thaihome]

It's been 10 years since I lived in Singapore, but back then only people with work permits and yearly visas were given the "green card". I doubt that Thailand will give this proposed immigration card to people that are living here on anything but yearly visa extensions. It will be a great help to those of us that travel in and out on business regularly.

TH

[Rinrada]

Was sent this some time ago from friend at CExPC must must have missed it ...might be old hat ...however...?

from CM...

Thailand to issue new immigration card

A new Immigration Card (IC) will be introduced for use by those going in and out of Thailand by the end of this year, said Immigration Police chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Chatchawan Suksomchit.

IC holders will include those who travel in and out of the country three to five times in a year, regardless of their nationality. They, Thai and foreign alike, will also bypass normal procedures of the Immigration Police which include scanning for criminal suspects or those on the police and immigration Watch List.

Instead, the IC holders will have the privileges to go through fast passage at airports, Lt. Gen. Chatchawan said.

The card, which will be issued to tourists and others by the end of this year, marking the advent of a fresh tourist season, was part of the efforts to promote tourism and investment in the country.

Meanwhile, the Immigration Police will open Call Centre 1178 early next year to provide tourism-related information in eight languages

[ubonjoe]

Old news. Topic must be 30 pages long about this from a couple of months ago.

Edited December 21, 2008 by ubonjoe

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Old news. Topic must be 30 pages long about this from a couple of months ago.

Still, it'd be useful if Immigration would at least add Item 5 from the old Arrival/Departure card to the new one then no one would have the excuse to say "but I didn't know about the requirement for a 90-day report."

Must say, tho, I didn't pay any attention to this until about five years ago, it was just one of the multitude of rules/regulations here in the LoS that was ignored.

Mac

[tartempion]

A new Immigration Card (IC) will be introduced for use by those going in and out of Thailand by the end of this year

By th end of THIS year? They better hurry up

[Rinrada]

as said may have fluffed it however as a remind......

by end of this year it seems that......

holders can bypass normal procedures of the Immigration Police

which include scanning for criminal suspects or those on the police and immigration Watch List.

and will have the privileges to go through fast passage at airports,

I usually go through the Thai immi Q with wife which saves a lot of time at Suwann.but now that all the toorists will have done a runner and LOS will be empty dont suppose it matters too mut.......

[bubba]

From the original post:

A new immigration card will be introduced for use by those going in and out of Thailand by the end of this year, said Immigration Police chief Pol. Lt-Gen. Chatchawan Suksomchit.

Fast forward to the end of January 2009 with a look at Lt-Gen. Chatchawan's quote from October 2008. Is anyone surprised that this never happened?

[ubonjoe]

Nope not at all.

[Mario2008]

Would be more surprising if it did happen.

[absolutelyBangkok]

Would be more surprising if it did happen.

It obviously did not.

[Brew]

It might be this: "Privilege Immigration Card"

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2noti...villegecard.pdf

Edited April 7, 2009 by Brew

[NanLaew]

It might be this: "Privilege Immigration Card"

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2noti...villegecard.pdf

Looking forward to a translation of that card.

[Marcati]

It might be this: "Privilege Immigration Card"

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2noti...villegecard.pdf

Looking forward to a translation of that card.

It's not the Frequent Traveler Card, however, it is an application to use the fast-track/diplomatic lanes for Immigration at the Airport even if you are not a Diplomat. Can you please send me the link from the Immigration Website where you found this application so I can check further about the requirements.

Thanks!

[Tolley]

I can't ever remember getting thru immigration after my bags were on the carousel. That is upwards of 60 trips in the last 10 years.

It seems to be of very dubious benefit and most likely a publicity stunt

In December when i came thru there was no one ahead of me and when i flew in last week two people ahead of me and i was sitting at the back of the plane.