Thai Immigration Switch To Auto-Gates At Suvarnabhumi Airport

[Garry]

I work in Oman and persons with Resident/Labour cards use the E-Gate system for entry & exit. The gates are excellent, especially when there are several hundred people qued up for the immigration desks. Also means I don't burn up passport pages with repetitiveI entry & exit stamps.

If the same deal can be worked for permanent residency, retirement, work permit holders in Thailand, it would be a bonus. The commoin tourist will have to just suck it up and hopefully immigration will try and stand by it's statement last year that no one would wait longer than 28 minutes....hmmm

[RichardinBKK]

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.

Thank you! That makes some sense...

[RichardinBKK]

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.

Thank you! That makes some sense...

OK. I had some time to think about it. In a pure business sense and looking at Return on Investment, Millions of baht of revenue verses some occasional hassles is worth it. Also, those "less desirable" seem to have found several "tea money" work around's already...so this might even help weed them out. Still, your answer really is appreciated and respected, since it makes sense.

[JAS21]

Well thats a ...... as I always go through the Thai Only Channel with my wife.

[pisico]

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).

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).

What makes you think that they are interested at all in Farang comfort? After long years of living here I see that this authoritarian system keeps the same old cadres in power and they continue using the same xenophobic devices to keep track of foreigners. Note that the "new system" is for Thais. They do not represent the major % of travelers going through Swampy. That should tell you all. It follows the mantra: Thai good, Farang ___ you fill in the blank

[laocowboy2]

The UAE has an e-Gate system that is NOT limited to Emiratis - anyone from a country with a 'no visa' entry approval (most of Europe, US, Singapore japanm Oz NZ etc) can apply for an e-Gate card. Neither do you have to be rsidnt in the UAE. All you need to do its to be photographed and finger printed once. From then on renewals use stored data. Coming in and out is very simple. Coming in, swipe card to entry gate and press thumb to scanner. Gate to exit opens. That's it. Collect bags and buy your duty free (and no one bottle nonsense either). Going out, swipe card, run boarding card under another scanner gate opens to enter, scan thumb again, exit gates open and head for departure gate.

[thaikahuna]

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.

How about making the staff they have pick up the dam_n pace. The idea of just muddling by to pass the time is crap. They also need to drop the damned idea of shutting the place down for all to go to lunch at the same time. If an enemy wanted to to attack Thailand they could do it at lunch while all are out eating Som Tom....

[NewlyMintedThai]

The machines might work for foreigners eventually, but would require pre-registration to record fingerprints or other biometrics for identification purposes. There would also have to be a way for the machine to track visa validity, which would be very complicated.

In any case, moving Thais through more quickly means more resources freed up to reduce the wait time of non-Thais. Everyone wins in the end.

[wolf5370]

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.

Thank you! That makes some sense...

OK. I had some time to think about it. In a pure business sense and looking at Return on Investment, Millions of baht of revenue verses some occasional hassles is worth it. Also, those "less desirable" seem to have found several "tea money" work around's already...so this might even help weed them out. Still, your answer really is appreciated and respected, since it makes sense.

I can see where you are coming from NewlyMintedThai, but it's not really as simple as that. If you go over to Burma on a same day border run, Thai imigration even if turning you down, will almost always give you a seven day stamp to get your affairs in order and sod off - so as you are then in country, there is actually no difference from giving the visa stamp in country. The only undesireables that are likely to get no admittance at all are people on the blacklist or known criminals.

The only reason(s) to not have in country visa renewal as far as I can see is that they make more money and get more control doing extensions (who would go through the process of extensions with bank checks, embassy letters, etc etc - if they could just pay a few thousand baht for a new 1 year visa each year?), and those that prefer the border runs are simply not worth the loss of the extensions business that would be likely following a policy change.

[wolf5370]

The machines might work for foreigners eventually, but would require pre-registration to record fingerprints or other biometrics for identification purposes. There would also have to be a way for the machine to track visa validity, which would be very complicated.

In any case, moving Thais through more quickly means more resources freed up to reduce the wait time of non-Thais. Everyone wins in the end.

Not so complicated - if the person is registered, then the visa just needs to be linked to that registration too (by simply adding the reg number when applying for the Visa).

However, none of this is likely to do much more than very slightly ease the queues. Most people by far are tourists, and most are one time per year visiters at most (many I would suggest are one time only visitors), and thus would be unlikely to bother registering. The best way to sort it is to put more direct international flight through to other cities (and thus bypass BKK) - build more airports and open more desks (more staff). All of which are long term solutions.

Many countries no longer bother with departure/arrival cards - what is the point? The airline can supply all the information and the visa can be scanned at the immigration desk.

Edited February 10, 2012 by wolf5370

[Garry]

I work in Oman and persons with Resident/Labour cards use the E-Gate system for entry & exit. The gates are excellent, especially when there are several hundred people qued up for the immigration desks. Also means I don't burn up passport pages with repetitiveI entry & exit stamps.

If the same deal can be worked for permanent residency, retirement, work permit holders in Thailand, it would be a bonus. The commoin tourist will have to just suck it up and hopefully immigration will try and stand by it's statement last year that no one would wait longer than 28 minutes....hmmm

The UAE has an e-Gate system that is NOT limited to Emiratis - anyone from a country with a 'no visa' entry approval (most of Europe, US, Singapore japanm Oz NZ etc) can apply for an e-Gate card. Neither do you have to be rsidnt in the UAE. All you need to do its to be photographed and finger printed once. From then on renewals use stored data. Coming in and out is very simple. Coming in, swipe card to entry gate and press thumb to scanner. Gate to exit opens. That's it. Collect bags and buy your duty free (and no one bottle nonsense either). Going out, swipe card, run boarding card under another scanner gate opens to enter, scan thumb again, exit gates open and head for departure gate.

The machines might work for foreigners eventually, but would require pre-registration to record fingerprints or other biometrics for identification purposes. There would also have to be a way for the machine to track visa validity, which would be very complicated.

In any case, moving Thais through more quickly means more resources freed up to reduce the wait time of non-Thais. Everyone wins in the end.

These programs have been working for years in other countries. The process isn't that complcated at all and Dubai has the easiest processes. They want tourists and make the mechainsms available to show that travelling through their centers can be made as painless as possible.

[adwbkk]

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

One would assume that there were as many 'old' commissioned officers as there are 'new' but lets say there are 150 commissioned officers, so they each supervise about 7 people each.

Efficiency plus!

[eurozhongguo]

Thailand might like to visit Kuala Lumpur to see how efficient passport control is there. Malaysia has abolished arrival and departure cards. You just present your passport and they scan and stamp it . Why doesn't Thailand do the same? What on earth do they do with all the paper? They could also resolve their staffing problems by abolishing passport control on departure. European airports don't check passports on the way out in most cases. In brief, it means Thailand is doing unnecessary work.

[iang]

I wonder how many Thais have e-Passports, with required biometrics, to enablethm to use such a facility. Surely a machine readable passport alone is enough, without the biometrics to validate the identity of the passport holder?

[Spoonman]

So I guess I will no longer be able to come through immi with my Thai partner.

[NewlyMintedThai]

So I guess I will no longer be able to come through immi with my Thai partner.

I'm sure the gates will be an option for Thais, but they will also probably be able to do it the old fashioned way if they prefer.

Edited February 10, 2012 by NewlyMintedThai

[samran]

I wonder how many Thais have e-Passports, with required biometrics, to enablethm to use such a facility. Surely a machine readable passport alone is enough, without the biometrics to validate the identity of the passport holder?

All Thai passports issued are e-passports and they have been issuing them for near half a decade or more.

[JohnAllan]

Around 60% of the gates are operational. But not at any one time . . .

[JohnAllan]

If it works as efficiently as iris recognition at Heathrow - it won't . . .

[astral]

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

Why not?

Visas have a machine readable strip on the bottom,

the same as the id page of the passport.

[osiboy]

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

errr,...nooooo,.... it was only heathrow , there are nowhere near 15 airports in london , the figures were on heathrow alone ,which has been the busiest airport for a long time , along with amsterdam,paris,jfk , im not disputing about atlanta Now being number 1,... but 15 airports in london ??.....there are between 5-7 , depends how you count them , some are 20-30 miles away in different counties

[sumrit]

Visas have a machine readable strip on the bottom,

the same as the id page of the passport.

My non O visa issued in the UK doesn't.

As a couple of others have said, that'll be the end of me and the wife getting through quickly. Up until now I have always gone through the Thai passport control gate with my wife (which never has any long queues), but if she is forced to use the fast track system I'll have to join the (extremely) long foreigner queues. It'll reduce her time going through immigration from about one/two minutes to (they say) 16 seconds, but then she'll have to wait god knows how long for me.

At least she can get the bags while she's waiting.

[w11guy]

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.

You can't be very well traveled if you think Heathrow is the shabbiest airport in the world. Perhaps you need to get out more often.

[w11guy]

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

Why not?

Visas have a machine readable strip on the bottom,

the same as the id page of the passport.

My Thai visa is an ink stamp - definitely not machine-readable.

[theoldgit]

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

They announced early last year that they were doing away with the requirement for Thai nationals to complete departure and arrival cards some time in 2011.

[MarkCyr]

I wish they would do something while they're at it to speed up immigration for the foreigners as well. I can deal with the waits to get into the country, but it took me almost 40 minutes to crawl through the lineup to get out of Thailand in January. There must be a faster way to get things done.

[farangme]

As for shabbiest airports go, LAX has got to be the most unappealing, disfunctional, international airport. Quite an embarrasment and dreadful place to pass through.

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

.....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...

I only needed to do the 10 finger scan one time...I have been in and out of Cambodia six times...But then I have a business visa with multiple entry/exit.

[wlcart]

I am Western but often use the Thai immigration lines because my young daughter carries a Thai passport. I have never waited more than three people deep in the Thai lines. I assume and hope they will still keep some humans around to check Thais so I too can skip the long lines of tourist. One thing I should note, Thais are great at assisting people with young children. Way better that the West. Thais a very considerate towards young kids everywhere we go.

[AgentSmith]

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 Kong / Had Lek border already scanned my fingerprints last December. It's a pain because the machine they use has a hard time scanning many people's fingers.

The whole fingerprint / passport / visa / check-in check-out nonsense is a huge pain in the ass. It mostly causes a lot of irritation, hassle, loss of time and money. Until 1914 is was possible to travel from Paris to Moscow without a passport. Then came the Nazi's and the passport never disappeared from our lives since then. Imagine there's no countries...