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

[EyesWideOpen]

All this endless waiting in immigration queues in Thailand is made all the more funny if you have ever entered a border with Malaysia. There you hand them your passport, and it is put into a scanner for 5 seconds. It is then handed back to you, you are told welcome to Malaysia, then you leave.....Not really sure why Thailand has this wacky entry card system, it is either a love of paperwork, or some kind of bizarre holdover from a long time ago. So they either need to enter the computer age, or hire a whole bunch more people.....

[Nisa]

I've never been to Heathrow but in the US the airlines will pay to have faster security lines for their select customers. I've never noticed it in any customs line anywhere though I have started seeing something you can sign up for to make getting through customs faster ... I can't remember the name. I honestly cannot think of any reason why they would treat different class passengers differently when going through customs unless the airlines are paying for this service.

In many airports First Class passengers are picked up right at the gate and brought to priority tracks. Yes, airlines pay for it, of course. It's a small chunk out of a 8k$ intercontinental airfare.

I've seen and experienced all sorts of perks but just not one that involved getting through customs faster based on your frequent flyer status or ticket level on the airlines. Getting a special line for security, getting my bags and boarding related perks yes but just never noticed any customs perks based on ticket or frequent flyer status anywhere before but that certainly doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[Nisa]

All this endless waiting in immigration queues in Thailand is made all the more funny if you have ever entered a border with Malaysia. There you hand them your passport, and it is put into a scanner for 5 seconds. It is then handed back to you, you are told welcome to Malaysia, then you leave.....Not really sure why Thailand has this wacky entry card system, it is either a love of paperwork, or some kind of bizarre holdover from a long time ago. So they either need to enter the computer age, or hire a whole bunch more people.....

Each time I have flown to KL the lines have taken considerably longer than BKK and flying into the old airport you can begin the line outside in the heat.

But cannot argue about the love of paperwork here. Every time I go to immigration, I wonder how big the storage warehouse is to hold all the paperwork they process every day. I love the fact too that you have to submit a picture for an extension but then they take your picture using a webcam but the entry of everything into a ledger book blows my mind. Then again, labor is cheap here and it keeps people employed. I just wish they were as liberal with paper products in bathrooms and eateries and I was not forced to use toilet paper instead of napkins and paper towels.

Edited March 13, 2012 by Nisa

[thanchart]

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 ...

Hmmmm a vase of Throwing out the (clean) baby with the (dirty) bath water? High priority lanes for bvusines and 1st clss as far and these passengers help to make economy class fares more affordable.

What can be done is to make these lanes flexible (better trained counter staff who can make on the spot decisions) and be able to service econony class echek-ins whenever theor counter is empty (like what many major airlines in Signaporie Airport check-in do - SIA for sure does it)

[Curt1591]

I go through the first class section. Sometimes I have to wait 5 minutes.

Read somewhere that, in an attempt to help, they are thinking of closing "fast track". Maybe employing the riot police was a rare act of insight!

[bonobo]

I am at the airport now. I have flown 5 times so far this year, and lines have been fairly long with waits of up to 45 minutes. I used my lone Fasttrack to avoid a longer line two weeks ago, so now I don't have that option until I fly United again.

Today, I was dreading it seeing the huge number of passengers milling about. So I was pleasantly surprised when all the booths were manned and I was able to get through immigration in 5 minutes.

This is not the US where the airlines do it, nor in places such as Austria where it takes less than a minute (entering the country, no less), but it is an improvement.

[chooka]

How terribly inconvenient it must be to have to queue like everyone else - simple solution, pay half the fare, travel in economy and queue like everyone else!!!!

People that wanna save, are poor etc, want to travel economy.

But if you have to travel for work it is a different thing.

I am not actually poor but travel economy, 5K every 28 days to Aust is a little to much (60K yr), 1K with a gold card I can handle

[jackr]

Suwanaphoom: mutton dressed as lamb. Thai efficiency: ...

[TexasRanger]

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.

[chooka]

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.

[DocN]

always ready for a worst case scenario? then you are prepared for ticket prices to increase because someone has to pay for that. If they were to fully man the booths 24/7 and, subsequently, airport taxes went up, can you imagine the complaints on this board? People would be talking about jobs for politicians relatives, generals relatives, etc ,etc and the "typical Thai mismanagement" by having fully manned booths all the time.

Personally, I am usually at the baggage carousel before my suitcase pop up 90% of the time, regardless of the wait in line. I am usually impressed at the speed of the bags arriving too. At Heathrow, Frankfort, , Atlanta, LAX and Dulles Int'l, the usual wait for bags is 45 minutes to an hour after the planes arrival. In BKK, it's usually less than 30 minutes after arrival.

SO, you want to hurry through immigration and then spend your time standing about, waiting for your suitcase? Or, are you one of those people that takes up 1/2 the overhead compartment that is designed for 4 peoples things?

Well...I guess you just can't have both on your planet.

Come to Singapore, my alien friend!

[DocN]

Here is a solution: check out the arrival and departure schedule. Estimate the number of passengers. MAN ALL AVAILABLE BOOTHS!

Did that help?

DocN.. Ive never heard such rubbish in my life. Don't you realise what you have written would involve planning and execution . It would involve someone somewhere actually doing something proactively..... cmon Doc N get real.. we all know no-one anywhere is going to do anything unless there is a monetary award involved. Hang on.. hang on.... by George I think Ive got it.

What about reduce all the immigration officers pay and then give them a bonus for each passenger processed.. bet you they would be fighting each other to get the busy periods . Go one step further... if they process passengers within a certain average time and maintain that average they get a bonus. Performance based pay.... there would a revolution at immigration... the call NEXT would be ringing loud and clear from the previously sour, surly immigration officers.

...or as John Lennon ones famously said:"you may say, I'm a dreamer..."

[techno]

I am goimg from Chiang Mai to Phnom Penh via Bangkok in April. To avoid the queues at Immigration at Swampy can one go through Immigration in Chiang Mai on the outward journey as a transit passenger and the same coming back. Do Air Asia allow you do this if they book you through to Phnom Penh. Many thanks for any advice

[Mario2008]

Check with Airasia if their policy allows it.

For immigraiton itself it is no problem.

[oldsailor35]

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 ...

NO it is not crazy, you pay more to the airline for added comfort. This is a contract between you and the airline and nothing whatsoever to do with the Thai govt. Everyone should have the same treatment regarding waiting for their turn..................No pushers to the front just because they are well off !

[saengsureeya]

Fact is, if the 70 riot police are going to be dealing with visa's and stamps: check whether you got the correct stamp. At least the first few months.

Furthermore.........at the moment: 1045 immigration employees? Amazing....what are they doing and more important, where are they?

[softgeorge]

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 ...

NO it is not crazy, you pay more to the airline for added comfort. This is a contract between you and the airline and nothing whatsoever to do with the Thai govt. Everyone should have the same treatment regarding waiting for their turn..................No pushers to the front just because they are well off !

Isn't pushing to the front if you are well off, the Thai way?

[oldsailor35]

on bloomberg yesterday i think : vietnam is seeking investors for their airport to compete with thailand

55555

not difficult i would said

"Compete with Thailand" they are already doing it, last week i waited 45 mins to get through Ho Chi Minh City immigration.

[TexasRanger]

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 ...

NO it is not crazy, you pay more to the airline for added comfort. This is a contract between you and the airline and nothing whatsoever to do with the Thai govt. Everyone should have the same treatment regarding waiting for their turn..................No pushers to the front just because they are well off !

Isn't pushing to the front if you are well off, the Thai way?

Try being in a queue with Koreans

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[BKKdreaming]

it was less than 10 minutes toatal last night at 11PM, so they must be doing something right

I hope departure line is as fast !

[oldsailor35]

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 ?

You paid for a nicer seat on the plane and better food. No reason you should get preferential treatment from immigration at the airport.

Most airlines let Freq Flyers use that 1st class Fast Track line also

Is this correct, i am a FF with Thai, but never knew this ?

[airconsult]

As with most rules there are acceptations, and Changi is definitely a great airport. But again, it's not as big as BKK .....

Per Airports Council International stats:

Changi International 2011 traffic - 46.5 million

BKK Suvarnabhumi 2011 traffic - 47.9 million

True - but among many projects I did work on Suvarnabhumi, and while Changi uses 4 Terminals to reach that figure, Suvarnabhumi uses 1. When the second Terminal opens in 2017 (don't crucify me if there are delays - TiT), then that will have an additional 45 million capacity.

The plan is then to do a minor expansion on Terminal 1 - increasing it to a 50 million capacity, then a minor increase on Terminal 2 to 50 million, giving a 100 million passenger capacity by 2020. However......(isn't there always?) there are demands for a low-cost terminal such as Changi and KUL have - that may delay other expansions, plus there is an unstated need for a VIP terminal (such as Don Muang has).

Cheers

[airconsult]

Did anyone else out there get stamped 60 days for some odd reason coming into the country? It happened to me last month, and while I'm very happy about this, I am wondering why. I'm usually stamped 30 days upon a return flight from Cambodia. I even double checked with a different officer at the luggage carousel. She looked at the passport and said, "It's for 60 days. Is that enough for you?" I nearly peed in my pants with happiness. "Yes, kap!"

If you are stamped wrong you still need to pay overstay.

I'm not so sure you are giving correct information. What makes the stamp incorrect? If you have a stamp in your passport from an immigration officer and they initialed it then it's correct. It's up to them if they chose to give you more or less days. I would hardly go telling folks they have to pay over stay cause their stamp is wrong.

I have read threads before where the poster claimed the stamp was incorrect and was penalised accordingly.

Apparently the ownus is on the passport holder to ensure the correct stamp has been applied. I always double check mine.

i.e.

a) If I am due for a 2 month Non Imm type B visa and they only stamp 30 days - thats my fault for not clearing it up at the time. I get 30 days.

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.

In your first example (and indeed your second) - if you identify the problem after you leave immigration at the airport, you are supposed to go to Chang Wattana (if in Bangkok) Immigration section to have them "correct" the stamp. Not sure if a fee applies for the correction, I've always spotted any mistakes at the airport. (knock on wood)

Cheers

[oldsailor35]

Talking of London Heath Row, as some of you are, consider this !

As an Australian, my country's head of state is HM Queen Elizabeth, we are a member of the Commonwealth of Nations so i therefore consider myself British. On arrival i joined the line for British and EEC passports.

When i got to the booth, the gentleman in a turban sent me away to join the alien line. What do you think my feelings towards the UK are now !

[airconsult]

When arriving at Swampy (from abroad) I have never paid much attention to which concourse I arrive at. I just take a quick look up and follow the sign to Immigration.

I (normally) end up with making a 90 degree right turn from the corridor with moving sidewalks, then walk up a short/wide corridor then arriving in the Immigration lounge, with some Thai lines to the far left and others straight ahead and to the right.

My question:

Are there several Immigration lounges for arriving pax at Swampy? Where are they? Maybe its worthwhile to check another one if I arrive at a cramped lounge?

There are 3 - however I'm not sure if the centre immigration is open at the moment.

But even so, and despite the opinion of many posters, the Airport Management System does work, arriving gates are spread out as much as possible to avoid congestion (given other factors such as plane size, preferences of the airline, bays in service or maintenance), and immigration is advised of what arriving gates should arrive at which immigration area.

So... in most cases, the closest immigration area is the least busy one.

Cheers

[Reasonableman]

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. A little further research turned up an "Ancestry visa" for work purposes, valid for 5 years, which can theoretically be converted into residency, but probably not citizenship. Anyway, no British passport.

Edited March 14, 2012 by Reasonableman

[oldsailor35]

Why a shortage of staff ? Surely with all those students passing out from university, some with languages and all looking for jobs, AoT should begin a recruiting drive there.

[airconsult]

Seriously speaking why should any of us be surprised about this. Thai's are quite happy to sit in terrible traffic and put up with instances of extreme selfishness by others which only cause delays.. why would the airport management care. Other than noises about wanting to be a regional hub does anyone here actually truly belive that AoT could hope to emulate Singapore Changi.

Case in point.. even though I live here and travel very frequently internationally I decided on return from chaing mai last night to experiment with AoT Limousine rental at the airport. But before I go there let me just pretend that you are a newcomer flying in internationally and landing at SWampy.

First thing you may experience is that their is an extraordinarily high chance that the plane will be apron parked and not gate parked so you are piled into buses and then ferried around the airport o an incredibly long and lurching journey such that one could be tempted to ask " are we near Sukhumvit yet?". last night it was a 25 minute drive from plane side to domestic arrivals gate.... your first experience perhaps but maybe after a 10 hour international flight you might see this as Thai friendliness in wanting to show you everywhere around the airport tarmac

Second experience is immigration.. enough said

Now your through and even on Thai airways the baggage wait is long but I'll assume here that with 2 hours to get through immigration your bags should be waiting for you.

You were going to take the airport train to Makkasan but the passenger next to you said don't as you have to get of the train walk down the road, across railway tracks and then onto the street and down a bit turning up some steps and there you are at local underground... you have a bit if baggage and this doesn't sound like fun mind you , you do have a certain amount of suspicion about what the fellow traveller said Im mean how could the major rail link from airport to city not link up with regional train and rail links.. surely he must be wrong .......great connectivity and planning here yet again.

So thinking to yourself.. Im terribly late Ill get a taxi.. wandering across to the eager young ladies you are told that a limousine ride downtown to soi 22 is 3000B. Using your high level of maths you work out that this is USD 100 or thereabouts.. questioning the lass as this seems high she immediately drops it to B1500 and tells you its a Toyota Camry.

Another nice experience but perhaps you are a trusting soul and believe that the AoT girsl were simply trying to teach you your first lesson about Thailand and that is bargain for everything.

So here are your first four experiences and you haven't even put a foot out of the airport. And AoT wants to make Swampy a hub.. a hub for what .. abject pitiful miserable customer experiences.. perhaps.

But I digress.. back to my previous evening intrepid investigations... posing as a newbie tourist I wandered across to the girls smiling ever so nicely at me and told then I was staying in a hotel out near emporium on soi 24 and how much would a limo be to take me out there. B3000 was the answer.. Camry was the car quoted....

So back over to my thai girlfriend and send her over without them knowing we are together.. she tells them she is just in from chiang mai first time in Thailand and staying with friends at Klong Toei near sukhumvit and how much would a car be to drive here there.. of course all said in Thai but answer was B1300.. yes no typo here.. the farang gets B3000 the thai gets b1300.

She comes back and then we both go over and I ask why i got price of B3000 and she gets B1300... answer is special price for Thai people...

Now there will be those whom on reading this will come out with the usual "if you don't like it why don't you go home". My answer to this high level mensa response in advance is that I would but I do want to stick around just a bit longer to see how Swampy really does evolve to become a regional HUB. I also dont want to deprive myslef of the humour and mirth that no doubt will be associated with this amazing transition of this airport.

Ive said it before about the floods, the terrorists, the city planning, the infrastructure planning, the tourist rip offs ( AoT included) and general ability of Thailand to execute projects and developments for the greater good.. Thailand let Singapore manage you and you can just go on doing what you do best without having to worry about troublesome things like building infrastructure and actually doing a modicum of forward planning and execution.

Vietnam is next country who will get their act together with regards to regional travel HUB and Thailand Swampy airport will continue to be the benchmark to all regional airports as to what NOT to do.

I think it might be worthwhile to note - AoT Limousines are not actually operated or owned by AoT. Long story, but it's an influential phuyai......

[oldsailor35]

Its a very good idea to drop the fast lane for 1st & Bus., class as these desks are not processing many passengers. This would open up a couple of more desks for a faster processing procedure, instead of having a couple of desks just doing nothing............Bring it on ASAP!

[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.