Through Immigration Today

[JoePai]

Just came through immigration, leaving to go to PP, and there was nobody queuing - in fact 4 of the manned booths had nobody waiting to clear !!!

Where is everyone ...........................

[samtam]

Good to hear it's quiet. Has anyone any recent experience of outbound immigration at around 9-10 am?

[NanLaew]

OP, what is the relevance of your post if you don't state the TIME you had such an easy exit?

For example, I just did 22 minutes hotel, check-in, immigration to boarding gate.... but that was in Bodø.

[JoePai]

OP, what is the relevance of your post if you don't state the TIME you had such an easy exit?

For example, I just did 22 minutes hotel, check-in, immigration to boarding gate.... but that was in Bodø.

As I said, I had just come though immigration so, by the time I had gone through security and walked down to Burger King, I suppose about 30 mins making it around 13.00 ?

[nonthaburial]

On 30th April I arrived at 16.10 and the immigration was as previously described empty ! same as my 9am check in on my 9th May departure

[NanLaew]

OP, what is the relevance of your post if you don't state the TIME you had such an easy exit?

For example, I just did 22 minutes hotel, check-in, immigration to boarding gate.... but that was in Bodø.

As I said, I had just come though immigration so, by the time I had gone through security and walked down to Burger King, I suppose about 30 mins making it around 13.00 ?

NOW you are stating the time of day so appreciate that as it identifies a slack tide time in outbound immigration.

BTW, when I departed last Thursday on Air France Biz Class, it was relatively quiet when I fast-tracked thru Imm & Security at 9.30pm. I was quite surprised when I got to the the gate, about 10 minutes after the boarding was announced in the lounge, there was no rugby scrum and all the proles were already onboard so I must assume that AF's boarding is very well managed indeed.

Pity the food was cack.

[planemad]

Just to update, my wife (Thai) and I cam through this morning (12th May) at about 8:00 am. Initially, only 1 Thai booth open, but by 8:15 there were about 4 working (Gate 9 end). Non Thai were just as quick with very few people waiting. For us, it was 15 mins or so and all done......then almost 3 hours to wait for the flight, Oh well!

[pampal]

I cleared Immigration at 2pm today and the lines were 4-5 ppl. The airport was crowded but not immigration.

[EirikJohannesen]

Just to update, my wife (Thai) and I cam through this morning (12th May) at about 8:00 am. Initially, only 1 Thai booth open, but by 8:15 there were about 4 working (Gate 9 end). Non Thai were just as quick with very few people waiting. For us, it was 15 mins or so and all done......then almost 3 hours to wait for the flight, Oh well!

Img office was closed on Friday 13..................

[Robroy]

There has just been a King's Birthday holiday in Cambodia - ending today I think.

[sfokevin]

How was the line at Burger King?

[khaowong1]

How was the line at Burger King?

yeah, lets get to the important stuff.

[mike404045]

i just arrived on monday morning and was pleasantly surprised to see the immigration lines were so short. maybe 20 people queued up in 3-5 lines.

everytime i come to suvarnabhumi airport its full and the wait is like 1-2 hours to get through immigration!!

i still cant believe it only took me 5 minutes to get through....

[Godolphin]

It's all very nice to getthrough quickly but how fast will your luggage be available at the carousel?

[MartinL]

3rd. April, 9.30am flight departure - from arrival at luggage check-in to sitting in departure lounge about 25 minutes. I'd been expecting delays after reading TV so got there early.

4th. May, 6.45am flight arrival (actual time, not scheduled arrival time). We were in a taxi and well along the road to Morchit bus station at 7.20am.

[Mr Conrad]

It's all very nice to getthrough quickly but how fast will your luggage be available at the carousel?

Arrived 26th May at 12.30 in the afternoon on Emirates A380. About two-three people in each queue at immigration, about eight-nine desks open. Was through in about five minutes, baggage arrived in about another ten minutes. Superb, wish it was like this all the time.

Even the immigration officer put my entry stamp where I wanted it in my passport, as I'm trying to save pages before it fills too quickly.

Regards

[tartempion]

Planes half full might be the answer.

I'm flying into Bangkok next Monday morning, checking seat occupation around 20% right now, usually 80% before I leave to the airport and never saw less than 90% occupancy on flights into Bangkok over the last 20 years (flying twice/year).

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Anyone departed on the early morning flights recently? Got a friend departing tomorrow morning on DELTA's 0555 hrs flight.

Three hours enough time??

Mac

[Mr Conrad]

Anyone departed on the early morning flights recently? Got a friend departing tomorrow morning on DELTA's 0555 hrs flight.

Three hours enough time??

Mac

Departed early morning at the begining of April, three hours more than enough at that time of day.

Regards

[Ricardo]

Pity the food was cack.

Nouvelle cuisine ... old complaint !

[bangkokburning]

This is all to be expected. We are in low season, oil prices are stupid expensive and and world is in a recession. OH, and the THB is at record highs in real terms, taking inflation into account. Only people coming here are going to people within an Air Asia radius.

[merlen10002]

It's called the low season,, wait til the high season and it will be busy again

[MegaRanter]

Paople no longer coming since Hangover 2.

[remiss]

Paople no longer coming since Hangover 2.

hehe

[rocketmanbkk]

GOOD COMMENT, when I arrive with my wife daughter we go via teh Thai queue so it's usually quite fast but the bags are never there!!!!

I'll be there tomorrow evenin g so it'll be interesting to see how long it takes me to get through!

It's all very nice to getthrough quickly but how fast will your luggage be available at the carousel?

[JemJem]

I was at the S.Airport a few days before the start of this year's Songkran holidays (around noon time). It was a mess there.....lots of long queues. It took me about 45 minutes to clear the Immigration !

Jem

[samtam]

Good to hear it's quiet. Has anyone any recent experience of outbound immigration at around 9-10 am?

Well I can now tell of my own experience - out 20 May 10 am, back 30 May 7 pm. I was travelling Business, so the queue was non existent with Fast Track. Immigration service is pretty much ok, but the security check was very speedy, even if the staff were a bit dim-witted. Returning I again had the Fast Track voucher, but as the queues were very short, I didn't bother going to that section. All in all very efficient both ways....except upon return customs seem to think that I look undesirable and now for the second time running I've had to put my suitcase through the X-ray, (not my hand luggage, just my suitcase). My better half, who is Asian, is never asked to do this. So is it F*&^ the Farang? (He's Japanese, but could pass for Thai; we both travel in Business and dress accordingly; go figure.)

[spacemand]

Anyone departed on the early morning flights recently? Got a friend departing tomorrow morning on DELTA's 0555 hrs flight.

Three hours enough time??

Mac

Did that flight in the beginning of April when the delays were at their maximum and didn't take me more than 10 minutes at immigration. At LAX it took me longer and I flew business class so I got out of the plane first if not I would have spend more time there waiting at immigration than I have ever spend at BKK when I went through there were at least 200-300 people in line with 4-5 booths open (LAX).

[QED]

Flew out yesterday to Jakarta, 2.35pm flight so arrived about midday. Airport was empty, no queue at check in, but guess what? The buggers have closed half of the first immigration plaza for 'rennovations'. It was queued back to the glass wall. I thought haha, I fly from this airport 30-40 times a year and know better than these silly tourists, I will go to immi #3. Checked the monitors and it was the same! Don't know if they are 'rennovating' this plaza also, couldn't be arsed to walk down and look.

What a shambles, will have to use fast track for the next few months until they finish this nonsense. Anyone leaving at peak times for the next month or 2 should allow extra time for this, will update when completed.

[Eff1n2ret]

The embarcation control last Sunday evening was grindingly slow, with queues of 20-30 people for every desk. One frustration was the lack of immigration cards anywhere, and when my (Thai) missis got to the desk the IO was pretty unhelpful, and sent her round the back to forage for one.

Whilst foreigners are leaving with the departure section of the card which they got on the way in, Thais have to get a new departure/arrival card from somewhere. When we fly back to BKK I will make sure I get a spare card so as she doesn't have a similar problem on a future departure.