Bkk Airport Immigration Deploys 70 Female Riot Police To Help Speed Up Lines

[sjjmmi]

I have never even come close to missing a flight from Bangkok, but have had to be re-booked on another flight 3 times due to missed connections in the US, these were because of long immigration lines and inflexible staff.

I have missed 2 connections at swamp so now I avoid it and fly chiangmai to Singapore to Aust. Swampy is by far the worst airport on the planet with the long lines, lack of ammenities, terrible waiting longes and extreemly hard to navigate around. What Thailand needs is a new modern user friendly airport not some out dated tin shed. This current airport is well past it's use by date and should have been replaced years ago at least 50 years ago.

The airport is a disgrace and a totally outdated ugly eyesore. The funny thing is that it is only about 6 yrs old but was not built with foresight. Thailand does need a new modern airport urgently and they need to take into consideration the travelling public and not just build a couple of sheds. Swampy is the laughing stock of Thailand, bulldoze it now and start again from scratch and don't be afraid to ask for outside help in the planning and construction because when it comes to projects like this and planning for the future the Thai's are well out of the picture they just can't do it.

Are you actually aware of all the foreign involvement in the building and planning of the airport ... right down to the the design being done by a US firm? By the way it also has one of the largest terminals in the world. It has the current capacity to handle 45-million passengers and the next phase of expansion estimated to be completed by 2016 ( a year early) will increase this level to 65-million. In addition there is also a new domestic terminal being built that will add another 20 million to the capacity in a year. The original plans designed to be done in phases includes a total capacity of over 100 Million people a year (currently busiest airport in the world serves 85 Million) which also includes the addition of another runway. It currently is in the top 20 for busiest airports (passengers) in the world. Of the 20 busiest Thailand (17th) is one of the very few that is not an "advanced" nation while also having one of the lowest GDP of them all. The airport is considered and often rated as one of the best in the world despite all the complaining people here on Thaivisa do about it ... not a bad accomplishment for a country at Thailand's economic place in the world.

Clearly airports and international travel is a pain and lines and waits are expected and there is no doubt BKK has room for improvement but it is actually a very modern airport, considering the country, with plenty of planned room for expansion.

All i know is that TG 409 and TG 402 is always late for take off and landing

[Nisa]

All i know is that TG 409 and TG 402 is always late for take off and landing

It might just be your bad luck / experience unless those two flights have just had better luck in 2012 because they both have excellent performance ratings for 2012

http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightRating/flightRatingByFlight.do?airline=TG&flightNumber=409&departureAirportCode=BKK&arrivalAirportCode=SIN

[TAWP]

If I am due a 30 Day visa exempt stamp, but get 60 days by mistake - Its my fault for not checking and clearing it up at the time, if I stay 60 days it would be classed as a 30 day overstay.

I think you are mistaken. If you get a stamp in your passport stating you can stay in country for 60-days then that is how long you can stay... it is your official permission to be in the country. The same is true if they make a mistake and stamp you for only 15-days when you are entitled to 30-days ... unless you get the mistake corrected the recognized permissible stay in the country is only going to be 15-days.

That is not correct. If you want to debate it I suggest you ask any of the knowledgeable moderators in the Visa sub-forum.

What part is a mistake? If things didn't go by what is in your passport then there really would be no reason for getting incorrect information (that is almost always to your disadvantage) corrected. One could simply not worry about any over stay fines when leaving the country because they could just show immigration the day they came in is within 30-days despite the guy stamping the passport a couple days short on entry. As I stated, "I think" this is wrong but I certainly could be wrong. I am just going by incidents I am aware of that were both mistakes in favor and not in favor of people. I've actually seen a two incidents a few years ago when I was doing border runs where people had to pay more when it was clear there passport was stamped incorrectly including one where the person clearly had a visa but the immigration official stamped it with a 30-day entry stamp ... he had to pay the 20k fine.

Interesting side note is that we all know we are granted up to (or is 30 a guarantee?) 30-days stay upon arrival at the airport but I don't think I have ever received a stamp with the full 30-days. Not sure if it is because I usually arrive on an 11:50pm and get to immigration after midnight but they always stamp me for 28 or 29 days from the time I actually enter the country (go through passport control). I don't think I have ever got a stamp that gave me a full 30-days.

They stamp you for 30 days - the arriving day is day 1.

[Nisa]

They stamp you for 30 days - the arriving day is day 1.

I appreciate the info because as it mostly make sense to me now. However, I've got to look back at my passport because I am sure there were times I only received 28 days but that again may be because I went through passport control just after midnight before they changed their stamps or I maybe was confused on how many days were in that month. It also could be based on the time of your flight arrival as opposed to going through customs ... any knowledge on this? I don't mean to pull the thread in a different direction but you now have me wondering if the mistakes I always perceive from the agents are actually me that is making the mistake.

Edited March 15, 2012 by Nisa

[monty1412]

No number of awards will assuage one dissatisfied customer, who has an individual and personal experience. Take a look at sites like TripAdvisor. Range of experiences from horrid to ecstatic. Different experiences, different expectations, etc.

Exactly!! One needs to step out of their own world and look at reality (big picture) if they are going to factually condemn something and not rely on their personal experience or preferences. Not only that but it is clear a great many posters here are very biased when it comes to anything Thai but one needs to consider ... even if somebody has spent a combined total of 24 hours in the airport since its opening it certainly doesn't qualify them to know how things, such as lines, operated the other 50,000 hours ... especially when others have a tendency to complain about bad airport experiences and not relate uneventful experiences.

Ohh please.. once again when challenged, people on this forum tend to fall back to the old chestnuts of "your just anti Thai" or even better " if you don't like it go home". My account and observations are factual. I probably cover more miles and more airport time than most people on this board.. I spend allot of time in airports and see how they work.... this has nothing to do with being ant Thai or thai bashing rather a factual comparison between operational standards and execution of Swampy versus other regional and global airports. My comments and observations are based on considerable "time in play" as it pertains to actually being in the airport.. in fact Im back there tonight and again on Sunday night.

Nisa you seriously cant be defending or upholding the AoT management execution and efficiency as it pertains to Swampy can you or are you so pro-Thai you have lost perspective 555

[monty1412]

There are over 200 passport control checkpoints at the airport.

Very few of which are manned when they are needed!

Take off your rose-tinted specs for a moment and accept the fact that customer satisfaction comes a poor second to greed and corruption (King Power encroaching onto public areas, blocking off access to toilets, etc.) and sheer incompetence. It can be the best designed airport in the world, but if the people running it are total prats, then it's going to be a disaster.

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

[samran]

Old Sailor: All that stuff went the same way as Empire when the UK ditched its colonies and focused on Europe instead. About the same time as the European Butter fiasco, and a major blow to the sheep/wool industry, etc., as I recall. It didn't go down well, since Australians fought 2 World Wars for the so-called Mother Country. So, if your grandparents were born in Britain, but your parents not, you had no residential rights in the UK, but still got to call HRH your Queen and the Governor General her/his Representative. The GG had the power to dismiss a government at that time. Off-topic, but quite surprised you did not know already.

Yes i knew, but am still "pissed off" I was actually born in the UK and served in Brit armed forces in Korea and Malaysia. Saw the "light" and immigrated to the lucky country in the late 50's.

Born in the UK pre-1983 means you are almost certainly a British Citizen with rights to a UK passport, while also being an Australian citizen.

And yes, we Aussies stopped being able to use the British Citizen line around 1971. Fortunately, Australia made it harder for Brits to turn up to Australia around the same time.

[Nisa]

No number of awards will assuage one dissatisfied customer, who has an individual and personal experience. Take a look at sites like TripAdvisor. Range of experiences from horrid to ecstatic. Different experiences, different expectations, etc.

Exactly!! One needs to step out of their own world and look at reality (big picture) if they are going to factually condemn something and not rely on their personal experience or preferences. Not only that but it is clear a great many posters here are very biased when it comes to anything Thai but one needs to consider ... even if somebody has spent a combined total of 24 hours in the airport since its opening it certainly doesn't qualify them to know how things, such as lines, operated the other 50,000 hours ... especially when others have a tendency to complain about bad airport experiences and not relate uneventful experiences.

Ohh please.. once again when challenged, people on this forum tend to fall back to the old chestnuts of "your just anti Thai" or even better " if you don't like it go home". My account and observations are factual. I probably cover more miles and more airport time than most people on this board.. I spend allot of time in airports and see how they work.... this has nothing to do with being ant Thai or thai bashing rather a factual comparison between operational standards and execution of Swampy versus other regional and global airports. My comments and observations are based on considerable "time in play" as it pertains to actually being in the airport.. in fact Im back there tonight and again on Sunday night.

Nisa you seriously cant be defending or upholding the AoT management execution and efficiency as it pertains to Swampy can you or are you so pro-Thai you have lost perspective 555

The point is that your opinions are just that and they are not facts even sometimes when you believe they are such as my previous reply to you in terms of recognition / awards the airport has received. Your opinion and mine are based on tiny slices of what customers experience and going by posters opinions on Thaivisa is certainly no way to gauge the overall perception of the airport for numerous reasons but again it is just a tiny tiny slice of overall customer experience ... who tend to only verbalize their dissatisfaction if not prompted. One thing that might make sense to look at and consider, as I stated before, is ...

Suvarnabhumi came in around the top 5% of

SkyTrack's

Best Airports in the world in 2011. Of more than 240 airports Skytrax rated for the 2011 World's Best Airport list, BKK came in 13th, down from 10th place in 2010.

I don't think there is anybody even remotely suggesting the airport (or any of them in the world) are great and enjoyable experiences and shouldn't be improved. However when you suggest things like giving bonuses or setting pay for immigration officials on number of people processed in a given time then it clearly shows you are only seeing things through your own eyes. You should try to stop and consider things like the reason for passport control / immigration IS NOT to get people processed as quickly as possible. The purpose of security is just that it is almost always is inherently an inconvenience.

I suggest you write to airport officials and the Thai Police about your complaints and suggestions if you feel the situation is so horrible. Me, I tend to accept immigration and security lines are a pain everywhere and in some countries worse than others including the US where people are still required to take off their shoes and at many airports forced to do full body scans or agree to a full body pat down if they want to take a flight.

There are 200 passport check points at BKK but just like roads in major cities, they are going to get crowded at peak times. And just like on the road, sometimes streets & lanes are closed, traffic signals don't work or other incidents occur to make things even worse. It is life in the big city ... or in this case, the 17th busiest airports in the world or 8th busiest by International travelers.

Complain away, we all do when it comes to airports but I was simply trying to inject some reality into our perceptions and overall ratings and views of the airport by more statistically accurate measurements than our own experiences and those of people who often complain about Thais and Thailand on these threads to the point of making it sound like everything here is worse than most other places ... in this case with the airport it would seem factually incorrect to make such statements and in fact it appears to be rated fairly well compared to other airports around the world.

[nosatisfaction]

i go through the Thai side with the wife, they always let me do that and its always quick

it works if your wife is thai .... and for those who are not married with a thai ? lol

being married to a Thai lady is not anough, she has to be with you, I'm married twelve years, stamped in my passport, this only works if she is with you

[Jayman]

i go through the Thai side with the wife, they always let me do that and its always quick

it works if your wife is thai .... and for those who are not married with a thai ? lol

being married to a Thai lady is not anough, she has to be with you, I'm married twelve years, stamped in my passport, this only works if she is with you

It's stamped in your passport that you are married? What kinda stamp is that?

[QualiSwiss]

it took 15 min today at 15:00 on the west exit out of thailand

[melvinmelvin]

I just googled and found 3-4 companies offering fast track services at Swampy,

one of the companies (I think it was thaifasttrack.com) actually offered a special fast track

lane through customs for arriving pax

that was news to me

I've never experienced any delays through customs though

somewhat off topic:

I have seen above that some complain a lot about Heathrow

I remember long time ago, maybe 20 or 25 years, when some major reshuffling took place at LHR:

I saw at some railway stations in London and also at some tube stations and at LHR huge (really big) informative

posters from the goverment office being responsible for the airport (I guess).

The posters explained what was being done re transport to/from LHR and what was being done at LHR,

the estimated time for completion, the estimated cost etc.

Fair enough.

Towards the end of the information was a sizeable paragraph stating that because of this and that

LHR will never be a slick and quick quick high quality airport.

I found that quite astonishing; a major reshuffle costing tons of quids is undertaken with the view

to end up with a 2nd class airport.

[ragandboneman]

it took 15 min today at 15:00 on the west exit out of thailand

it took 15 min today at 15:00 on the west exit out of thailand

Thanks for the update.

Regards

[Nisa]

i go through the Thai side with the wife, they always let me do that and its always quick

it works if your wife is thai .... and for those who are not married with a thai ? lol

being married to a Thai lady is not anough, she has to be with you, I'm married twelve years, stamped in my passport, this only works if she is with you

It's stamped in your passport that you are married? What kinda stamp is that?

I'm "guessing" he didn't mean he had stamps in his passport showing he is married because even extensions I receive for being married don't state I am married ... only that I have the extension. However an "O" visa would indicate you have family in Thailand but not specifically a wife ... though I have never applied for an "O" to see what it says.

[Nisa]

it took 15 min today at 15:00 on the west exit out of thailand

Thanks for sharing.

Looks like the typical line I experience every time I am there. Looks intimidating but moves fairly quickly.

Edit: now go turn yourself in for taking pictures in a restricted area, LOL

Edited March 15, 2012 by Nisa

[Nisa]

i go through the Thai side with the wife, they always let me do that and its always quick

it works if your wife is thai .... and for those who are not married with a thai ? lol

being married to a Thai lady is not anough, she has to be with you, I'm married twelve years, stamped in my passport, this only works if she is with you

My guess is that they are not going to hassle you if you are simply traveling with a Thai. They are not looking to make life more difficult for travelers by separating them. And the passport control agent probably appreciates your providing an excuse for them to look at a different type of passport.

[bobfish]

Like many, I travel in/out of Thailand 4+ times per month. Mostly long haul, US/Europe. It's not for fun.

I spend the bucks on business class so I can still have a [jetlagged] family life. I'll have to work an extra few years just to pay for my tickets.

The extras included in paying an extreme premium include ground handling.

Example: From the Thai Airways website:

"Royal Silk Check-in

• Drop off at Entrance No.1, PTC 4th floor
  
• Sit Down Check-in Service is provided at Row A1 - A19
  
• Other premium services :
  
  • Fast Track Immigration
    
  • Royal Silk Lounges (Concourse C, D)
    
  • Royal Orchid Lounge (Concourse E)
    
  • Royal Orchid Spa (Concourse D)"
    

  Other airlines provide a similar service to varying degrees. Other countries as well [Yes even that last bastion of left wing egalitarianism - Australia]. Then there's APEC , Thai Elite, FastTrack etc, diplomatic, crew, local nationals. I'm sure you get the picture.

  Bottom line, you pay you money and you take your chances:

  Today I'm in the pawper's queue having paid for an economy regional ticket. I see all those fatcats "pushing in front". My gut twists. It's called JEALOUSY.

[Jayman]

Like many, I travel in/out of Thailand 4+ times per month. Mostly long haul, US/Europe. It's not for fun.

I spend the bucks on business class so I can still have a [jetlagged] family life. I'll have to work an extra few years just to pay for my tickets.

The extras included in paying an extreme premium include ground handling.

Example: From the Thai Airways website:

"Royal Silk Check-in

• Drop off at Entrance No.1, PTC 4th floor
  
• Sit Down Check-in Service is provided at Row A1 - A19
  
• Other premium services :
  
  • Fast Track Immigration
    
  • Royal Silk Lounges (Concourse C, D)
    
  • Royal Orchid Lounge (Concourse E)
    
  • Royal Orchid Spa (Concourse D)"
    

  Other airlines provide a similar service to varying degrees. Other countries as well [Yes even that last bastion of left wing egalitarianism - Australia]. Then there's APEC , Thai Elite, FastTrack etc, diplomatic, crew, local nationals. I'm sure you get the picture.

  Bottom line, you pay you money and you take your chances:

  Today I'm in the pawper's queue having paid for an economy regional ticket. I see all those fatcats "pushing in front". My gut twists. It's called JEALOUSY.

Google "fasttrack Thailand" and you will find several sites that will sell you the fast track voucher for <$50. For those wanting to use the fast track lane and can't afford the $5k biz class ticket you can still get some of the preferential ground treatment for <$50.

Ok.. I'm gonna let the secret out of the bag.... you can get a golf cart pickup from the gate and fast track immigration and then golf cart to help with bags for 1300thb. Without the golf cart it's 700thb. Access to the premium lounge is 800thb. If you just need porter service to help with bags.. 200thb.

http://www.bangkokflightservices.com/our_premiunairport.php?our_menu=pr1

Edited March 16, 2012 by Jayman

[bubba]

yes, no need for the separate line at the arrivals for the first and business. In no any other country I have seen it. Good move from the emigration authority

No other country except UK, and Dubai and Qatar, France, Japan ..... etc

Charging a huge mark-up for Business and First and then providing better service on the ground and in the air is a great way to boost airline profits and helps to keep down the cost of normal tickets. If you value the extra services enough - pay for them .... for me, I fly Air Asia and spend the cash on something else, but for very long haul I sometimes upgrade, and for the big extra in cost I expect to save time as well as have more space in the air.

You can add Kuala Lumpur to the list of countries that provide express immigration services for first and business class.

[maprao]

So does it mean there wont be any more fast track for Biz and 1st class passenger during rush hours ? but all planes from Europe usually arrived at the same period of time from 6 to 7am .... so , you pay your ticket more than double and you have to queue like anyone else ? how nice is that ..... Now they ask us to arrive earlier to avoid missing flight ... what about arriving one day in advance , stay at Novotel airport hotel..will be be enough time ? This is crazy ...

You pay more for getting a better service in the air - and not on the ground. Don't get it wrong.

yes wrong driver with limo on the ground. Plush lounges with free food drink showers etc Try it some time if you can afford it you will see it is more than in the air lol

[Jayman]

So does it mean there wont be any more fast track for Biz and 1st class passenger during rush hours ? but all planes from Europe usually arrived at the same period of time from 6 to 7am .... so , you pay your ticket more than double and you have to queue like anyone else ? how nice is that ..... Now they ask us to arrive earlier to avoid missing flight ... what about arriving one day in advance , stay at Novotel airport hotel..will be be enough time ? This is crazy ...

You pay more for getting a better service in the air - and not on the ground. Don't get it wrong.

yes wrong driver with limo on the ground. Plush lounges with free food drink showers etc Try it some time if you can afford it you will see it is more than in the air lol

Lounge access 800thb. Golf cart pickup with fast track through immigration and golf cart to bags.. 1300thb. You are paying for the comfort on flying in biz/1st class.. the extras they throw you are peanuts than anyone could buy for cheap.

[blackthorn2005]

If you are flying internationally out of HKT, via BKK, clear the immigration at HKT, it is one of the few things they have got right.

[oldsailor35]

Old Sailor: All that stuff went the same way as Empire when the UK ditched its colonies and focused on Europe instead. About the same time as the European Butter fiasco, and a major blow to the sheep/wool industry, etc., as I recall. It didn't go down well, since Australians fought 2 World Wars for the so-called Mother Country. So, if your grandparents were born in Britain, but your parents not, you had no residential rights in the UK, but still got to call HRH your Queen and the Governor General her/his Representative. The GG had the power to dismiss a government at that time. Off-topic, but quite surprised you did not know already.

Yes i knew, but am still "pissed off" I was actually born in the UK and served in Brit armed forces in Korea and Malaysia. Saw the "light" and immigrated to the lucky country in the late 50's.

Congratulations on your insight at such a tender age. Australia in the 50s, "underpopulated", undeveloped, unpolluted. Great days!

Wonderful times, remember the "friendly Olympics"

[newsweird]

Why are the lines long and stressful? How about passengers being prepared when they get in the line. I get so disgusted waiting in long lines behind the poster board tourist pinup, wheeling a months supply of garb as carry-on, that steps up to the window and does the, ... "huh passport, oh yeah where did I put it". After fumbling a few minutes they hand it over followed by "I need your exit card". More fumbling, but you know you have one because you just filled it out in line because you lost the original even though it was STAPLED in your passport. Now the officer has to remove your passport from the little case you bought to protect it, golly gee they don't need to scan it... do they? By the way where is your airline ticket? Crap more digging. Once you get through that, instead of moving out of the way, you stand there putting all your crap back together only to do the same thing at security.

Passport out of the case, travel itinerary and exit card used as bookmark on your visa page. Process time less than 1 minute works equally as fast on arrival, be prepared. Because it annoys the hell out of those of us that are prepared.

[pastitche]

Well, you have a terminal that is now handling it's total planned capacity, and the immigration desks have been reduced by 33% because of building works. It is to be expected, and you could not blame anyone.

The second terminal would have been completed this year - except all work was stopped after the coup. The airport plan was somehow identified with Thaksin, and therefore *bad*. After going though several renamings, AOT has managed to get the original plan re-approved again, but unfortunately it will be another 5 years before it's finished.

Cheers

Nobody is to blame. What rubbish. Ever heard of planning?

Your Thaksin angle, what's that got to do with this thread?

Completely off topic but I never thought I would read your saying "Your Thaksin angle, what's that got to do with this thread?" Edited March 18, 2012 by pastitche

[pastitche]

Facts: I travel about 300km/year ...

Holy cow, that's almost 6K miles a week! You must have a shedload of FF miles I read about one guy who's a Mega VIP on United who practically lives on their planes.

That would take a strong person to "live" on a United plane if you think about their service and seats. ha ha And gosh their fly attendants. yuk yuk

I collect my miles on UA as well. Let's face it, no airline and FF program is perfect. You pick the one (alliance) that serves your region and hope for the best...

No He says he travels 300kms (kilometres) a year, less than me going to Tesco

[pastitche]

Old Sailor: All that stuff went the same way as Empire when the UK ditched its colonies and focused on Europe instead. About the same time as the European Butter fiasco, and a major blow to the sheep/wool industry, etc., as I recall. It didn't go down well, since Australians fought 2 World Wars for the so-called Mother Country. So, if your grandparents were born in Britain, but your parents not, you had no residential rights in the UK, but still got to call HRH your Queen and the Governor General her/his Representative. The GG had the power to dismiss a government at that time. Off-topic, but quite surprised you did not know already.

Yes i knew, but am still "pissed off" I was actually born in the UK and served in Brit armed forces in Korea and Malaysia. Saw the "light" and immigrated to the lucky country in the late 50's.

Born in the UK pre-1983 means you are almost certainly a British Citizen with rights to a UK passport, while also being an Australian citizen.

And yes, we Aussies stopped being able to use the British Citizen line around 1971. Fortunately, Australia made it harder for Brits to turn up to Australia around the same time.

Yeah - we'd run out of convicts to send! Just joking my son is an Australian citizen now and my grandson was born there....

[Reasonableman]

God's own country (Godzone), after New Zealand, that is. ;-)

[JemJem]

My suggestions :

1) Get rid of the multi-queue system and adopt the single (snake) queue system ;

2) Award fast-working officers with some cash award (eg. officers who handle at least a certain no. of passports on their shift get some cash award) ;

3) Do away with the arrival card/departure card thing.

Jem

[sungod]

Just passed through immigration on my way out. If the problem is the refurbishment, one would have thought they would be working around the clock to get it finished, 0730 this morning, not a soul in sight working on said areas I saw. Guess its not that much of a priority after all.