Phuket Disgrace: Airport Needs To Double Its Immigration Officers

[webfact]

Phuket Disgrace: Airport needs to double its Immigration officers

Senator Paradee (left) and Senator Thawat Bovonvanitkul discuss the

staff shortage with Immigration officers at Phuket Airport today.

The long queues to clear Immigration were much in evidence at

Phuket Airport again yesterday.

PHUKET: -- Phuket International Airport has only half the number of Immigration officers it needs to effectively handle the high volume of tourists using the facility, the leading senator of a fact-finding team was told today.

The team, comprising the 26 senators who form the Standing Committees for Transport and for Natural Resources and the Environment, arrived in Phuket yesterday to conduct an inspection of the airport and to hear firsthand the critical issues affecting Phuket’s key tourism facility.

“There should be at least 22 Immigration officers, but right now there are only 11,” said Paradee Chongsuktanamanee, senator for Chiang Rai and president of the Senate’s standing sub-committee for air transport.

Senator Paradee also agreed with airport immigration officers’ remarks that the passport control queuing area is too small.

“Passengers still have to wait in long lines even though it’s low season,” she said.

Phuket Senator Thanyarat Atchariyachai pointed out that some passengers had to sit on the floor while waiting for their plane.

To this, Airport Service Senior Officer Thanin Silpachamnan said that 250 more seats will be added to the international departure hall as a temporary measure.

“Right now, there are 1,213 seats. We expect to have the extra seats installed by September, before high season begins,” he said.

Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) President Somboon Jirayus voiced his criticism of the airport for having too many shops.

“There are far more shops than needed. The airport is not a department store. Every passenger does not use the airport for free. They also pay the airport fee. They are also airport customers.

“The core business of the airport is airlines and passengers. Convenience for passengers should be our top priority. I understand the AoT [Airports of Thailand] wants to make profits, but I would like the AoT to consider other issues too, especially the convenience of passengers,” he said.

“We will discuss these issues with Immigration Police and AoT headquarters to help solve these problems,” Senator Paradee said.

The team of senators will visit Patong Municipality offices today to hear about the growing problems with water pollution, stink and trash there.

There was no mention of tuk-tuks or jet-skis.

The senators are scheduled to fly back to Bangkok this afternoon.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-08-06

[LivinginKata]

Would help if they could streamline the time it takes the officer to process the passport paperwork. Seems to take ages for each passenger to clear the process. Even a short queue of 3 or 4 pax causes a wait of 15 minutes.

[steelepulse]

>>There are far more shops than needed. The airport is not a department store.

I guess this genius has never been to Changi or Incheon.

I agree with LIK, immigration officers take way too long to process each pax, but as in similar less developed countries, the less developed the country, the longer immigration officials keep you waiting.

[KarenBravo]

As I've said before, they should have a single queue as in Australia and a person standing at the head of the queue to point out which immigration officer is free. They could do this now. The only cost would be the stanchions and ropes for the queue.

[LivinginKata]

As I've said before, they should have a single queue as in Australia and a person standing at the head of the queue to point out which immigration officer is free. They could do this now. The only cost would be the stanchions and ropes for the queue.

A single queue ?? Just about every country I have entered has individual queues for each desk. Never flown into Oz, but thinking about I seem to remember London Heathrow had one long (loooong) zig zag line for non UK nationals.

[LivinginKata]

I agree with LIK, immigration officers take way too long to process each pax, but as in similar less developed countries, the less developed the country, the longer immigration officials keep you waiting.

Not so sure about that. Takes a long time to get through the Immigration 'screening' process when entering the US. Always waited a long time when flying into the US. Officers very pleasant & polite, but also very thorough with their seemingly innocent remarks/questions.

[KarenBravo]

As I've said before, they should have a single queue as in Australia and a person standing at the head of the queue to point out which immigration officer is free. They could do this now. The only cost would be the stanchions and ropes for the queue.

A single queue ?? Just about every country I have entered has individual queues for each desk. Never flown into Oz, but thinking about I seem to remember London Heathrow had one long (loooong) zig zag line for non UK nationals.

Yup, that's the way they do it in Australia. It makes maximum use of the floor space and it's quick. No more trying to size up which is the fastest queue. It's also fair. How many times have you been in a queue and watched people in the next queue over that arrived later than you get through quicker because their queue is moving faster?

In Australia, International flight check-in is done like this, too (at least in Perth).

The taxi rank at Changi Airport in Singapore also uses this method. Seems effective to me.

Edited August 6, 2011 by KarenBravo

[LivinginKata]

Yup, that's the way they do it in Australia. It makes maximum use of the floor space and it's quick. No more trying to size up which is the fastest queue. It's also fair. How many times have you been in a queue and watched people in the next queue over that arrived later than you get through quicker because their queue is moving faster?

In Australia, International flight check-in is done like this, too (at least in Perth).

The taxi rank at Changi Airport in Singapore also uses this method. Seems effective to me.

But sadly Singapore Immigration has the usual lines for each desk. Yes, I know the exasperation of trying to decide which line might be the quickest, only to have a problem develop with some folks in front. Much the same as happens at supermarket check-outs ...

But getting back to the PG article, I've always noticed that the desks at Phuket Immigration are well staffed, might be some empty but when lots of pax arrive the officers soon drift out to man all the desks. It's really the slow processing that backs up the queues.

[maxman71]

Would help if they could streamline the time it takes the officer to process the passport paperwork. Seems to take ages for each passenger to clear the process. Even a short queue of 3 or 4 pax causes a wait of 15 minutes.

I travel about 250K miles per year for business, and I am based just outside BKK (Nakhon Pathom). With this sort of travel schedule, I have had the opportunity to go through BKK Immigration at Swampy dozens and dozens of times over the last 5 years or so.

While standing in the queue, I have often timed how long it takes Thai Immigration officers to clear one person. Average time is about 45-60 seconds. I Don't know what the average time is in Phuket immigration. By comparison, Singapore Immigration takes about 30 seconds per pax. Hong Kong is about the same.

The average wait times notwithstanding, people need to understand the large influx of visitors to Thailand. I also note that there are more than just a few visitors who, when it's their turn to step up to the Immigration counter, don't have all their paperwork completed. That adds to the wait.

I am not saying everything is fine with Thai Immigration; they either need more officers or the current staff needs to shift it up a gear or two.