Arrivals At Savanabhumi Airport

[glanville63]

I.m waiting for my friend to arrive in Pattaya after flying with KLM. His flight was due to arrive at 1320 hrs so we booked the taxi to meet him at 1420 hrs. A reasonable assumption I would think. One hour to clear immigration and pick up his luggage should be enough time. After two hours had elapsed and his taxi driver still hadn't made contact with him, I was beginnig to think he had missed his flight. After two and a quarter hours he finally came through customs and met his driver. I've just spoken to him and the delay was with immigration. It took him an hour and three quarters to get through this section of burocracy. Just another nail in the coffin of lost revenue from tourism in Thailand. I haven't got all the details yet but I bet all of the immigration booths were not open.

[PattayaParent]

I came through last Sunday and only half the immigration counters were open and it took 40 minutes to get stamped.

I thought I must have just picked a bad line though as I was one of the first off the 'plane and my bags were the last ones left at the carousel, all others had been collected already.

[Basil B]

Rather hit and miss.

Have done gate to meeter's & greeter's in less than 30 Min's normally well less than 60.

[Atmos]

luck of the draw

returned from Phnom Penh weeks ago, had only carry-on bag so no wait for luggage, got to immigration and there were counters open with no queue, through so fast I got to the other side and had to wait for my partner, as she'd allowed 30min delay for me to get through.

Can't win!

[tw25rw]

Took me 45 minutes on a Sunday night at Hong Kong recently. It's also taken me more than 2 hours at Amsterdam. It's not that uncommon, even at supposedly modern efficient airports.

[salty]

An hour and three quarters is dreadful but being Thailand not completley surprising.

I find it hard to believe that anyone could be held for 2 hours at Schipol. I have been through there many times in last few years and never had to wait more than 20 minutes.

[JMS]

I arrived back in Thailand on Wednesday and from getting off the plane at 2pm 15 minutes later I was in my taxi. Maybe I was lucky

[tw25rw]

I find it hard to believe that anyone could be held for 2 hours at Schipol. I have been through there many times in last few years and never had to wait more than 20 minutes.

Well believe it..

Didn't help that a plane full of young people arrived from North America and when it looked like another queue would open, then didn't, virtually every one of them charged to the front then filtered sideways into the existing queue.

[TheWalkingMan]

I arrived back on the 23rd of December at about 3pm or so. The place was packed, but part of the problem is the way the immigration hall is set-up.

Many people see the first long lines down the middle and just queue up. However, if you go to the sides, the lines are often a lot shorter. I am thinking that a Hong Kong style set-up (a la Disneyland) would be better.

TheWalkingMan

[SantiSuk]

Definitely needs a single queuing system with 'feeder personnel' to top-up short queues at each desk. Until then those of us in the know will continue to benefit from experience; go to the edges and look for the lines that are being served by two desks. Go through the Thai Passport lines when with your wife (might even work with a girlfriend - 'we're together')

When departing, look at the TV screens to establish which of the two immigration out halls is least busy. The screens are of course placed just sufficiently far enough away from the entrances so that the average tourist does not know to look at them - another triumph of idiotic Thai planning. The hall on the left (the one used for mostly Thai Airways gates) nearly always saves you considerable time. Go on admit it - you hadn't twigged there were two halls had you? dam_n - why am I giving my competitive advantage away?

Nonetheless, arriving on December 29th took me one hour of queuing. It was a Zoo as the Americans are wont to say, with queuing going back down to the main arrivals walkway corridor. Normally I reckon on 15 mins ma. Until last week I always maintained that Swampy was one of the quickest immigration facilities in the world. It;s getting worse because (TOT does not always lie) traffic is well up. Have you seen how many Russian jumbos pull out in the early afternoon - it was never like that even 3 years ago.

[spongeman]

Marry a Thai bird, and then join her in the Thai queue.........

Works for me every time !

[tartempion]

Mary a Thai bird to get fast track

Better pay for fast track service when needed (google the service 1200 baht?), comes cheaper

Or fly business class...

[wpcoe]

Definitely needs a single queuing system with 'feeder personnel' to top-up short queues at each desk.

The best implementation of that which I have seen is at Narita. There is a "bank queue" line, and at the front is an Immigration officer shepherding the next person in queue to stand in line at the next kiosk that doesn't already have someone in line. i.e. There is always one person -- and only one person -- in line at each kiosk so that when the person being processed is finished there is no delay in getting the next victim passenger to the officer for processing.

Also the "shepherd" officer scans the arrival/departure card to make sure it's completed before allowing the person to stand in line at a kiosk.

Even with that Japanese efficiency, the queues at Terminal 1 immigrations for foreigners are horrendous at "rush hour" arrival times.

Interesting to contrast how Narita handles foreigners vs returning Japanese citizens. Only foreigners use the "bank queue" system. Apparently Japanese folks don't like that system, and prefer to stand in individual queues for each podium.

[Rinrada]

One good thing about Heathrow(rocky horror show theatre)is that they at least have the IRIS system..eye ball recog.and it has worked everytime for us.

Couple of minutes to register (on departures)and on return through in 2 minutes ..never had to Q....every little bit helps.

Poss somebody could flog a couple to the sunshine boys at Suwanna

[kurnell]

That coffin must be all nails by now. According to some.

[traveler55]

When I arrived in Bangkok after being in the air for about 20 hours, I waited in one of the many lines that seemed to have agents (still took about 40 minutes to get to the front of the queue) just to be told by the customs agent that I didn't have a form filled out. I didn't know I needed said form, since I've never visited Thailand before and there were no signs stating as such that I could see. When I asked for a blank form to fill out, the agent pointed to a table at the back of the hall and (not in English) inferred that I should go back and get one. I had to leave the line, go back to the table, and found out that there were no forms left. I went back to the agent, who by then of course was helping someone else. All I needed was a form to fill out and she refused to give me one. If it wasn't for the kindness and compassion of an American traveler who just happened to overhear this and give me an extra form of his, I would have been totally screwed - all of this at 3:30 a.m. I filled out the form - waited for yet another 30 minutes in another line, so, that I didn't have go get the mean agent again....and, cleared customs in the middle of the night. Thanks, land of smiles. Nice welcome.

[raylo]

When I arrived in Bangkok after being in the air for about 20 hours, I waited in one of the many lines that seemed to have agents (still took about 40 minutes to get to the front of the queue) just to be told by the customs agent that I didn't have a form filled out. I didn't know I needed said form, since I've never visited Thailand before and there were no signs stating as such that I could see. When I asked for a blank form to fill out, the agent pointed to a table at the back of the hall and (not in English) inferred that I should go back and get one. I had to leave the line, go back to the table, and found out that there were no forms left. I went back to the agent, who by then of course was helping someone else. All I needed was a form to fill out and she refused to give me one. If it wasn't for the kindness and compassion of an American traveler who just happened to overhear this and give me an extra form of his, I would have been totally screwed - all of this at 3:30 a.m. I filled out the form - waited for yet another 30 minutes in another line, so, that I didn't have go get the mean agent again....and, cleared customs in the middle of the night. Thanks, land of smiles. Nice welcome.

So you have not travelled much and never been to a country where you fill out a form before immigration? There are more than one of them. Whats the deal with everyone coming here just to knock everything?

It must be like accident rubbernecking!!

Shame you never got to Don Muang.

Did 3 hours going through an Australian airport. Missed my ride. Lost my pre paid fare. Thats life. What could Thailand learn?

Been through Singapore in 2 minutes after walking (fast) for about a kilometre. Cleared the luggage carousel and customs in 1 minute. Waited 15 minutes for a taxi. Must be Thailands fault.

Used to fly into KL every second day. Waited in extra long queues if there were Indians in it. They never filled out their cards and were allowed to stand there and fill them out.

Went to Djakarta. Every queue with an Indian ran fast as immigration dragged them out of line.

Go to Heathrow on a non UK passprt and see what happens.

Same with some of the European terminals.

Want bad go to Beijing and have all the locals pushing in.

Its the same in a lot of countries around the world. Try it!

Very happy with Swampy and really glad when they make arrogant travellers go the back of the queue when they dont fill out the form!

PS They hand them out on the plane. True you might have been in the toilet, asleep or decided you did not need one.

[rak sa_ngop]

If you still have your wits about you after a long flight, take a look at the TV monitors placed about head height just before you turn right/left to walk up the ramp into the immigration area.

These show the live scenes from the second immigration area about two minutes walk away. If you see an empty hall on the sreens, whereas there are hordes of people infront of you, just carry on walking to the second immigration area and breeze through. All it means is that you have to walk back about 2 minutes to find your baggage.

I have done this twice in the last 2 months. I was shocked by how many peole were queing at one immigration area, whereas the second area was totally EMPTY.

[chuang]

When I arrived in Bangkok after being in the air for about 20 hours, I waited in one of the many lines that seemed to have agents (still took about 40 minutes to get to the front of the queue) just to be told by the customs agent that I didn't have a form filled out. I didn't know I needed said form, since I've never visited Thailand before and there were no signs stating as such that I could see. When I asked for a blank form to fill out, the agent pointed to a table at the back of the hall and (not in English) inferred that I should go back and get one. I had to leave the line, go back to the table, and found out that there were no forms left. I went back to the agent, who by then of course was helping someone else. All I needed was a form to fill out and she refused to give me one. If it wasn't for the kindness and compassion of an American traveler who just happened to overhear this and give me an extra form of his, I would have been totally screwed - all of this at 3:30 a.m. I filled out the form - waited for yet another 30 minutes in another line, so, that I didn't have go get the mean agent again....and, cleared customs in the middle of the night. Thanks, land of smiles. Nice welcome.

You didn't know you have to fill out a CIQ form, i wonder which country in the world does not need one...

it is usually passengers have the forms given on board but they didn't filled them for one reason or another..ususally they do not understand English...

[salty]

If you still have your wits about you after a long flight, take a look at the TV monitors placed about head height just before you turn right/left to walk up the ramp into the immigration area.

These show the live scenes from the second immigration area about two minutes walk away. If you see an empty hall on the sreens, whereas there are hordes of people infront of you, just carry on walking to the second immigration area and breeze through. All it means is that you have to walk back about 2 minutes to find your baggage.

I have done this twice in the last 2 months. I was shocked by how many peole were queing at one immigration area, whereas the second area was totally EMPTY.

I have to admit I have never noticed those TV monitors mentioned as I sped up to immigration. On one occasion I went to 2nd area but the queues were fairly similar to the 1st area. I appreciate this useful information.

[hhgz]

"After two and a quarter hours he finally came through customs and met his driver....another nail in the coffin of lost revenue from tourism..."

I bet he would have spent a bunch of money in those first two hours.

[PattayaParent]

You didn't know you have to fill out a CIQ form, i wonder which country in the world does not need one...

it is usually passengers have the forms given on board but they didn't filled them for one reason or another..ususally they do not understand English...

Viet Nam

[chuang]

You didn't know you have to fill out a CIQ form, i wonder which country in the world does not need one...

it is usually passengers have the forms given on board but they didn't filled them for one reason or another..ususally they do not understand English...

Viet Nam

Strange i have been to vietnam numerous times and each time i have to fill in the CIQ form...

i always keep extra forms..in vietnam it's known as " TO KHAI NHAP CANH-XUAT CANH "...this is what written on the form. :jap:

[Lakegeneve]

You didn't know you have to fill out a CIQ form, i wonder which country in the world does not need one...

it is usually passengers have the forms given on board but they didn't filled them for one reason or another..ususally they do not understand English...

Viet Nam

Strange i have been to vietnam numerous times and each time i have to fill in the CIQ form...

i always keep extra forms..in vietnam it's known as " TO KHAI NHAP CANH-XUAT CANH "...this is what written on the form. :jap:

It seems that they have abolished it just recently. I have also been to Vietnam numerous times, however on my last visit the weekend before Xmas for a sporting tourney when I asked for the form on my LH flight I was advised that it was no longer being used.

Sure enough at Immigration, I didn't have to complete one.

[whimsy]

Don't know about the current situation with arrivals, but departures has been a zoo for at least the last two months in the late afternoon. When I went out in early December both passport control areas were jam packed with a queue several hundred people long outside in the public area as well. Took about 75 minutes to get through. Have seen a number of tweets since complaining of same.

Found a video on youtube yesterday made on 9 January that shows it is still like that. Unfortunately, the user has removed it today. Maybe because he described it as "worst immigration in Asia". Singapore accented gentleman I think.

It was here . http://www.youtube.c...h?v=5kWphOBe6DM

I did find this pic from a few days ago showing a similarly crowded departures passport control area. http://plixi.com/p/68309537

[rak sa_ngop]

You didn't know you have to fill out a CIQ form, i wonder which country in the world does not need one...

it is usually passengers have the forms given on board but they didn't filled them for one reason or another..ususally they do not understand English...

Viet Nam

Strange i have been to vietnam numerous times and each time i have to fill in the CIQ form...

i always keep extra forms..in vietnam it's known as " TO KHAI NHAP CANH-XUAT CANH "...this is what written on the form. :jap:

Well you obviously haven't been to Vietnam recently. I have made 2 trips within the last month and can confirm that for HCM City at least, you do not need to fill in any extra forms as long as you have your visa in your passport already. It's all done by computers you know!

[PattayaParent]

You didn't know you have to fill out a CIQ form, i wonder which country in the world does not need one...

it is usually passengers have the forms given on board but they didn't filled them for one reason or another..ususally they do not understand English...

Viet Nam

Strange i have been to vietnam numerous times and each time i have to fill in the CIQ form...

i always keep extra forms..in vietnam it's known as " TO KHAI NHAP CANH-XUAT CANH "...this is what written on the form. :jap:

They've not used those forms since last July at least. I've made 3 trips there since then and never seen a one.

[chuang]

[They've not used those forms since last July at least. I've made 3 trips there since then and never seen a one.

My apologies...you are all correct...just call my friend in HCM who comfirmed the the CIQ form he presented to the immigration was given back to him... :jap: