Suvarnabhumi Airport Passport Lines Will Take Max. 24 Minutes From Today

[tombkk]

Well, this will come and go just as the timers at McDonald's. Anything over 15 minutes is already in my inconvenience zone. I've been through Thai immigration in under 5 minutes before and never more than 45 minutes, but in the country I'm living in now (which has an award winning airport that mostly deserves the accolade) I've made the Triathlon of check-in/security/immigration regularly in less than 10 (and without check-in, always in less than 10 minutes). All the times I've been smiled at and greeted in a friendly manner by check-in staff, security staff and immigration staff.

This is not a country known anywhere as a land of smiles, nor is it a famous tourist destination or even a country used to deal with lots of foreigners. They just try harder and succeed.

Fortunately for Thailand, once you're inside it makes up 10x for any inconvenience you experienced trying to get in, and as for leaving... never mind.

Which mysterious country, pray tell, are you talking about?

I was thinking of countries with few arrivals, but even in PNG I have to wait 20 minutes - because they open only one desk.

I have only experienced less than 10 minutes when arriving in the EU with a EU passport. Or leaving the US, as there is no passport control at departure.

[cardholder]

The picture in the OP (and the commentary about "more shopping time") infers that the 24 minute objective applies to departing passengers.

The last time I left Thailand (in May) I applauded the 'post office queueing system' that guaranteed that passenger number 50 would be the fiftieth person to be dealt with. Very efficient.

Is it NOW (24th June) suggested that this will apply to inbound passengers ?

[cardholder]

The picture in the OP (and the commentary about "more shopping time") infers that the 24 minute objective applies to departing passengers.

The last time I left Thailand (in May) I applauded the 'post office queueing system' that guaranteed that passenger number 50 would be the fiftieth person to be dealt with. Very efficient.

Is it NOW (24th June) suggested that this will apply to inbound passengers ?

[KKvampire]

The official staff , immigration down to all the information desk are the rudest unhelpful people in whole of Thailand. when i left BKK 3 months ago to ask for the Thai airways lounge at an info desk the female looking down at her magazine looked up,waved in a general direction then looked down to read her fashion magazine. One reason I left and sick of the whole S''t country. Its customer service sucks.

[KKvampire]

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Edited June 30, 2010 by KKvampire

[MrJohnson]

Nice idea, but I don't know how they can gaurentee that.

I've arrived at a low peak traffic time and have gone through from getting off the plane to climbimg into a taxi in less than 30 minutes for the whole process (including changing my Euros for Baht at one of the airport banks).

At other times I've landed when there was a lot of traffic and flights arriving all at once....and I've waited 45 minutes in passport/immigration alone.

It all depends on the passenger load and the number of flights arriving at any one particular time...and immigration can't control that.

Nice idea, though.

Exactly my experience this morning. Flight touched down at 6.15am. Ten minute walk to immigration, no queue, picked up bag, through customs and in a cab by 6.50am. Admittedly a quiet time of the day but it all went very smoothly including, I must say, a very polite and smiling immigration official. Well done Swampy. BTW - I've spent an hour at immigration at both HCMC and Hanoi airports as well as Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta. Go figure.

[bangkokburning]

Great time for announcement, imagine arrivals at a new low.

Top ten at putting items in people's bags, cornering them, accuse them of theft and kidnapping them to undisclosed hotels where they are held hostage.

Top ten in fake customs police cornering people after they leave customs area for shakedown

Top ten in dodgy scamsters circling like sharks all with dodgy id's outside customs area

Top ten in inability to clear out people within the airport asking you for a lift -or a jiggy

Top ten in least comfortable places to spend a prolonged period of time, especially overnight

Top ten in high priced liquor and food

Top ten in unfriendly Immigration staff - but love those Hawaiian shirts

[ragandboneman]

24 minutes !! crap, just travelled through immigration departing about twenty minutes ago, took at least thirty five minutes to get through. Usual, seven of the possible eighteen foreign passport booths manned. Que horendous, all the way back to the entrance.

No difference at all when departing between 22.00 hrs to 01.00 hrs.

Just another meaning less announcement.

Rant over.

Regards

ragandboneman

[473geo]

Nice idea, but I don't know how they can gaurentee that.

I've arrived at a low peak traffic time and have gone through from getting off the plane to climbimg into a taxi in less than 30 minutes for the whole process (including changing my Euros for Baht at one of the airport banks).

At other times I've landed when there was a lot of traffic and flights arriving all at once....and I've waited 45 minutes in passport/immigration alone.

It all depends on the passenger load and the number of flights arriving at any one particular time...and immigration can't control that.

Nice idea, though.

Actually it should be very easy to adjust the staffing to suit the arrivals, landing schedules are pretty much known in advance........there is quite a difference between 10 747s arriving in an a hour and an internal flight from Buri ram.......so I think immigration could pre plan and control their staffing levels

[deanosan3]

You're right, customer service is very important in China. I know the communist party care deeply about what foreign capitalist visitors think of their country; especially the working conditions...

24 mins is still way too long.

On a seperate note, I really like how in China they have a button system where u can rate u'r service from Immigration people. Excellent service, OK, or poor. Thailand should have the same.

On anothernother note to thaibkk - I know that the immigration officials in Korat used to read korat's local ferang forum so there's hope that someone from BKK is reading this. - Please please please, why can you get a re-entry at the airport? It makes no sense. It's not like the immigration dept has a shortage of staff, there's always people standing around doing nothing. :-)))

[elliss]

What I don't get is, what's the maths behind 24 minuets. I mean it could simpler number like 20 minutes or 25 minutes. Second thing that comes to mind, what if, like at McDonalds, they are late? What is the prize? Bonus?

another puss of useless info .

last week , my transit via MUMBAI ,took 42 minutes ..set my stop watch .

are these two numerical digists , the only ones they know ..

[NanLaew]

Most people posting on this thread are talking about the time taken to clear Immigration upon their ARRIVAL and only a few have pointed out that the same 24-minute criteria is prominently signposted in the DEPARTURE Immigration areas but I haven't managed less than 30 minutes upon 4 exits over the past 2 weeks.

Worst case; I had a flight departing from E8 so went to the 'west' Immigration area on the reasoning that is a shorter walk to my gate once through Immigration/Security. Someone there has decided to configure the ribbon barriers so that the departees 'snake' their way to the dozen or so manned passport desks with a couple of girls holding back the front runners so that only 3 people max are actually allowed at the red-lines. Last Friday afternoon, that 'snake' was fully 8 lines deep, solid from entrance to the passport desks and moving at snails pace; at least 40 minutes for that fiasco. I bailed back to the 'central' Immigration area where at least they have maintained the face-the-desk normal type of queuing and I managed to get through in about 20 minutes.

My arrivals have been pretty good, all less than 15 minutes with the only irritation being the crusty old fart who made rude comments in Thai about me fronting up at the Thai passport desk with my Thai wife and son. I have done this before but he took umbrage that I was 'leading' the group and made the comment that the Thai should have been at the front. The wife was going to but my son needed attending to first but that was lost on this old bugger. Heaven forbid that I would have placed my dirty low farang passport on the top of the pile. He made a meal out of flicking back and forth through my passport and I was waiting for him to dismiss me and the passport back to the farang lines before he eventually found the visa and did what he gets paid to do.

Edited August 24, 2010 by NanLaew