2 Hours Waiting At Immigration At Suvanarbhumi Airport 1.2.2012

[mark131v]

Try going through immigration in Paris at CDG. Worst I've ever seen. I'd say book flights that either get in during the morning or the night. I've never spent more than an hour in immigration in BKK and by far the longest was when I came in on a mid day flight like you did. Avoid 11am - 7/8pm and you'll be much better off. Early morning or night arrivals I've spent like 20-30 min, maybe one other flight was there at the same time as mine.

That is brilliant!!! avoid getting in during the day or evening......classic thanks for that!~!

[siam2007]

I never waited longer than 5-10 minutes when arriving in the past few months (in some cases I walked straight to the Immigration officers desk as there was nobody else in front of me), but usually 30-75 minutes when leaving. I wonder why all the airlines do not complain (particularly THAI as their word or complaint would certainly make a difference !), as this is severely jeopardizing their on-time performance and overall operations

[eagleflyinghigh]

If the airline forgets to hand you your card, all you have to do is ask for it. Simple really.

Yermanee

Not so simple if the airline did not load the cards and the ground handling agents are not helpful, or worse an airline (like Qantas) gives you the old no longer valid cards.

The point is that things are becoming much worse at BKK. Perhaps a move from TG where departing in premium cabins with them is a breeze with dedicated security and immmigration.

[yermanee]

If the airline forgets to hand you your card, all you have to do is ask for it. Simple really.

Yermanee

Not so simple if the airline did not load the cards and the ground handling agents are not helpful, or worse an airline (like Qantas) gives you the old no longer valid cards.

The point is that things are becoming much worse at BKK. Perhaps a move from TG where departing in premium cabins with them is a breeze with dedicated security and immmigration.

I have flown Qatar / Oman / Etihad and never had any problems.

I usually fly to Frankfurt or Paris or Brussels and can assure you that in those airports the queuing is much worse than I have ever witnessed at BKK.

I have to emphasize that I like Suvarnabhumi Airport and do not understand all the negativity about it.

Yermanee

Edited February 6, 2012 by yermanee

[PattayaParent]

I've had long waits for immigration in Houston and Gatwick as well. It's not a problem just in Thailand.

Just lining up for US immigration at Vancouver (during the day part of Vancouver airport becomes US property)can also take up to 2 hours. You can see a lot of people panicking when they realise they arrived too late and will miss their flight to the US.

3 hours at immigration on a flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles has been my worse wait although that is more likely to be a one off rather than the normal operating procedure as in Thailand.

I don't remember any problems entering or leaving when Don Muang was the only airport?

Edited February 6, 2012 by PattayaParent

[PattayaParent]

Wow, thanks for the information. During transit, I plan to go out of the airport to sleep at the hotel outside. If I have to wait this long, I rather stay inside.

There's a transit hotel inside the airport.

[PattayaParent]

As the walking man posted, I can not see why there is not one queue, with someone at the end telling you which counter to go to next, they have this in LHR, and it seems to work well.

Because the queues would be backed up along the concourse to the disembarkation ramp and back into the 'plane!

[TheWalkingMan]

Wow, thanks for the information. During transit, I plan to go out of the airport to sleep at the hotel outside. If I have to wait this long, I rather stay inside.

There's a transit hotel inside the airport.

That transit hotel is way overpriced. I went there before to inquire about the rates, but I lost my hand written notes and they did not have a price list posted in their reception/front desk area for all to see.

[easyride]

I arrived from Vietnam yesterday and the bus dropped us off at the smaller of the two immigration (closest to the fast track) rooms and the queues were almost back to the main concourse never mind getting near the desks. I walked 250 metres or so to the bigger of the two immigration areas and got through in 5 minutes. Lucky I guess.

[redskin]

i completely agree with all of you.

[bendix]

Ahhhhh, the joys of having an Apec Business Travellers Card

If like me, you fly business class you don't need an Apec card.

Simple really.

Yermanee

I don't think that's strictly true. I fly business class regularly and the ability to use fast-track areas is pretty random. Sometimes they're issued and sometimes they are not.

The APEC and diplomats line, on the other hand, is pervasive both going in and coming out of any Apec country in the world.

[supaprik]

Ahhhhh, the joys of having an Apec Business Travellers Card

If like me, you fly business class you don't need an Apec card.

Simple really.

Yermanee

x2

[impulse]

If like me, you fly business class you don't need an Apec card.

Simple really.

Yermanee

Wrong, even the lines accessed with the new golden premium card were 15 minutes deep yesterday which is not fast track at all. Also some airlines "forget" handing out these cards to their premium passengers and Qantas - a supposedly serious airline - recently handed out old cards no longer valid.

Anyway even you have to admit that waiting 15 minutes or over 2 hours is a big difference.

If the airline forgets to hand you your card, all you have to do is ask for it. Simple really.

Yermanee

Let's have some fun and calculate what that business class ticket cost you per hour that you got to sit in a comfier seat on the plane (true, with slightly better food), and occasionally save time at immigration. I figured somewhere between $50 and $200 per hour depending on the flight details... I'll take the cheap seats any day. But then, I pay for my own tickets.

Edited February 13, 2012 by impulse

[yermanee]

Let's have some fun and calculate what that business class ticket cost you per hour that you got to sit in a comfier seat on the plane (true, with slightly better food), and occasionally save time at immigration. I figured somewhere between $50 and $200 per hour depending on the flight details... I'll take the cheap seats any day. But then, I pay for my own tickets.

What makes you think that I don't pay for my own tickets ?

Anyway, all the perks that one gets flying business class are worth the price difference as far as I am concerned, and I do think that I have the right to decide what I do with my own money.

Yermanee

[londoedan]

Let's have some fun and calculate what that business class ticket cost you per hour that you got to sit in a comfier seat on the plane (true, with slightly better food), and occasionally save time at immigration. I figured somewhere between $50 and $200 per hour depending on the flight details... I'll take the cheap seats any day. But then, I pay for my own tickets.

Have some fun by all means but your maths is way out:

Beijing - BKK - Beijing is an extra 1000 RMB (160US$) with China Airlines. So per hour that's about 20US$. For the bigger seats, lounge access, faster check-in, better food and service, more air-miles and fast-track card in BKK I would say thats a pretty good deal, wouldn't you ?

Simon

[impulse]

What makes you think that I don't pay for my own tickets ?

Anyway, all the perks that one gets flying business class are worth the price difference as far as I am concerned, and I do think that I have the right to decide what I do with my own money.

Yermanee

Apologies. I didn't mean to paint you with the broad brush. I know many people who buy their own tickets and fly business.

But I get kind of tickled hearing people with real jobs extolling on their unflappable love affair with Business Class then hear them griping a year later when their company's policy changes and they "only" get cheap seats paid by the company. Seems they love the perks as long as they're funded by OPM (Other People's Money). I realize you may not be in that group, and I apologize if I've offended.

And I also realize there are routes where business is only nominally more expensive than the cheap seats, especially if you have a flexible schedule and time to make those arrangements. But the times I've done the math, it did not work out. At the time I was self employed and the purpose of the trips were to make money. Starting the trip several hundred or thousand $$$ further in the hole didn't seem like a prudent use of my own limited funds.

[yermanee]

What makes you think that I don't pay for my own tickets ?

Anyway, all the perks that one gets flying business class are worth the price difference as far as I am concerned, and I do think that I have the right to decide what I do with my own money.

Yermanee

Apologies. I didn't mean to paint you with the broad brush. I know many people who buy their own tickets and fly business.

But I get kind of tickled hearing people with real jobs extolling on their unflappable love affair with Business Class then hear them griping a year later when their company's policy changes and they "only" get cheap seats paid by the company. Seems they love the perks as long as they're funded by OPM (Other People's Money). I realize you may not be in that group, and I apologize if I've offended.

And I also realize there are routes where business is only nominally more expensive than the cheap seats, especially if you have a flexible schedule and time to make those arrangements. But the times I've done the math, it did not work out. At the time I was self employed and the purpose of the trips were to make money. Starting the trip several hundred or thousand $$$ further in the hole didn't seem like a prudent use of my own limited funds.

No need to apologize, I was not offended.

Just wanted to point out that some people do value comfort over price if the price difference is within their limits.

Have to admit though that when I was a lot younger comfort level was far less important than it is now as far as I'm concerned.

Yermanee

[theoldgit]

We flew out of Suvarnabhumi early on Monday, 06.50, hardly any queue at all. Noticed that all desks in departure were available for both Thai and Foreign passports, we were both through in a couple of minutes.

Arrived back at 11.00 this morning, separate lines for Thai and Foreign passport holders, there were staff with Thai Tourism t-shirts managing the lines, I was directed to the Thai line as I was with my partner. I was through in about four minutes but I have to say that the Foreign passport lines were only about five deep.

[londoedan]

We flew out of Suvarnabhumi early on Monday, 06.50, hardly any queue at all. Noticed that all desks in departure were available for both Thai and Foreign passports, we were both through in a couple of minutes.

Arrived back at 11.00 this morning, separate lines for Thai and Foreign passport holders, there were staff with Thai Tourism t-shirts managing the lines, I was directed to the Thai line as I was with my partner. I was through in about four minutes but I have to say that the Foreign passport lines were only about five deep.

Good to hear that things are getting back to normal and the lengthy queues are not a regular headache.

My recent poor experiences at SVP coincided with the Chinese New Year holiday period so I guess some congestion was to be expected.

[NanLaew]

We flew out of Suvarnabhumi early on Monday, 06.50, hardly any queue at all. Noticed that all desks in departure were available for both Thai and Foreign passports, we were both through in a couple of minutes.

Arrived back at 11.00 this morning, separate lines for Thai and Foreign passport holders, there were staff with Thai Tourism t-shirts managing the lines, I was directed to the Thai line as I was with my partner. I was through in about four minutes but I have to say that the Foreign passport lines were only about five deep.

Arrived at Suvarnabhumi a little before 1pm Saturday for a 3pm departure. The bigger, central passport hall was backing up onto the concourse. So I went to the smaller, one on the west side. Still took 25 minutes to get through Immigration. Russian groups were trying the 'meeting old friends' trick and trying to cut in. A young Thai bloke got in front of me and pretended not to understand the back of the line idea but kept flaunting his Thai passport so I knew which way that would have gone in a pissing contest; I just wanted to get shot of the whole zoo. But I hope his fight was delayed.

Coming back around 11pm on Sunday so I will post that experience.

[NanLaew]

On time arrival at 11pm Sunday and long walk to the west-side (biggest) immigration hall that already had the foreigner lines backing up to the edge of the carpeted ramp. Note that the Thai lines on the right were pretty empty. By the time I filled in the landing card (Egypt Air only hands them out as you deplane!) the lines were all full and the backup down the ramp. However, there were plenty lines open and processing was reasonably fast. The bags were already off the carousel by the time I got there around 11:45.

AOT were out of Camry's and Teanna's and advised '20 minutes' delay for them so lots of people being offered minibuses and BMW 7's as 'available now' at higher price. I paid for a Camry and after about 20 minutes passed and only two Camry's came by, the AOT guys offered me the minibus for same price as Camry so in the Asoke hotel by 1pm which was better than expected with the busy immigration and lack of limos.

[richard_smith237]

As the walking man posted, I can not see why there is not one queue, with someone at the end telling you which counter to go to next, they have this in LHR, and it seems to work well.

Because the queues would be backed up along the concourse to the disembarkation ramp and back into the 'plane!

Erm... You missed out the smiley to indicate you are simply being silly...

[theoldgit]

On time arrival at 11pm Sunday and long walk to the west-side (biggest) immigration hall that already had the foreigner lines backing up to the edge of the carpeted ramp. Note that the Thai lines on the right were pretty empty. By the time I filled in the landing card (Egypt Air only hands them out as you deplane!) the lines were all full and the backup down the ramp. However, there were plenty lines open and processing was reasonably fast.

There seems to be no consistency, I almost went straight through on my return, whilst you had a long wait, I suppose it all depends on how many flights arrive at any given time. The positive note in your report is that that the processing was being carried out reasonably fast.

I have managed to build up a small stock of landing cards so I can write them before I fly, helps in eventualities like the one you describe.

[siam2007]

worst are those late night departures to Europe, when 20+/- Jumbos depart for Europe within an hours time, THAT is fun - and I will experience it once again in two days from now..... will report

[theoldgit]

worst are those late night departures to Europe, when 20+/- Jumbos depart for Europe within an hours time, THAT is fun - and I will experience it once again in two days from now..... will report

Do it from the queue - you'll have plenty of time

[mca]

Ahhhhh, the joys of having an Apec Business Travellers Card

If like me, you fly business class you don't need an Apec card.

Simple really.

Yermanee

If, like me, you shout "ALLAH AKBAR!!! DEATH TO THE INFIDELS AND LAPDOGS OF THE GREAT SATAN AND ZIONIST TOOLS!!!" whilst rummaging about under your shirt you tend to find they'll escort you past the queue toot sweet. So quickly that your feet won't literally touch the ground.

[elliss]

i cme thru in january ,

one hour wait at immigration .

where are all these sex tourists coming from .

[cobra]

Two hours doesn't sound excessive compared to some other countries, especially when multiple wide body long haulers carrying hundreds of people arrive at the same time, but yes, normally should have not taken that long.

[saengsureeya]

If like me, you fly business class you don't need an Apec card.

Simple really.

Yermanee

Wrong, even the lines accessed with the new golden premium card were 15 minutes deep yesterday which is not fast track at all. Also some airlines "forget" handing out these cards to their premium passengers and Qantas - a supposedly serious airline - recently handed out old cards no longer valid.

Yeah yeah.......fast track lanes........isn't that a bit like the "Easy Pass" on the toll ways?

More and more ques there, because more and more people are using the "fast" services, which will become relatively slower.

[NanLaew]

... I have managed to build up a small stock of landing cards so I can write them before I fly, helps in eventualities like the one you describe.

I used to have a few spare ones stashed away in the old travel wallet but buggered if I could find any of them the other night. I must remember to stock up when I pass through again next month.