Thai Immigration Switch To Auto-Gates At Suvarnabhumi Airport

[LPCustom69]

Since this will only be affecting returning thais, it is in response to some "vip" thais feeling that they should not have to wait the current 3-5 minutes while in their country.

It may save some immigration workers from getting slapped in front of everybody.

[NewlyMintedThai]

Since this will only be affecting returning thais, it is in response to some "vip" thais feeling that they should not have to wait the current 3-5 minutes while in their country.

It may save some immigration workers from getting slapped in front of everybody.

VIP Thais don't wait in line.

Some sycophant meets them at the door of the plane and takes their passports to get stamped without them ever having to lay eyes on an immigration official.

They go straight out to their waiting cars while their passports get stamped and their luggage whisked off the belt and through Customs.

If you are breathing the same air as they are in the immigration hall, they are no VIP.

[falangjim]

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.

Wow. Carry a pen and keep your passport on you.

[rinteln]

I was at the airport only a couple of days ago coming back from Singapore and by the looks of it they need to get some basics correct before any fancy machines come in.

For starters we were told on the flight there was a general shortage of immigration white forms and some airlines were out of stock due to no supply from Bangkok. So straight away you have a problem with hundreds of people trying to get forms on arrival. So given this huge flux of people arriving without forms you would expect easy availability of them at the immigration desks..or a proactive move to get them to people as soon as possible.........no !! Chaos. Everyone had to go and find them from a couple of girls just standing around with a wad in their hands as if it was business as usual.

I went to immigration point 1 as 2 was so backlogged that the queue was nearly down to the main walkway. Got to immigration 1 and guess what, not all the desks were open. Maybe 3/4 were closed. Plus they thought in their wisdom that they somehow needed 2 desks open for Thai nationals only......errmmmmm.

Bottom line, over an hour to do immigration.

The airport maybe fancy, one of the best in the world and it may have all the mod cons but the end of the day it is still run by Thais and thus is and remains probably the most awkward immigration I ever go through. Actually, sorry there is worse ive been through....Havana in Cuba....lol.

Auto machines for Thai nationals will have so little impact im not sure it even deserves discussion.

Edited February 11, 2012 by rinteln

[4evermaat]

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.

I was just in Malaysia not to long ago. They still issue arrival/departure cards. I lost my departure card and they asked for it at land border, but waived me through after a minute of me searching for it. Don't see the point in it because they issue a tag along with the entry stamp

[rinteln]

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.

I was just in Malaysia not to long ago. They still issue arrival/departure cards. I lost my departure card and they asked for it at land border, but waived me through after a minute of me searching for it. Don't see the point in it because they issue a tag along with the entry stamp

They still issue them but you can enter without one. I went through last week and didn't enter with a card. Only had to finger scan. Its only a problem if you entered with one and lose it.

[PoodMaiDai]

Soon to be BREAKING NEWS: Auto gates do not work. They never worked and are missing vital parts to function. Airport scraps them instead of trying to fix them.

[thaibeachlovers]

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.

I really hated using that &%^%$%^&& airport. ThaiAir was invariably at the farthest gate possible, there were no toilets at the gate and no baggage trollys anywhere. The travellators were a joke.

The pre boarding waiting area was disgusting, only 2 toilets and the food prices were extortionate.

Finally, the so called security staff were rude, untrained and a disgrace.

Comparing Heathrow T3 and SB, it is clear which belonged in a "third world" country ( and it wasn't SB )

[aparasher]

Well they have not specified the year. It could possibly be March or early April in 2020.

[lopburi3]

One post removed for cause and one reply deleted.

[cardholder]

.....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 was finger-printed at had Lek last year.

[lockman]

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.

Does anyone ever plan anything?

[wayned]

Let them "beta" test the passport scanners on the Thai passports, I understand that the company that makes the scanners also makes the best paper shreaders in the industry!

[lopburi3]

one Three nonsense posts removed.

[oldsailor35]

Oh my goodness, 98 officers will be promoted tomorrow and they will all be moved. That's not fair, i am the boss and nobody told me. What can we do ?

[MJo]

The visa issue with machines is easy. Other countries they issue card to be able to use the machines. The card validity is tied with your visa.

To save resources i'd propose Thailand should implement "alien registration" cards like Philippines do when getting your extension of stay. This could get you access to the machines at airport, automate your 90 day reporting, act as proof of address letter and as id card when dealing with Thai government. Just one machine readable smart card with your photo, finger prints and address in it instead of those piles of paper and hundreds of forms used at the moment. Technology is there and simple thing to do, just need some political will to change the old dinosaur.

For fast track immigration, it is mad. 30% of the capacity reserved for business class passengers. I'd say open all three for free access and have one or two lines in each for fast track passengers to ensure they get processed faster. This however means they need to hire even more staff to open more counters in the middle hall.

For in-country visa extensions. It already exists. You just need to meet certain criteria. For others it is already very relaxed. You can stay indefinite by doing some border runs. Something most countries won't allow and as Thailand develops over the coming years expect it to get tighter in the future. Opening the country up and letting people to stay as they please is not that good idea if you look the big picture instead of your own situation. How many of you would accept the same concept in your home country?

[laurentbkk]

a good idea but what about those farang with work permit ? do we have to queue like any other tourists ?