Bkk Inbound Bottle Necks Immigration ?

[haveaniceday]

Anyone know if landing at midnight is still a bad time for bottle necks?

[haveaniceday]

Nasty stories of hour waits to get othe the baggage

[AyG]

Can't comment about midnight, but at midday yesterday it seems to be business as usual (i.e. pretty bad). Just what you want after a long flight from Europe. About 45 minutes to clear immigration - a slow shuffle made worse by some sort of alarm going off and not dealt with.

And to top things off, there were problems with the baggage system.

In all it took me two hours from plane landing to leaving the airport. Suvarnabhumi word class airport? It's a bad joke.

[highchol]

no que ues at all at 6am today

baggage was a bit slow at arriving though

[remiss]

I always use fasttrack.in.th (or last time I used the thing from bangkok ground services or something, can't remember the name, doesn't matter they dont provide the service anymore I think... however they had golf cart to the fast track immigration).. Only about 1500 baht for hassle-free immigration.

[remiss]

Was bangkok flight services, but they don't provide the service anymore -- too bad, it was really nice.

[dominique355]

I just flew in from Singapore with Singapore Airline, Business Class. They handed out a "Fast Track" admission ticket for Suvannaphoom so I was through comparably quickly.

It was interesting to compare immigration in Singapore and in Bangkok. Average time to complete the immigration process:

in SG: 20 sec and a smile; 3 people in front of me.

In BKK: 2 min and officer had an angry face, no greeting; also 3 people in front of me.

[ragandboneman]

In BKK: 2 min and officer had an angry face, no greeting; also 3 people in front of me.

Don't believe you !!!

It's the airport of smiles, it says so on all those banners !!!!

[SuperGers]

Can't comment about midnight, but at midday yesterday it seems to be business as usual (i.e. pretty bad). Just what you want after a long flight from Europe. About 45 minutes to clear immigration - a slow shuffle made worse by some sort of alarm going off and not dealt with.

And to top things off, there were problems with the baggage system.

In all it took me two hours from plane landing to leaving the airport. Suvarnabhumi word class airport? It's a bad joke.

Surprised - midday normally very busy in my experience. Took me 1.5 hours to get through immigration in March. Then took me another 20 mins to find my luggage that had somehow found it's way onto wrong luggage belt. When i queeried this i was met with a shrug of the shoulders. Mai Pen Rai, i guess ?

[Patronus]

Can't comment about midnight, but at midday yesterday it seems to be business as usual (i.e. pretty bad). Just what you want after a long flight from Europe. About 45 minutes to clear immigration - a slow shuffle made worse by some sort of alarm going off and not dealt with.

And to top things off, there were problems with the baggage system.

In all it took me two hours from plane landing to leaving the airport. Suvarnabhumi word class airport? It's a bad joke.

Surprised - midday normally very busy in my experience. Took me 1.5 hours to get through immigration in March. Then took me another 20 mins to find my luggage that had somehow found it's way onto wrong luggage belt. When i queeried this i was met with a shrug of the shoulders. Mai Pen Rai, i guess ?

Your fault - If you hadn't come to Thailand it would not have happened.

[aussiep]

I arrived on 19th March, Saturday afternoon 4.15 from Sydney.

Through passport control in 10 minutes, bag quick also.

On return 5.00 pm Monday (yesterday) about 20 minute wait, all booths were manned, "No smile"

Maybe they have got the message.

aussiep

[NanLaew]

It was interesting to compare immigration in Singapore and in Bangkok. Average time to complete the immigration process:

in SG: 20 sec and a smile; 3 people in front of me.

You were leaving.

In BKK: 2 min and officer had an angry face, no greeting; also 3 people in front of me.

You had returned.

[vpi78]

It's beyond comprehension all the whines/complaints about Swampy in consideration of what you go through elsewhere.

Last week through Heathrow it was an hour, no smiles, and that "special" US/UK relationship allows Yanks to queue with the Nigerians and other dregs of the commonwealth.

[junkofdavid2]

While nobody enjoys long queues, the real crap comes from mainland-china tourists who simply CUT INTO THE QUEUE.

No racism intended, I have close friends in BKK who are mainland chinese students who are very decent people. (hot babes included!)

But <deleted> with the tour groups??

[junkofdavid2]

.

duplicate post

[wpcoe]

What I've seen often with "certain" groups, is a family/group will place one member in each queue, and the first person to reach the front of a queue has the rest of the family/group join them.

I *really* wish the "bank queue" type of system would take root in Asia -- i.e. one long, winding queue for the entire lobby. Suvarnabhumi actually used that system for a while in the center arrivals Immigration hall before they made it crew/diplomat/fast-track only.

Narita airport in Japan has an interesting system: individual queues for each counter position for returning Japanese citizens, and a bank queue system for all arriving visitors. They (usually) have an Immigrations officer at the head of the queue to verify that each person's arrival card is completed, and send one person to each open position in addition to the person being processed. That way, when one person is finished, the next person is already there to proceed immediately for processing. They rarely will send more than one "extra" person to each position, and the process works quite well.

It's always interesting to see the number of folks who don't bother to complete their arrival cards before reaching the front of the queue!

[ScubaBuddha]

It's gotten so bad that ANA has actually issued a travel notice for Suvarnabuhmi. What a lose of face.

"ANA Information

To Departing Passengers from Bangkok Suvarnabumi Airport

Severe congestion has occurred in passport control area of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Moreover, due to renovation of immigration area from 18th May, it is expected extremely long lining up at passport control. ANA recommend passengers to finish check-in 2 hours earlier than the standard departure time and queue up immediately.

(The construction may continue until March 2012.)

Your understanding and cooperation are highly appreciated.

May 16th, 2011

All Nippon Airways Co., LTD."

Source: http://www.ana.co.jp/wws/th/e/local/ana_info/notice110516/