Outbound Immigration Delays

[Chicog]

I can see it now VIP queue.........only 500 Baht!

Think again!

One bunch of rip off bastards

Another bunch of rip off bastards

Which makes it in the interests of immigration to make normal immigration as slow as <deleted> - they can pocket more of their share of the takings by offering services like these.

Which as a business class traveller, where fasttrack is one of the benefits, really pisses me off. It took the turds long enough to have Fast Track in the first place.

Thailand is getting quite openly beyond a joke.

[NanLaew]

Sunday night flight to Singapore (onwards to Moscow & Houston) on SQ departing at 21:00, economy class, Star Alliance Gold status all 3 pax with total 3 checked bags.

Arrived at check-in desk at 20:00 (1 hour before departure), no lines at check-in, through Immigration and security in 20 minutes. Quick stop in the Royal Silk lounge for a coldie, onboard and onwards without any problems.

It was -26 in Moscow btw!!!

[NanLaew]

Arrived TG domestic with wife and child at 21:05 Friday night. Picked up bags and fronted up at KLM check-in at 21:35. Did online check-in so just a bag drop and went to west Immigration hall where there was about a dozen lines open with at most 8 people in each line. Wife and son through Thai Immigration and security in less than 5 minutes, I was about 10 minutes longer. We managed a whole hour in the lounge before the boarding call, gate E5. Departed about 25 minutes late, arrived on-time in Hamsterjam. Full flight and did note that both the AMS and CDG (AF) flights were quietly offering cash for pax to give up seats. No more Fast-Track vouchers available for online check-in customers.

I did note that the TG check-in aisles were an absolute zoo at 21:30 and the screens showed the East Immigration hall opposite the TG aisles was a lot busier.

Edited March 14, 2011 by NanLaew

[sawati]

I can see it now VIP queue.........only 500 Baht!

Think again!

One bunch of rip off bastards

Another bunch of rip off bastards

Which makes it in the interests of immigration to make normal immigration as slow as <deleted> - they can pocket more of their share of the takings by offering services like these.

Which as a business class traveller, where fasttrack is one of the benefits, really pisses me off. It took the turds long enough to have Fast Track in the first place.

Thailand is getting quite openly beyond a joke.

And before it was the departure tax...(Money for the boys) when somebody closed the tap...the mafia reinvented the fast track for people flying economy.

Enuff said!!! T.I.T.

[whybother]

And before it was the departure tax...(Money for the boys) when somebody closed the tap...the mafia reinvented the fast track for people flying economy.

Enuff said!!! T.I.T.

They still have departure tax. It's just included in the ticket price. The same applies out of Australia.

[sawati]

And before it was the departure tax...(Money for the boys) when somebody closed the tap...the mafia reinvented the fast track for people flying economy.

Enuff said!!! T.I.T.

They still have departure tax. It's just included in the ticket price. The same applies out of Australia.

You dont get it...let me explain to you:

Before you paid the departure tax at the airport,500baht and then they raised it to 700...that was "solid money" passing thru too many "sticky fingers"...Now you paid this tax when you buy the ticket....so no solid money anymore where to stick the fingers...You get it?

30 years to plan one airport and the Immigration department has no agents to man the arrival-departure desks???...I smell Maffia rigging.The airport that was going to be the hub of All South East Asia in air transportation...my butt!

These people are very proud that they have never been colonized but they are mafialized every day big time...these people and the visitors...

Thailand Mon Amour!

Sanuk

[stander]

^

I don’t believe it is a issue with realignment of cash flow, it’s more likely to be a lack of trained staff and a fundamentally flawed IT system and that’s where corruption could be a factor.

[samran]

^

I don’t believe it is a issue with realignment of cash flow, it’s more likely to be a lack of trained staff and a fundamentally flawed IT system and that’s where corruption could be a factor.

Thai visa sure has its fair share of conspiracy theorists. I bet he was one of these people who believed the thread that Thai airways were flying Don Muang to Suvaranabhumi

Edited March 16, 2011 by samran

[stander]

Look again at my post and you will see that there is nothing to suggest I believe in any sort of conspiracy, all I said was that there “could be” corruption involving the IT systems.

sawati is the one who is hot on the conspiracy theory

[samran]

Look again at my post and you will see that there is nothing to suggest I believe in any sort of conspiracy, all I said was that there “could be” corruption involving the IT systems.

sawati is the one who is hot on the conspiracy theory

Sorry, stander, wasn't meaning to imply you were. Was definitely referring to 'swati'. Am in agreement with your last post which was in response to 'swati'. Didn't want to quote multiple quotes which wastes space and is a bit of pet hate of mine. Might have to re-think that strategy in light of this mis-communication!

[sawati]

Sawasdeee!!

Conspiracy theory? How long you been in Thailand?...It is the thai "management" way.Real life,no conspiracy.

You dont get it?

Sanuk

[stander]

Sawasdeee!!

Conspiracy theory? How long you been in Thailand?...It is the thai "management" way.Real life,no conspiracy.

You dont get it?

Sanuk

First came to Thailand in 1984, being living here since 1987 and I have heard many of these conspiracy theories spouted by farang and some have some merit, but generally they bear no resemblance to reality.

[samran]

Sawasdeee!!

Conspiracy theory? How long you been in Thailand?...It is the thai "management" way.Real life,no conspiracy.

You dont get it?

Sanuk

Myself, worked on the privatisation of AOT a decade ago and the reforms which put saw the airport tax integrated into tickets. My old boss used to be on the board of AOT. So I know a thing or two.

Long queues at the airport have nothing to do with a reform which went through half a decade ago.

So I get it....

I'm not sure you do, nor ever will.

[sawati]

Sawasdeee!!

The AOT???...Vade retro!!!...Send them in...Dont read the Miranda Rights.

Sorry to have a different opinion than yours

Thailand Mon Amour

Sanuk and chokde

[gk10002000]

I never had much of an outbound problem, but haven't been there in several months. I always only have a carry on. Just where is this outbound bottleneck? I go to ticket counter, check in and get boarding pass. I don't even remember waiting in any line after that, except at the top of the escalator where my carry on bag gets x-rayed down by the gate, and then of course when I am down at the gate where the airplane is. Horrid acoustics down there. You would think somebody would care about that after all these airports.

[NanLaew]

I never had much of an outbound problem, but haven't been there in several months. I always only have a carry on. Just where is this outbound bottleneck? I go to ticket counter, check in and get boarding pass. I don't even remember waiting in any line after that, except at the top of the escalator where my carry on bag gets x-rayed down by the gate, and then of course when I am down at the gate where the airplane is. Horrid acoustics down there. You would think somebody would care about that after all these airports.

The outbound bottleneck is from departing Immigration onwards and only really became a major problem in the past 3-4 months. You missed it.

FYI, the carry-on baggage x-ray and body screening is now directly AFTER the Immigration desks BEFORE you hit the KingPower boulevards. Some carriers do have a secondary inspection at or near their departure gate.

[NanLaew]

Sawasdeee!!

The AOT???...Vade retro!!!...Send them in...Dont read the Miranda Rights.

Sorry to have a different opinion than yours

Thailand Mon Amour

Sanuk and chokde

Rule 7.... never post after more than 4 beer Changs.

Choke dee, sanuk and mai pen rai!

[sawati]

Sawasdeee!!

The AOT???...Vade retro!!!...Send them in...Dont read the Miranda Rights.

Sorry to have a different opinion than yours

Thailand Mon Amour

Sanuk and chokde

Rule 7.... never post after more than 4 beer Changs.

Choke dee, sanuk and mai pen rai!

Sawasdee!!!

Chaaa! tirak chaaaa!!!

I am going to do that when you stop posting from the veranda of Nana Hotel with last night hangover

Chaaaa! tirak chaaaa!

Thailand Mon Amour!

[NanLaew]

Arrived back in LOS at 1pm last Wednesday. Inbound Immigration looked busy but plenty desks open. I scooted through the Thai entry desks under cover of wife and son. Got the bags and through Customs without any problems about 20 minutes after deplaning.

Went upstairs and threw the bags in at domestic check-in and went for lunch at the cheapo-cheapo food court on the ground floor. Checked both the outbound Immigration halls on our way to domestic departures around 3pm. The west hall was very quiet and the 'conga line' system looks like it is history. The east hall was a fair bit busier with maybe a dozen people at each open desk.

[sawati]

Sawasdeee!!

Arrived yesterday from Vietnam at 7 PM something.No problem with Immigration...smooth as silk!

Pay the 50 baht to the taxi driver...not in the taxi desk-stand...

Me: Why not in taxi desk?

Taxi driver:No! No!...they are mafia!

Me:Mafia in Thailand??

Taxi driver:Yes,plenty!!

Me:And the 50 baht are for you?

Taxi driver:They are for another mafia,not for me!

Same same...but different!

Thailand Mon Amour!!

[Mr Conrad]

Just a quick update, I departed at 08.30 hrs on the 1st April with Etihad to Abu Dhabi.

Arrived st airport just after 05.00 hrs (queues in mind), breezed through the online check-in counter, no luggage only carry-on.

Immigration, there were 5 desks open with about 10 people in each queue. Took about fifteen minutes to get through in total. Noticed no dedicated Thai Passport booths in operation. Several more officers were arriving to open up more desks all the time, after a good chin-wag with the officers already working.

Not a lot of smiling going on in the Airport of Smiles as they have re-branded it.

Regards

[lomatopo]

I departed BKK 31 March 2011, departure time 06:55. I entered the west Immigration hall at 04:55; there were ~ 5 booths open with lines of ~ 12, another booth or two opened during my wait, which was 13 minutes. I did have a VIP pass but that area does not open until 05:00 ~ 05:15 and there were quite a few people waiting to enter that area. On my way to the TG lounge (Concourse D) I could see into the East Immigration hall which seemed to have lines of ~ 5 at most.

[NanLaew]

Just a quick update, I departed at 08.30 hrs on the 1st April with Etihad to Abu Dhabi.

Arrived st airport just after 05.00 hrs (queues in mind), breezed through the online check-in counter, no luggage only carry-on.

Immigration, there were 5 desks open with about 10 people in each queue. Took about fifteen minutes to get through in total. Noticed no dedicated Thai Passport booths in operation. Several more officers were arriving to open up more desks all the time, after a good chin-wag with the officers already working.

Not a lot of smiling going on in the Airport of Smiles as they have re-branded it.

Regards

It was before 6am <deleted>. I doubt there's any reason to be happy and smiling at the end of the graveyard shift or coming in for work at 6am?

[NanLaew]

I passed through the airport last Friday with a scheduled departure at 3:15pm. Dropped off rental car at 1pm at Departures Door 4, straight through to Row G check-in with Lufthansa. Used the East Immigration Hall where there was about a dozen desks open and about 3-4 people waiting at each one. I was in the Royal Orchid Lounge by 1.20pm.... easy.

[powderpuff]

The bad one was that it took exactly one hour to get to the desk and I missed my flight. My airline rebooked me on a flight later that same day at no cost.

Yet again it's quicker to remove all the luggage off the plane than to round up the stragglers.

I seriously believe they are sending the planes with missing pax luggage on board. Security issues be damned. Laziness wins out. Are these people nuts?