Checking Out (1 Hr 10 Minutes)

[Jebhead]

Thanks a lot fore that useful information. I will give fasttrack a try. 1200 baht for the service won't break the bank.

1,200 Baht to save one hour? I will happily stand in a line people-watching, listening to my music, smiling and watching the world go by.

Standing in line after long haul flights is not much fun! I travel a lot and hate queues, 1200 is not a lot of money to swan through immigration in 5 minutes as opposed to xxx minutes.......

JH

No checked baggage?

Correct.....

JH

[Northpoint]

No checked baggage?

No checked baggage, as I have a home in Oz and in Thailand. I travel with my laptop, a book and a toothbrush. I missed a flight at Suvarnabhumi once, thanks to a long immigration queue and then missed the non-refundable connecting flight in Singapore. I had a couple of other similar mishaps over the years as well.

[spongeman]

Shoulda got to the airport earlier perhaps ?

Always better to be early than late, then you will not have to run.

[Familyonthemove]

Is there a link between the business of offering a fast track service and the recent appearance of huge, long queues at the airport? Strikes me as a good way to drive business to your fast track service if you can engineer a slow-track at the normal immigration counters?

The website mentions the long, painful queues at immigration in it's intro .... if the normal service was quick and efficient there'd be no driver for fast track.

[Ijustwannateach]

So, basically, institutionalising inefficiency and bribery in the name of getting paid more privately to do their public jobs.

Feh.

[Farang0tang]

Read again : - swan through immigration in 5 minutes -

yermanee

Good for you, however swanning through in 5 minutes is rather pointless if you have to wait for your baggage, better to keep that 1200baht in the skyrocket, that's a longtime with a friendly beer bar hostess.

I've never had any problems having to wait a long time for my luggage, but imagine how much more quickly you can be in the skyrocket, where ever that might be.

Furthermore I have my very friendly wife waiting for me, that's 1200 baht saved on a beer bar hostess. And please don't tell me there are cheaper available

And I think that it's up to me on what I spend my money. I'm not telling you that you have to use the fasttrack service I leave that entirely up to anyone who might think it's worth it.

But that's just me

Yermanee

We see that you spend your money on the trouble & strife.

[Spoonman]

Read again : - swan through immigration in 5 minutes -

yermanee

Good for you, however swanning through in 5 minutes is rather pointless if you have to wait for your baggage, better to keep that 1200baht in the skyrocket, that's a longtime with a friendly beer bar hostess.

I've never had any problems having to wait a long time for my luggage, but imagine how much more quickly you can be in the skyrocket, where ever that might be.

Furthermore I have my very friendly wife waiting for me, that's 1200 baht saved on a beer bar hostess. And please don't tell me there are cheaper available

And I think that it's up to me on what I spend my money. I'm not telling you that you have to use the fasttrack service I leave that entirely up to anyone who might think it's worth it.

But that's just me

Yermanee

We see that you spend your money on the trouble & strife.

The trouble and strife usually chooses the hired help.

[yermanee]

So, basically, institutionalising inefficiency and bribery in the name of getting paid more privately to do their public jobs.

Feh.

Just for your information, the Fast Track service has been in place since shortly after the opening of Suvarnabhumi.

Yermanee

[yermanee]

Hey Guys,

I'm just trying to give some useful information here, no need for personal attacks (and yes I know what trouble and strife means, and yes I spend my money on my wife rather than on a BG).

Yermanee

[theoldgit]

So, basically, institutionalising inefficiency and bribery in the name of getting paid more privately to do their public jobs.

Just for your information, the Fast Track service has been in place since shortly after the opening of Suvarnabhumi.

Yermanee

But the fast track service has been expanded since the delays have grown to an unacceptable level.

Surly you will agree that if the Immigration Service were to provide a half decent service, rather similar to the standard they announced some time ago that they were going to introduce, then there would be absolutely no need to offer a service that needed to be paid for.

[cardholder]

So, basically, institutionalising inefficiency and bribery in the name of getting paid more privately to do their public jobs.

Just for your information, the Fast Track service has been in place since shortly after the opening of Suvarnabhumi.

Yermanee

But the fast track service has been expanded since the delays have grown to an unacceptable level.

Surly you will agree that if the Immigration Service were to provide a half decent service, rather similar to the standard they announced some time ago that they were going to introduce, then there would be absolutely no need to offer a service that needed to be paid for.

I agree entirely.

Thailand should look to neighbouring countries for an international benchmark for 'service'.

I suggest a look Hong Kong would be a good starting point.

[yermanee]

Guys one more time, I just give the information somebody asked for.

I'm not obliging anyone to use it.

I just like it that the fast track service exists since I hate standing in line for anything.

And I know for a fact that Suvarnabhumi is not the only airport that has this kind of service.

yermanee

[theoldgit]

Guys one more time, I just give the information somebody asked for.

I'm not obliging anyone to use it.

I just like it that the fast track service exists since I hate standing in line for anything.

And I know for a fact that Suvarnabhumi is not the only airport that has this kind of service.

yermanee

OK, OK, Iknow you are just reminding me about the information, but I am still allowed to comment, please don't it so personally.

I still believe that the Immigration checks should be the same for everybody, you are content to pay to bypass the inefficient system and I'm not. If the system was efficient there would be no need for you to do so, and it's acknowledged to be inefficient that's why they offer the service, but it's a free world, well fairly free anyway, so it's your choice.

I'll take your word that other airports have a similar facility, I don't know of any, apart from fast track for first and business passengers, but because others do it doesn't make it right.

Edited April 16, 2011 by theoldgit

[AngelofDeath]

Is there a certain arrival timing where there will be lesser passengers compared to other arrival timing, that is to say, maybe morning has less passenger than afternoon etc?

Edited April 17, 2011 by AngelofDeath

[NanLaew]

There are absolutely NO guaranteed periods of low passenger volume and faster Immigration clearance. However, I reckon for departures, around 17:00 and between 21:30 and 22:30 it's a lot busier. For arrivals, I have witnessed bottlenecks around 09:00 and 23:00 through 01:00

It's a lottery.

Edited April 17, 2011 by NanLaew

[Spoonman]

There are absolutely NO guaranteed periods of low passenger volume and faster Immigration clearance. However, I reckon for departures, around 17:00 and between 21:30 and 22:30 it's a lot busier. For arrivals, I have witnessed bottlenecks around 09:00 and 23:00 through 01:00

It's a lottery.

Ive passed through there at 19.00 and it was dead, prior to this I was there at 6.00am and nearly missed my flight.

[Cuchulainn]

B1,200?? A fool and his money......................

[moe666]

Do not mock BKK. My Thai wife's trip of a lifetime is about to come crashing down thanks to Immigration at LAX. They tell me one hour fifty minutes is insufficient time to collect our bags & catch our onward plane to LAS. It matters naught that I have paid for a hotel room in LAS which I will not get to use or maybe have to book another ticket after spending a night on the floor which at the age of 68 could be terminal.

Message to all tourists - 'We don't need your $$$.'

LAX is a clusterfcuk. You'd be lucky to clear there even in the 3 hours other posters have suggested.

Got thru Thai Immigration in about 15 minutes on monday had a 1615 flight out, actually got thru LA in record time about 45 min. from passport control to customs. I tell the guy at passport I spent a month at a monastary and for some reason no hassles the last two times. No red stamps on my form like I had a few years ago when the bi--h checking it flaged me for a camera check. She put a red stamp on the customes form and I was pulled over for a check but after the guy saw the photos of the girlfriend with her old mom and her with the kids check over.But who knows what will happen next time, I love these what is the latest siyuation at immigration, well who knows it changes day by day. Just give yourself enough time.

[remiss]

I use the FAST Track service inbound and outbound now, can't be arsed with lines, it's bad enough having to travel all the time.

If you get the same guy at the fast track service a couple of times he might offer you a deal, wink wink, nudge nudge......

JH

What kind of deal are we talking about and is he cute?

[ExpatJ]

Im lucky and get to use the fast track whenevr i travel (4 times per month normally thru swampy)- the other benefit is you get to go through a separate security line with a bunch of air hostesses - mind you they studiously ignore me all the time

[Livinginexile]

I flew out Sunday at 7.40pm, I parked my car at 5.30pm, I was at the flight gate by 6.00pm...........zero people about.

I arrived back this morning, flight landed at 9.00am, I had checked baggage but was in my car and on the motorway by 9.40am...........zero people once again.

Me too!

I fly in and out a lot...never any problems.

Sometimes they don't open enough cusom booths to handle the crowd but this is not the airport\s fault, it's immigration not having enough staff.