Swampy Passport Control

[FarangBuddha]

At least 40 min line to get into passport control area. Then maybe 30 to get to the desk!

[whybother]

That sounds a lot like this thread:

[chiliwasabi]

I guess I'm always lucky as I've never had a problem flying in or out of Swampy. A 15 minute wait is the worst I've had.

[FarangBuddha]

I would upload a photo but mobile site doesn't seem to support uploads. Never seen it this bad before; it's incredible.line is almost 1 hr just to get into passport corral. Then another 30-40 mins.

[rodentwarrior]

I have to say, in my experience the situation with passport control is getting worse. I used to allow an hour, to check in and get through to airside.

Now I allow 2 hours for this.

This blockage is easy to fix, have all the booths occupied, and manage the staff properly - I've never seen such a bunch of moody, sullen, unenthusiastic 'public servants'.

The reality for the airside businesses is that the passengers have less time to shop.

[yermanee]

I have to say, in my experience the situation with passport control is getting worse. I used to allow an hour, to check in and get through to airside.

Now I allow 2 hours for this.

This blockage is easy to fix, have all the booths occupied, and manage the staff properly - I've never seen such a bunch of moody, sullen, unenthusiastic 'public servants'.

The reality for the airside businesses is that the passengers have less time to shop.

That would be an interesting new topic : Immigration boycotting King Power

Yermanee

Edited January 23, 2011 by yermanee

[007]

That sounds a lot like this thread: http://www.thaivisa....3632-not-happy/

I just missed my flight, as I had to wait about 50(!) minutes in the queue. Officers arrogant when I complained, and the airline (Air Asia) couldn't even wait the 12(!) minutes that I was late. Result: I had to buy a new ticket! (Actually, I was one of three passengers to whom it happened!!) This was a visa run to activate my tourist visa. Now I am seriously considering to overstay. Why does a passport check take 50 minutes at Suvarnabhumi, but hardly two minutes at KL airport.

As somebody else mentioned, immigration officers moody (and slow). At least I got the phone number of the top immigration guy in charge, without even asking for it. It's a mobile number. For anyone who wants it to complain in person to the guy, pm me.

Edited January 23, 2011 by 007

[Mario2008]

Sub title removed to keep things civil.

[whybother]

That sounds a lot like this thread: http://www.thaivisa....3632-not-happy/

I just missed my flight, as I had to wait about 50(!) minutes in the queue. Officers arrogant when I complained, and the airline (Air Asia) couldn't even wait the 12(!) minutes that I was late. Result: I had to buy a new ticket! (Actually, I was one of three passengers to whom it happened!!) This was a visa run to activate my tourist visa. Now I am seriously considering to overstay. Why does a passport check take 50 minutes at Suvarnabhumi, but hardly two minutes at KL airport.

As somebody else mentioned, immigration officers moody (and slow). At least I got the phone number of the top immigration guy in charge, without even asking for it. It's a mobile number. For anyone who wants it to complain in person to the guy, pm me.

Did you get to the airport within the 2-3 hour time frame before your flight?

[NanLaew]

Why does a passport check take 50 minutes at Suvarnabhumi, but hardly two minutes at KL airport. [citation needed]

I worked in KL for 6 months last year and made about 20-odd exits and entries and never, EVER did a 2 minute check-in or check-out, even on the odd occasions when I was fast tracked by Biz Class travel. That was KLIA of course. No experience on the LCCT at all.

I can appreciate being upset but don't exaggerate.

Having said that, something has happened at airport departing Immigration in the past 30-odd days. They didn't have much of a high-season or Christmas rush to handle so why the sudden slowdown in processing time?

Also, complainants need to mention if they were using the central or west Immigration halls as the west one has been totally buggered for a while but it would be remarkable if both halls have turned to glue.

[maxman71]

Yes, it has gotten worse. I've been here going on 6 years. Some lines run quite a bit faster than others. Complain to officials and they just look at you with a blank look and say nothing. Yet another reason for tourists to stay away.

[maxman71]

Why does a passport check take 50 minutes at Suvarnabhumi, but hardly two minutes at KL airport. [citation needed]

I worked in KL for 6 months last year and made about 20-odd exits and entries and never, EVER did a 2 minute check-in or check-out, even on the odd occasions when I was fast tracked by Biz Class travel. That was KLIA of course. No experience on the LCCT at all.

I can appreciate being upset but don't exaggerate.

Having said that, something has happened at airport departing Immigration in the past 30-odd days. They didn't have much of a high-season or Christmas rush to handle so why the sudden slowdown in processing time?

Also, complainants need to mention if they were using the central or west Immigration halls as the west one has been totally buggered for a while but it would be remarkable if both halls have turned to glue.

Last few times I was at KLIA and there was no line, no requirement to fill out arrival cards. But that was 2+ years ago. Going there this week and we'll how it is now.

[Familyonthemove]

In my experience of regular weekly flights in and out - Swampi used to quite quick - but from mid last year onward itstarted to get slower and slower.

The Immigration staff have always moody and sullen ... but now there seems to be fewer of them. Maybe they have a management and retention issue and they've lost staff?

[phaethon]

The Immigration staff have always moody and sullen ... but now there seems to be fewer of them. Maybe they have a management and retention issue and they've lost staff?

Or, maybe they're all yellow shirts and are gradually staging a very, very subtle airport blockade...

[NaaLak]

If you are late for your flight you can get in queue with Thai-Passports only. I did it severall times and never was complained.

You only get a suprised look from all the other Farangs around.

[007]

Did you get to the airport within the 2-3 hour time frame before your flight?

Yes, but the problem was that there were very long queues everywhere: first at Air Asia's counters, at security, and then at immigration (up to 105 minutes!!). I had already checked in, but missed my flight because the queues at the few open immigration counters were extremely long and processing very slow (3-4 minutes per passengers, with hundreds waiting in each queue). Then there's the long distance to Air Asia's gate(s). When I arrived there finally I was told 'we waited for you 10 minutes already'. Again, why didn't they wait a bit longer for the three passengers who arrived 12-15 minutes late? Also, Air Asia closes its check-in counters 45 minutes before the flight, while also closing the gate 20 minutes before departure. That leaves you 25(!) minutes to get through slow passport control and security, AND walk the long way to the gate two levels down and at the other end of the terminal! It's just impossible; currently not doable at less than 80-160 minutes. Why does one have to pay up for a new ticket? (Remark: The next plane to KL and also the plane from KL to BKK were both about 20 minutes late!)

Edited January 24, 2011 by 007

[inf]

Waited in a really long line yesterday ... but airport staff came along to call on passengers for a Qantas flight to Sydney to go first. Two Arab-looking men behind me asked the guy if they qualified to jump the line - they turned out to be Israelis heading for an El Al flight - and the guy said yes.

So if your flight comes around soon, you should be able to be allowed to go first - if you find someone to ask, that is.

[HKBKK]

That's crazy,I never knew it took so long (normal counters-never been there)...!

I only fly THAI business class (1st class occasionally) and the longest it took to get thru the fast track counter so far was 3 minutes...(I'm serious)

Hope they'll do something about it, I really can't imagine to wait in a line for 45 minutes (or longer)...

[PhilHarries]

Well I passed through Camp Swampy twice in December and it was like two different worlds as far as passport control is concerned.

Inbound midday Dec 8th from SGN, from touching down on the runway to stepping into the taxi was 30 minutes, now that's world class!

Outbound dpearture time 00:15 Dec 13 TG910 to LHR the check in queue was long but moved fairly smoothly. The queue to get into the immigration hall was back up to check-in row D. Net result, I arrive 2 1/2 hours before my flight and got through a little after the boarding time over two hours later. Now that's 3rd world class!

So it's a lottery but as mentioned above King Power are the losers and given that they seem to have more clout than the government, certainly more than AoT, you'd think they'd step in and sort it out.

[Mario2008]

1 post deleted. Please keep it civil.

[FarangBuddha]

Here are a couple of the incredible photos I took while standing in line last Sunday afternoon at Swampy for a trip to the Philippines. The flight was to depart at 2 pm and I got to the airport around 11:40 and check-in was very quick and I had my boarding pass in 10 minutes. Then all hell broke loose...I headed on over to immigration and passport control and I didn't believe my eyes...the longest lines I have ever seen!

I have been before where the lines from the control desks were long and backed-up basically to the entrances to the passport control "corral" but the lines this time stretched out of the corral and made was single-file but doubled-back on itself outside the corral to the left and then around again to the right to at least the mid-point of the terminal (this was what I believe is referred to as Passport Control Area 1 [right-side of the terminal if looking in]). At least the Thai immigration/airport staff were making some attempt to keep things orderly with the single line but one had to be very vigilant in keeping potential line-jumpers at bay! instead of the free-for-all inside the corral, they also had had it arranged as a single-roped line (which again ran the width of the pen and snaked back around on itself at least 4-5 times [rows]. There was also a lady at the head of the line who would admit people in 2-3s to go to the counters.

All toll, it was an hour and 45 minutes I waited until I reached the immigration counter and then another 10 minutes at the security check. I then made a dash to the PAL gate and made it to the plane with minutes to spare. Why or why does this occur at Swampy and no where else in my experience?

Note the pictures are OUTSIDE the passport control corral and that the second phote shows the line double backing on itself (the two rows of people shown are in the same line) and again, once inside the corral it was another 45 minute wait.

Photo 1

Photo 2

[rodentwarrior]

Photo 1

Photo 2

It's so interesting to have these things actually proved by personal experience and other people's experience and photographs. Just goes to show that not all complaints are spurious.

The problem is - who do you actually address these complaints to? Making the problem more visible here in TV does serve other readers/contributors. But the poor tourists who are unaware of this disaster will be the one's who really suffer. And this is, in my view, a totally addressable situation. Even for a Third World airport.

Thailand is rapidly losing more 'face' here.

[Rumblecat]

As someone else said, it you're flight is about to hit final boarding, just speak to staff and get moved to the Thai-passport only section- will take three or four minutes to get through it and be on your way. I've seen (and heard) of it being done on a number of occasions where people would have otherwise missed the flight. Certainly wouldn't recommend just standing in the queue in the hope that the airline might wait for you, because they won't.

[tw25rw]

I too usually fly TG business class so get to use fast track which normally has zero queue. It wouldn't hurt for them to allow it's use as an overflow in certain situations.

The long queues are down to bad planning. They know what planes are flying when and with how many people. They also know how long the average process time is per passenger. They should be able to roster on staff so that that the wait time is within a reasonable limit and flights aren't missed.

[RegularReader]

Has anyone from Thai Visa tried to find out from Immigration what the problem is?

I have not been out for a couple of months and was only alerted by some people on Twitter.

More, if this has been going on for a couple of months, I would have thought the Thai Media might have picked up on it by now.

Could be a "juicy" story...

[007]

The problem is - who do you actually address these complaints to? Making the problem more visible here in TV does serve other readers/contributors. But the poor tourists who are unaware of this disaster will be the one's who really suffer. And this is, in my view, a totally addressable situation. Even for a Third World airport.

Thailand is rapidly losing more 'face' here.

Exactly as it was the day before! No way one can go from the check-in counter via such long queues, and again through security in 25 minutes (as some airlines seem to think). Actually, one Air Asia staff told me to complain to the immigration officers, which I did, just to get a sour face, a 'you have to stamp your passport again, and I have so much time to process you' as I had to go through immigration again to get the next flight. And when I mentioned that I had never seen such long queues at any airport in the world, I received the standard answer 'This is Thailand...'

Edited January 26, 2011 by 007

[RegularReader]

The problem is - who do you actually address these complaints to? Making the problem more visible here in TV does serve other readers/contributors. But the poor tourists who are unaware of this disaster will be the one's who really suffer. And this is, in my view, a totally addressable situation. Even for a Third World airport.

Thailand is rapidly losing more 'face' here.

Exactly as it was the day before! No way one can go from the check-in counter via such long queues, and again through security in 25 minutes (as some airlines seem to think). Actually, one Air Asia staff told me to complain to the immigration officers, which I did, just to get a sour face, a 'you have to stamp your passport again, and I have so much time to process you' as I had to go through immigration again to get the next flight. And when I mentioned that I had never seen such long queues at any airport in the world, I received the standard answer 'This is Thailand...'

I would hope the airlines, TAT and King Power are trying to address this problem with Immigration. I've been here long enough to know, that often, consumers/users can scream until they're blue in the face and still not get anywhere. But, if everybody - this includes Thai travelers too - just throws their hands up in the air and say "mai pen rai" no one is likely to see the problem.

That's why I suggested in my earlier post that perhaps Thai Visa management, through their "contacts" might be able to at least find out what the problem is.

Edited January 26, 2011 by RegularReader

[Mighty Mouse]

The worst thing about those long passport control queues is your luggage is going around and around on the carousel.

Anybody can pick up your luggage and walk straight out of the terminal with it. There are seldom any baggage checks carried out by airport officials.

[frno63]

The worst thing about those long passport control queues is your luggage is going around and around on the carousel.

Anybody can pick up your luggage and walk straight out of the terminal with it. There are seldom any baggage checks carried out by airport officials.

The problem is at departure, not arrival. Arrival is only the usual queues, at least it was when I arrived in December.

Edited January 26, 2011 by frno63

[PhilHarries]

The worst thing about those long passport control queues is your luggage is going around and around on the carousel.

Anybody can pick up your luggage and walk straight out of the terminal with it. There are seldom any baggage checks carried out by airport officials.

The problem is at departure, not arrival. Arrival is only the usual queues, at least it was when I arrived in December.

I have encountered the problem on arrival, only once though I have to admit. That time all the remaining bags from my flight were off the belt and herded together in the middle while the carousel was then receiving it's next flight's consignment.

Someone mentioned that they know the flight schedules so should roster enough staff to cope. Well as far as I could tell that night last December every counter was manned. So it's not lack of staff that causes it. That pretty well only leaves either lack of passport control space (too many shops?) or lack of staff efficiency (as the system seemed to be working okay).

A minor change they could make that would affect inbound more than out is cut those arrivals cards out of the equation. Other than recording your proposed address in Thailand (do they ever check I wonder?) I just cannot see what purpose they serve. They've done that here in VN and it has speeded things up a good bit (they never bothered collecting them outbound anyway). They key all the salient details into the computer when you arrive and your permitted stay is stamped in the pp so they do seem rather superfluous.