Why Is It So Difficult To Enter Thailand

[NanLaew]

Arrived on time lunchtime last Wednesday, touch-down at 12:55 and parked at the gate at 1:10pm. Long walk from G ramp to Immigration where they now have a conga-line system same as departures with Thai passports to the right and all others to the left. Gray-suited staff checking that incoming pax have completed their Tm cards and was through Immigration before 1:30pm. Bags were on the carousel so cleared the green channel shortly afterwards. That's one of the fastest incoming's I have done. I noted that there was probably two-thirds of the Immigration desks staffed.

[NanLaew]

Just a comment on the benefits of having staff checking that the passengers all have completed their Tm cards both leaving and arriving. Usually on departure, they have just forgotten to sign the form so usually a 10 second delay as the nice Immigration officer loans his pen. However, I always wanted to slap the punters who front up at the arrivals Immigration desk without being prepared. I mean you have been sitting on your arse for xx hours so why didn't you do it then? Oh... I see... you STILL don't have a <deleted>' pen. That's only a tad better than the waste of skin who says, "Oh... THAT card? I didn't know what it was for and left it in the seatback pocket on the plane."

[TobiasMattsson]

March 8, 22:40, immigration/passport control: 4 minutes 40 seconds including that they opened 2 new booths upon arrival.

Luggage belt: minimum 35 minutes until my bag arrived.

March 21, arrived to the airport at 06:32, check in que: 15-20 min. Check in: 5-10 min. Passport and security: under 10 min. Through all walking away from security: 07:00.

[AZBill]

I must be the luckiest SOB in Thailand. I fly internationally in and out of Swampy probably 30 times a year and I've never had or seen the kind of waits being described here. Half an hour tops on either end and most of the time 10 to 15 minutes with absolutely no waiting in security on the way out. Have traveled in and out 6 times in the last month with no issues. I always try to book early flights out and late back in. Maybe midday is much worse.

[AZBill]

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Edited March 26, 2012 by AZBill

[clg1972]

Will be arriving around 3pm just prior to the Easter weekend....does anyone know what the queues are like around 3pm?

[ALFREDO]

Do not know, but at 3 PM, you have a lot of time to see yourself until its getting time for dinner.

Who can predict?

[ragandboneman]

Arrived this evening 26th March around 19.30 hrs with Qatar Airways, through Immigration within 5 minutes no queues, Female Thai police checking your arrival cards are filled in properly, before you join the one line queueing system now in place, very efficient, long may it continue.

Well done, eventually !!!!!

[Farma]

Touched down 1225 today. Arrived immigration 1244. Cleared immigration 1256. Bags waiting on carosel. Cleared customs (they were scanning most bags) Brisk walk to domestic. By 1310 my bag was checked in and I had domestic boarding pass.

[sipidan]

Woow

The fastest I've ever been through international arrivals was yesturday

Honest...I landed at 3.15pm and was stood at the meeting point at 3.22pm

Normally with ThaiAirways they give me a free bus tour of the airport for 15 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of walking

Then the immigration lines

But after praying to Bhudha as we land

The plane actually pulled up to a gate

I walked(run) for 5 minutes to the immigration

And(drum roll) not even one person stood waiting at passport control

I choose the guy who was busy sending text messages reading a magazine

He seemed shocked I was there when after noticing me he checked his watch

With no luggage to collect my time in the airport was a whopping 7 minutes

Thank you Bhudha

I'll be praying again for my not too far away departure

[bendix]

Arrived yesterday at around 4pm. I walked past the main immigration hall and it was fully staffed and queues were no more than 2-3 deep.

Not a soul in the premium lanes, mind