Horrendous Check-In Delays!

[JeffAstle]

It took my wife two hours to navigate immigration and security check-ins this morning (Sunday) starting from about 6:45 a.m.

One fellow passenger said it's been like that for a couple of weeks, since the bombing incident up Ekamai last month. But the work to the immigration hall probably doesn't help. She was one of about 7 people to make it to her check-in gate on time.

[IMA_FARANG]

It's all in your luck...or lack of it...as may be.

I once arrived at 7:30 pm for a midnight flight and spent over two hours in the check-in queue before even going to immigration.

Other times I've gone through the whole process in 30 minutes.

But yes, they are doing extra security checks after the bomb stuff.

[lonewolf99]

Typical global knee jerk security reaction these days when terrorists make any government look like they have been going around with both thumbs up their posterior orifice.

Pourous international borders, where tonnes of drugs and arms can flood in and out go unattended ( until they want to look good for the press ) but normal day to day innocent law abiding citizens have to suffer the indignity that is modern air travel. Shoes off, belts off, watch off, phones off. throw away that very obvious bottle of H2O, get rid of that tube of toothpaste, under arm deodorant, legs apart, arms wide, empty your pockets. Hey !!! guess what they found nothing. OK get dressed again, get on a 13 hour flight and turn up at the other end disheveled, smelling of B.O. and with rancid Buffalo breath.

All after you have paid through the nose for the privilege of flying with, airlines that tout nirvana aboard their aircraft, breathlessly advertised to be Five Star, globally yours with room to play bloody football in the aisle, swans gracefully flying round a clear blue sky, CGI cartoons displaying giant seats occupied by emaciated puppet people. Catwalk women doing gymnastic excercises to relieve DVT in a seat surrounded by ....nothing.....welcome to my (the real) world folks......the day I can give this all up for a bicycle and a hammock on a permanent basis can never come too soon......

On a final note....Oooops sorry cannot put what I really want to say due to it being construed as racist and bigoted but actualy being a realist !!! but you can call me a blue eyed white opinionated ass hole any time....I won't take offense.

[kurtmartens]

Fly business and get the dedicated immigration area....

[Jayman]

Fly business and get the dedicated immigration area....

Business class is not a choice that most travelers can make.

Edited March 5, 2012 by metisdead
Insulting comment removed.

[kurtmartens]

Fly business and get the dedicated immigration area....

Business class is not a choice that most travelers can make. Your reply seems rather snobbish if you ask me.

Wasn't snobbish...was just factual. You want better service or in this case quicker dedicated service, you pay for it. I am lucky enough that my company does fly me on first or business.

[fobuff]

They should check them coming in .....

If they are leaving LOS they probably did their deed..

[metisdead]

Some posts have been edited to remove insults, some insulting posts have been removed.

[PattayaParent]

Typical global knee jerk security reaction these days when terrorists make any government look like they have been going around with both thumbs up their posterior orifice.

Pourous international borders, where tonnes of drugs and arms can flood in and out go unattended ( until they want to look good for the press ) but normal day to day innocent law abiding citizens have to suffer the indignity that is modern air travel. Shoes off, belts off, watch off, phones off. throw away that very obvious bottle of H2O, get rid of that tube of toothpaste, under arm deodorant, legs apart, arms wide, empty your pockets. Hey !!! guess what they found nothing. OK get dressed again, get on a 13 hour flight and turn up at the other end disheveled, smelling of B.O. and with rancid Buffalo breath.

All after you have paid through the nose for the privilege of flying with, airlines that tout nirvana aboard their aircraft, breathlessly advertised to be Five Star, globally yours with room to play bloody football in the aisle, swans gracefully flying round a clear blue sky, CGI cartoons displaying giant seats occupied by emaciated puppet people. Catwalk women doing gymnastic excercises to relieve DVT in a seat surrounded by ....nothing.....welcome to my (the real) world folks......the day I can give this all up for a bicycle and a hammock on a permanent basis can never come too soon......

On a final note....Oooops sorry cannot put what I really want to say due to it being construed as racist and bigoted but actualy being a realist !!! but you can call me a blue eyed white opinionated ass hole any time....I won't take offense.

It's not the airlines that are responsible for the security measures though.

[steve187]

check in on line where applicable, and get there three hours before. not nice but something we all have to accept.

[dominique355]

Although this thread is about immigration control when leaving, I would like to propose an idea how to facilitate immigration on arrival.

Put an immigration officer in the plane where he can at least check the arrival cards if they are complete and correct. Perhaps Immigration is sufficiently up-to-date to give the officer a portable database to check passports.

In the long transcontinental flights, there is ample time to do that for all or any passenger aboard. Passengers checked will get a machine readable entry card.

Upon disembarking, passengers can be sent to a special checkpoint to enter the country where only the machine-readable card is checked, like a BTS ticket. This should greatly speed up the process on the ground.

[ScouseTommy]

I hate waiting and long queues as much as the next farang! However I'd rather be moaning about big queues down than pub, than be sitting on an aircraft with bombers and terrorists! It may seem like stupid and knee jerk reactions, but if they didnt do it and a loved one was killed along with other passengers we'd be asking WHY???

Just playing devils advocate here, but a valid point i think.

[champken]

I recently flew out and back in and on both journeys the immigration queues were horrendous, particualy the one going out which stretched i would guess 100 metres inside the terminal and thats before you even got into the passport control area, so forget getting there 2 hours before your flight, allow for 4 hours and you might be ok

[mowgus]

I have to admit, the immigration line coming into BKK last Thursday was the longest I have ever seen. They did have a lot of staff working but it was backed up down the hallway. However, this simply seemed to be volume. They didn't look me over anymore than they normally would have. Or is it just that I don't fit a profile? Outgoing domestic was fast (BKK --> CNX)...less than 1 hour.

[miksguevara]

I hate waiting and long queues as much as the next farang! However I'd rather be moaning about big queues down than pub, than be sitting on an aircraft with bombers and terrorists! It may seem like stupid and knee jerk reactions, but if they didnt do it and a loved one was killed along with other passengers we'd be asking WHY???

Just playing devils advocate here, but a valid point i think.

immigration is leaving the airplane not getting on one? sorry Im in that kinda mood this mornin

[taff33]

Is this why skytrack rates Bangkok as 3star and Singapore as 5star airports.

[dddave]

I also checked in Sunday, 04 March at 5:30pm for a 7:30 flight. Passport control was 15 minutes.

It really depends so much whether a concentration of high volume flights are going out the same time. You can't call staff in for a busy period, then send them home then call them back again.

All in all, I think they do a better job at Suvarnabhumi than at many other international airports.