Thai Immigration Switch To Auto-Gates At Suvarnabhumi Airport

[george]

Thai Immigration switch to auto-gates in BKK

BANGKOK: -- Immigration Bureau will start using auto-gates at Suvarnabhumi Airport for Thai passengers from April.

Immigration Division II commander, Pol Maj Gen Natthathorn Prohsunthorn, told TTR Weekly that by the end of March, or early April, the Immigration Bureau will switch to auto-gates to speed up the clearance of Thai passengers.

“Passengers will pass through a gate to verify the passport whether it is authorised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then they will move on to the next machine to verify identity, whether they are the same person in the passport by finger scan, check criminal records and related information.”

The commander claims a processing time of just 16 seconds. Eight gates will be deployed at departure and arrival zones (two each at zones B and C).

In 2010 Immigration Division II tested the system at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s arrival checkpoints using machines borrowed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pol Maj Gen Natthathorn also said that Immigration Division II would tackle staff shortage with a new recruitment drive, but it is a long term plan over three to five years.

“Passengers increase by 10% annually and that means we need 355 officers for all checkpoints,” he explained.

The division has 1,148 officers on the payroll, 164 short of the required workforce.

It lost 98 officers, this month, who were promoted to commissioned officers and transferred to other departments. Another 127 officers will be away on training later this month for a month and return to the division afterwards.

“To temporarily solve this shortage, we have asked for more officers to be transferred from overland immigration checkpoints, but there are language issues that need to be considered,” he said.

Suvarnabhumi Airport has 124 counters at the arrivals area and 80 in the departures hall. Around 60% of the counters are operational.

Last year, Suvarnabhumi Airport received 35 million international passengers (Thais and foreigners).

-- TTR Weekly 2012-02-10

[cardholder]

.....freeing up more Immigration staff to deal with excessive queues of Falangs........................................

[madmitch]

Does this mean Thais will no longer have to fill in Departure and Arrival cards?

[soloman]

It sounds like they will never catch up to demand, even with the self-serve gates for Thais. Maybe they could re-assess the need for the Inwards Fast Track immigration channels. The last time I went down Fast Track there were 2 Immigration Officers there with no customers. They were dozing off! Meanwhile an Air China flight had just also landed, and there were thousands of people at the normal immigration channels. Fast Track is nice when you can get it, but it is not a fair and balanced use of resources.

[chrisinth]

I hope the Thai system works better than the one they have in use at Heathrow using the retina scan. I am just back from UK and spent about 40 minutes queued for the "fast track".

[bushman1666]

I hope the Thai system works better than the one they have in use at Heathrow using the retina scan. I am just back from UK and spent about 40 minutes queued for the "fast track".

Heathrow, the worlds busiest and shabbiest airport.

[david555]

.....freeing up more Immigration staff to deal with excessive queues of Falangs........................................

no this is only the beginning to fill databases , sorting out first their own people as an exercise...., later it shall be our turn... ,in Cambodia they started with full 10 fingerprinting by arrival AND departure at airport , Poipet will be the first land border following soon as published on their immigration website

So in co operation with western databases many "missing individuals " in the future shall be recovered by their respective goverments...

Edited February 10, 2012 by david555

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I've never seen any particularly long lines, nor any particularly large number of officers assigned, at the Thai citizen Immigration booths at the airport.

The foreigner booths, that's an entirely different story.

[Chua]

Machine readable passports have existed in most first-world countries for years, so why not offer auto-gates for all farrang passengers who have machine-readable passports as well? The biggest lines have always been for farrang and the vast majority of international travelers coming through BKK are farrang. A recent article states that the Thai government wants to make BKK a regional hub. Great idea, but this is only going to happen when it is at least as convenient and comfortable as other major regional airports. They can start by adding some padding to those most uncomfortable metal seats and some better quality restaurants (but not at high prices).

[chooka]

Does this mean Thais will no longer have to fill in Departure and Arrival cards?

If it's like Australia then Thais will hand thier cards to customs officials.

[chooka]

Machine readable passports have existed in most first-world countries for years, so why not offer auto-gates for all farrang passengers who have machine-readable passports as well? The biggest lines have always been for farrang and the vast majority of international travelers coming through BKK are farrang. A recent article states that the Thai government wants to make BKK a regional hub. Great idea, but this is only going to happen when it is at least as convenient and comfortable as other major regional airports. They can start by adding some padding to those most uncomfortable metal seats and some better quality restaurants (but not at high prices).

The machines do not check visas. In Australia non citizens still have to pass through immigration where visas are checked. This sytem only checks in citizens returning home.

[bob4you]

While they can read passport information cannot read visa information or re-entry permits. Who knows how often that is updated in their computers if at all.

[spidermike007]

It sounds like they will never catch up to demand, even with the self-serve gates for Thais. Maybe they could re-assess the need for the Inwards Fast Track immigration channels. The last time I went down Fast Track there were 2 Immigration Officers there with no customers. They were dozing off! Meanwhile an Air China flight had just also landed, and there were thousands of people at the normal immigration channels. Fast Track is nice when you can get it, but it is not a fair and balanced use of resources.

Exactly. Some sort of pre-screening, and maybe even a premium for fast track. Not the ridiculous 2 million baht scheme aimed at billionaires, but one for successful people willing to pay some sort of premium to avoid the immigration nightmare. Same for departure clearance, which is usually much worse than arrivals. Thailand needs to get its act together, if it is entertaining any prospect of competing on the world stage. Pretty soon, most of its neighbors will pass it by, as Thailand has no concept whatsoever of the definition of progress.

[Basil B]

Does this mean Thais will no longer have to fill in Departure and Arrival cards?

This applys to Thais only.

Having to fill in the cards on an airplane is always a pain, find a pen, write in a confined place, have to dig out passport for number, answering questions of passenger sitting next to because they speak very little English and no Thai and can not understand many of the question on the card.

would it not be nice to be able to complete the information for landing/departure cards on line in advance, then on arrival walk up to a machine that either reads the passport or a bar-code and prints out a card for you there and then, then just join a fast track queue.

It could save all round, less work for the immigration people as data would already be entered on the system, checking passengers in advance, multi lingual website, less wasted cards that are issued to airlines and never used.

[Swiss1960]

It sounds like they will never catch up to demand, even with the self-serve gates for Thais. Maybe they could re-assess the need for the Inwards Fast Track immigration channels. The last time I went down Fast Track there were 2 Immigration Officers there with no customers. They were dozing off! Meanwhile an Air China flight had just also landed, and there were thousands of people at the normal immigration channels. Fast Track is nice when you can get it, but it is not a fair and balanced use of resources.

Exactly. Some sort of pre-screening, and maybe even a premium for fast track. Not the ridiculous 2 million baht scheme aimed at billionaires, but one for successful people willing to pay some sort of premium to avoid the immigration nightmare. Same for departure clearance, which is usually much worse than arrivals. Thailand needs to get its act together, if it is entertaining any prospect of competing on the world stage. Pretty soon, most of its neighbors will pass it by, as Thailand has no concept whatsoever of the definition of progress.

Have to say that I like the Fast Track very much, as my airline offers me the voucher since I pay a higher fair already flying business class... saves me one hour entering or leaving this beautiful Land of Smiles...

But I agree: Most Farang have machine readable passports, mine is even biometric now and pre-checks could easily be done for verifying identity, reading the data into the computer instead of typing it in, machine coule even issue all kinds of short term Visa (i.e. 30 / 90 day tourist)... however, I have to say that I have not seen such procedures at any airport I ever passed through...

[jombom]

.....freeing up more Immigration staff to deal with excessive queues of Falangs........................................

no this is only the beginning to fill databases , sorting out first their own people as an exercise...., later it shall be our turn... ,in Cambodia they started with full 10 fingerprinting by arrival AND departure at airport , Poipet will be the first land border following soon as published on their immigration website

So in co operation with western databases many "missing individuals " in the future shall be recovered by their respective goverments...

Koh Khong has gone live, with machine fingerprint readers --- all 10 fingers, 2 times (4 finders + 1 thumb).

[Lammbock]

Does this mean Thais will no longer have to fill in Departure and Arrival cards?

Having to fill in the cards on an airplane is always a pain, find a pen, write in a confined place, have to dig out passport for number, answering questions of passenger sitting next to because they speak very little English and no Thai and can not understand many of the question on the card.

My Tip for you is if you cant remember your passport number, date and place of issue than simply right it down on your boarding pass back site. (The small one which you keep just before you enter the plain)

...and a pen you can keep in your pocket attached to your Polo or Business shirt.

[wayned]

Now why would we do something that makes sense when it's so much fun to rant and rave about how stupid the syatem is ?

[creck]

Have to say that I like the Fast Track very much, as my airline offers me the voucher since I pay a higher fair already flying business class... saves me one hour entering or leaving this beautiful Land of Smiles...

But I agree: Most Farang have machine readable passports, mine is even biometric now and pre-checks could easily be done for verifying identity, reading the data into the computer instead of typing it in, machine coule even issue all kinds of short term Visa (i.e. 30 / 90 day tourist)... however, I have to say that I have not seen such procedures at any airport I ever passed through...

Fast Track saves you one hour...?

When I entered LOS on 1^st of this month, it took me a little over two hours in a tense hot Farang queue to pass immigration. The worst I have ever experienced. Behind me, the queue was longer than when I joined it. I heard at least one loud confrontation and lots of grumbling about people ‘pushing in’. It seems soon it will become intolerable, when people have to add half a day to their travel time.

[samran]

I'll believe this when I see it. These smart gates were installed at the old Don Musng airport but have been plagued by IT issues since. I've seen these announcements before.

[anterian]

Visas were not generally needed before WW1, they were intended to prevent spying. Now every government has realised it's a good way to extract money from non citizens. I have held 6 passports in my life, only the last 3 contain visas. One consolation my next passport will be free as I will be over 80 years old

[Soutpeel]

Visas were not generally needed before WW1,

Yes because nobody had a passport to put said visa's in...

Edited February 10, 2012 by Soutpeel

[AlanL1275]

Heathrow isn't the busiest airport in the world. Atlanta's Hartsfield is. London's claim is based on as many as 15 airports combined, including Gatwick. Atlanta's Hartsfield is largest in two ways. Passenger traffic and aircraft traffic. Delta Airlines, based at Hartsfield is also the largest airline in the world. Cheers

[creck]

Heathrow isn't the busiest airport in the world. Atlanta's Hartsfield is. London's claim is based on as many as 15 airports combined, including Gatwick. Atlanta's Hartsfield is largest in two ways. Passenger traffic and aircraft traffic. Delta Airlines, based at Hartsfield is also the largest airline in the world. Cheers

I believe Heathrow’s claim to be the busiest airport, is limited to international passenger traffic. This for immigration issues is the most important.

[Soutpeel]

Heathrow isn't the busiest airport in the world. Atlanta's Hartsfield is. London's claim is based on as many as 15 airports combined, including Gatwick. Atlanta's Hartsfield is largest in two ways. Passenger traffic and aircraft traffic. Delta Airlines, based at Hartsfield is also the largest airline in the world. Cheers

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[overherebc]

.....freeing up more Immigration staff to deal with excessive queues of Falangs........................................

no this is only the beginning to fill databases , sorting out first their own people as an exercise...., later it shall be our turn... ,in Cambodia they started with full 10 fingerprinting by arrival AND departure at airport , Poipet will be the first land border following soon as published on their immigration website

So in co operation with western databases many "missing individuals " in the future shall be recovered by their respective goverments...

Used Poipet 6 months ago and was finger printed. Went back about 7 weeks ago and all the machines were switched off/not working.

[NewlyMintedThai]

The TM cards are a complete waste of time for Thai nationals. The only information that they ask for that is not already encoded in the passports is the arrival/departure flight numbers. I guess immigration will no longer track this info for Thais once the automatic gates are up and going.

[RichardinBKK]

Can someone explain why Thailand does not reap the financial benefit of foreign visitors with visa and allow us to simply go to a central office (BKK), pay a fee and get an extension. it would allow them to look us in the eye, ask a few questions, make several million Baht, and enhance the tourist industry.

The visa run companies are making money, the over the border hotels make money, other countries are profiting handsomely from what could be a Thai goldmine.

Is a border guard in Cambodia really the best the best option? It seem to me, Thailand could have more control and revenue by keeping this "in house."

Is there some genuine reason it is not done?

[NewlyMintedThai]

Because harmless "tourists" aren't the only ones who would love the ability to stay in Thailand forever with little or no hassle.

Also -- a border crossing allows them to simply not let you back in if you're undesirable. An in-country system would require the more complicated and more expensive process of deportation.

[gamini]

It sounds like they will never catch up to demand, even with the self-serve gates for Thais. Maybe they could re-assess the need for the Inwards Fast Track immigration channels. The last time I went down Fast Track there were 2 Immigration Officers there with no customers. They were dozing off! Meanwhile an Air China flight had just also landed, and there were thousands of people at the normal immigration channels. Fast Track is nice when you can get it, but it is not a fair and balanced use of resources.

Of course it isw very fair. It is for very elderly passemgers who can not stand for long or who are in wheelchairs. I am over 80 and I really appreciate such facilities.