Departed BKK. Saturday, March 19 near midnight. Passport Control line at 10:30pm was 9 deep, cleared in 13 minutes.

Arrived LAX 10:00am, passport line about 80 people deep, three agents working that line: 50 minutes to clear, then an additional 30 minutes to clear customs line and exit the terminal.

Monday, March 21. Passport control, LAX 50 deep, 45 minutes to clear, baggage inspection: 35 minutes.

Arrive BKK, March 22, 11pm. Line at Immigration three deep, cleared in five minutes.

I'll take BKK any day.

You are correct. Most of the time it takes much longer at LAX, although one time upon arrival I made it through customs and out to the car in 20 minutes. Bangkok, and particularly Chiang Mai, are usually much faster compared to LAX.

I agree, I arrived in LAX on a flight from Hawaii and immigration insisted all foreigners go through immigration control, although that had already been done in Hawaii.

After 1.5 hours a Yugoslav TV crew that was on the flight started filming the chaos which brought a sh*itstorm of security down but with all the passengers shouting at how ridiculous it was they let us through with only a quick check.

Of course there was no luggage to be found anywhere and nobody in the luggage area spoke English!

Welcome to USA.

Agreed. LAX is an absolute pit of an airport. The place is more like a refugee camp.

There's no smoking rooms - huge lines...the airport staff are illiterate bullies.

I'd do anything to avoid the place.

And what about the respective attitudes of the staff? I'm going to guess that the staff at LAX were a surly bunch of bastards for the most part, and the Thai staff pretty much the opposite. I still like the U.S. Customs goon at SFO (San Francisco) who apparently didn't like the expression on my face, so he bellowed at me: "You got a problem?" I just ignored the moron. What else can one do when on their home field.

LAX is a dump. The last time I passed through there was in the late 90's. US Customs? The goon squad. They are not the best examples of Americans.

I am going with my Thai wife to Las Vegas via LAX. Will I have to endure the above or as I'm in transit be 'processed' at Vegas, McClarren?

I am going with my Thai wife to Las Vegas via LAX. Will I have to endure the above or as I'm in transit be 'processed' at Vegas, McClarren?

As LAX is your first point of entry into the US, you and all your possessions must be cleared by CBP authorities in LAX.. If your bags are thru checked (tagged) all the way to LAS, you will re-deposit your bags back to airline staff once outside of the FIS (Federal Inspection Service) Area or customs hall before proceeding to your onward flight/terminal..

Don't forget that you and your cabin bags will undergo TSA screening before you're allowed plane-side again, so you can't bring anything over the 3oz/100ml limits, even if it was acquired via duty free overseas or while in transit. If you have these items, you should put them into your checked bags after you've exited the FIS, but before you tender them back to airline staff.

And what about the respective attitudes of the staff? I'm going to guess that the staff at LAX were a surly bunch of bastards for the most part, and the Thai staff pretty much the opposite. I still like the U.S. Customs goon at SFO (San Francisco) who apparently didn't like the expression on my face, so he bellowed at me: "You got a problem?" I just ignored the moron. What else can one do when on their home field.

This is unfortunate. As LAX, SFO, and SEA all have reasonably nasty and consistent reputations - from long lines to surly immigration officers. All this, plus the associated American bureaucracy makes for a miserable passage.