Bangkok Airport Problems Threaten Tourist-Friendly Image

[ALFREDO]

I fly frequently between Changi and Swarmy. Even the ladies toilet in Swarmy is disgusting! The quality of the toilet is what I would find in a hawker centre in Singapore!

"Chengi" and "Swarmy".....are you a bespectacled little lad in short trousers from some English boarding school....?

This is a thread about school? So, -blazes-, you understand what -nikki1611- ment? Yes? Why you mention it than? No? You, should go to your school again, for some more general knowledge.

[ALFREDO]

doesn't that depend on where your country of citizen ship is? some countries get longer visa on arrival than other countries.

Some information, always good to know, regarding this.

http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/188

[hawker9000]

I've never spent more than 5 mins at immigration. I don't understand the problem, unless TV members are just writing for fun. ???

Please enlighten me to these major problems.

Thanks in advance.

-mel.

-Mel-

Last time, I arrived from Europe in Oct. 2010 in the morning, with many other Airlines,who arrive at that time from Europe and the Middle east.

I had a huge queue, spilling out all the way to the People movers!

I could come around that situation, as I walked to the next Immigration checkpoint, 150 m? away, which was much less crowded

If there is now a bottleneck to, with Immigration checkpoints closed for renovation, I can believe, there is a problem.

Since than I used Suvarnabhumi only with my Thai children-I go to Thai Immi counters or for Domestic flights.

I don't think Mel is interested in facts, only in silencing critics for some reason. 'Obviously very much a love it or leave it mentality. No point in engaging.

[khunkeith]

well they didnt have this problem when the entry visa was longer but now its only 15 days people leave and move on to a better holiday without the worrie of visa runs

get the longer visa back into thailand this would help the airport cope

15 days is for crossing a land border...if you come in through the airport you would get 30 days....that hasnt changed

doesn't that depend on where your country of citizen ship is? some countries get longer visa on arrival than other countries.

Of course, but dont think this is what the OP meant

.

"15 days is for crossing a land border...if you come in through the airport you would get 30 days....that hasnt changed"

Maybe he means from his country but, other countries require different visas. Some even require them in advance. But, 30 days at the airport and 15 days on a land crossing does not apply to all passport holders.

[khunkeith]

doesn't that depend on where your country of citizen ship is? some countries get longer visa on arrival than other countries.

Some information, always good to know, regarding this.

http://www.thaiembas....uk/?q=node/188

I was being a bit sarcastic in my post. yes, I know that different passport holders are not treated equally. It's the same all over the world. 30 days at the airport is not true in many cases.

[ginjag]

The thread to my knowledge is-problems are a threat to tour-friendly image.   apart from a few nice features here and there for a new airport this has never really been a tourist friendly airport. We get a few crawlers saying different, but from day 1 of opening it's more like a nightmare from scams to queues to overpricing of duty free to direct link-connections chaos. The whole story is for the quality of the airport, the cost to build was double the amount it should have been--runways aircon raining in  queues  lengthy walks  you name it.

[MEL1]

I fly frequently between Changi and Swarmy. Even the ladies toilet in Swarmy is disgusting! The quality of the toilet is what I would find in a hawker centre in Singapore!

"Chengi" and "Swarmy".....are you a bespectacled little lad in short trousers from some English boarding school....?

Errm, Nikki is a girl's name. However, as I am not under the thumb of my wife, I did have a prob when she told me to stand in the wrong queue!

-mel.

[ParadiseLost]

As this thread is about problems with the airport I would like to add my own biggest beef - air conditioning.

Here is a warning; if you plan to overnight it to catch an early flight - bring clothing suitable for an Arctic winter! I made this mistake myself and really suffered: once you are through immigration you are 'trapped' and all shops etc. close around 11pm (as far as I can recall) and getting coffee was impossible.

I am not sure if other airports are different, but this was my worst experience by far...

Yes, that was me laying under a pile of t-shirts, newspapers and magazines...

[Reasonableman]

Agreed. Had one _dreadful_ experience when the flight was initially delayed, then the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal was closed for the night. Stuck in the departure lounge, on tnose ridiculous cold metal benches, for about 8 hours, with no potable water, no food, no pillows, no blankets, etc. There was almost a riot among the passengers, who wee ready to bust out of there, despite the security staff telling them that they could not leave. What added insult to injury was the repeated promises of food and water, which turned out to be stalling lies, since _nothing_ ever materialised. Appalling.

As this thread is about problems with the airport I would like to add my own biggest beef - air conditioning.

Here is a warning; if you plan to overnight it to catch an early flight - bring clothing suitable for an Arctic winter! I made this mistake myself and really suffered: once you are through immigration you are 'trapped' and all shops etc. close around 11pm (as far as I can recall) and getting coffee was impossible.

I am not sure if other airports are different, but this was my worst experience by far...

Yes, that was me laying under a pile of t-shirts, newspapers and magazines...

[bonobo]

I just arrived from Manila about 3 hours ago. They have formed queues to approach the immigration stations now, which is certainly more fair than just lining up and hoping for the best. it cuts down on line-jumpers as well. However, the traffic managers really need to work on their game. TIme and time again, immigration officers had to wait for passengers to be directed to their station. People either wouldn't see the stations closer to the luggage claim, or they were confused and waited for the traffic manager to tell them to go. One young females traffic cop kept walking off her post, leaving many people in line confused until other passengers kept urging them to just go.

Oddly enough, they had two queues instead of one huge one as they do in other airports. And as mine had a very dysfunctional traffic cop, the people in the other queue kept shifting over and taking "our" immigration stations. When she was gone, it was better, but when she was there, she blocked our movement as she either daydreamed or held long conversations with the next passenger in line.

Regardless, things were better on this trip. I waited about 15 minutes on Wednesday to get out and about 20 minutes today to get in the country. Of course, we had to wait another 25 minutes for our luggage to hit the claim carousel.

[metisdead]

Some inflammatory posts using disguised profanities have been removed, keep it civil or don't bother posting.

[rockyysdt]

Every time I jump on news stories on this forum, they are inevitably accompanied with dozens of posts berating anything Thai, with allegations of corruption, and incompetence.

Incompetence and corruption is not unique to Thailand.

Travel anywhere in the world and you will find it, only in many Western nations they are much better at disguising it.

Having said that, my opinion is that Suwannbhumi is a great airport.

The Immigration bottle neck has nothing to do with the building and is more about levels of staffing/remuneration/management.

There are too many armchair critics with nothing better to do than winge.

[Soutpeel]

Having said that, my opinion is that Suwannbhumi is a great airport.

Yes and heard last week that the architect was savaged to death by his guide dog...

[Soutpeel]

allegations of corruption, and incompetence.

Allegations of corruption.....LOL, have actually ever been to Thailand, if you do live here...time to open your eyes old chap.....talking specifically about Swampy....do I vaguely remember something about CNX scanners and fire trucks ?.....naah that couldnt have been Thailand...!!!

[dighambara]

TIT. I have some educated Thai friends that admit, Thailand will never come out of the third world. They simply, don't care. Although we, as foreigners, see fault in how things are run and, as one poster put it, not pro-actively acted upon, the Thai's simply don't work that way. And let's face it, it's part of what we love about Thailand (and hate). That mai pen rai laid back attitude makes it a less stressful place....as long as you're not trying to get something done on time or on budget .

Thailand is a wonderful place to live if you can adopt that most Buddhist of all principles, "no attachment to outcome" Anyone will tell you that that attachment will only bring suffering.

Though religon (& even physics) tends to identify the Universe as illusion, it remains useful to use the 'cause and effect' approach to events around us...

[KeyserSoze01]

at a flight change (international to domestic)in Frankfort a couple years ago, I had a 3+ hour layover. But, after going through the slow immigration and, then security once again, I missed my connection and ended up taking the train to my destination. At Heathrow, I almost missed a connection on to Germany because of slow security and immigration. The same in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. Bangkok is not alone with it's problems.

Let's not confuse the whingers with facts as their heads may explode after hearing the truth.

[KeyserSoze01]

I read somewhere that an arriving passenger got through immigration in the morning of the 15.3. in 20 minutes.

This is my experience as the flights I take into the Kingdom usually arrive early in the mornings. Usually never more than 10 - 15 minute wait, regardless of whether it's high or low season.

[Tanaka]

it does not threaten the world as a Thai-built and operated nuclear power plant would ... now THAT is something about which to be very, very concerned.

without want to start this argument again....A nuclear plant would not be "Thai-built" and for at least the first 5-7 years would not be Thai run either...and if Thailand cannot get any home grown reactor operators who have passed the international exam, they will not be operating it either themselves.

Yeah, in your dreams and in the best of worlds. You really believe Thais should accept to having to pass international exams to run anything in their own country? Then you do not know them very well.

[Soutpeel]

it does not threaten the world as a Thai-built and operated nuclear power plant would ... now THAT is something about which to be very, very concerned.

without want to start this argument again....A nuclear plant would not be "Thai-built" and for at least the first 5-7 years would not be Thai run either...and if Thailand cannot get any home grown reactor operators who have passed the international exam, they will not be operating it either themselves.

Yeah, in your dreams and in the best of worlds. You really believe Thais should accept to having to pass international exams to run anything in their own country? Then you do not know them very well.

I dont need to believe anything...know this as fact, have worked commerical nuclears at a few international locations

If no locals have the piece of paper, then no locals will be operating it....yes it is really that simple....If Thailand doesnt want to comply with rules...then no fuel rods for the plant.

Very apparant you havent got a clue about what your talking about..

pleasant dreams old chap

[crazydrummerpauly]

TIT. I have some educated Thai friends that admit, Thailand will never come out of the third world. They simply, don't care. Although we, as foreigners, see fault in how things are run and, as one poster put it, not pro-actively acted upon, the Thai's simply don't work that way. And let's face it, it's part of what we love about Thailand (and hate). That mai pen rai laid back attitude makes it a less stressful place....as long as you're not trying to get something done on time or on budget .

Thailand is a wonderful place to live if you can adopt that most Buddhist of all principles, "no attachment to outcome" Anyone will tell you that that attachment will only bring suffering.

Jeez, isn't that phrase: 'No attachment to outcome', the most frightening, chilling idea that could ever be expressed in language? I have no affection for any religion, buddhism included, and that phrase, in human-development terms simply describes the mental state of a very young infant prior to the inculcation into the whole wide world of consequences following all our actions, and in how in an important percentage of our actions, consequences are directly caused by those actions. But then, i loathe every scrap of the fatalism, the illogicality, the irrationality, the casinoism, (new word) and the lack of foresight that shapes and flavours much of Thai life. Thailand is no place for a science-minded rationalist, or for anyone who loves the rule of law&order, and a sense of 'fairplay'. If it changes much during the lifetime of anyone posting on this site, i'd be very surprised - i certainly won't be around to see it.

[Unkomoncents]

Every time I jump on news stories on this forum, they are inevitably accompanied with dozens of posts berating anything Thai, with allegations of corruption, and incompetence.

Incompetence and corruption is not unique to Thailand.

Travel anywhere in the world and you will find it, only in many Western nations they are much better at disguising it.

Having said that, my opinion is that Suwannbhumi is a great airport.

The Immigration bottle neck has nothing to do with the building and is more about levels of staffing/remuneration/management.

There are too many armchair critics with nothing better to do than winge.

It makes a lot of sense to try to compare Thailand with other countries and tell yourself that it's the same. This kind of thing definitely serves as a source of emotional reinforcement for those who've chosen to live in Thailand. So...not to rock your boat, but there is no comparison between the amount of incompetence in any developed country compared with Thailand (constant, constant poor planning and incompetence; if you disagree, see Thailand's economic growth relative to its neighbors). The "developed" part means that such designated countries have achieved stability (social, political and economic) that "emerging" nations haven't. If Singapore and Canada were even remotely comparable to Thailand, it would negate the distinction between 'developing' and 'developed'. And armchair critics? What other type did you have in mind? If you mean that those with criticisms do nothing about their respective lots, I would have say: what do you know about it?

[Unkomoncents]

it does not threaten the world as a Thai-built and operated nuclear power plant would ... now THAT is something about which to be very, very concerned.

without want to start this argument again....A nuclear plant would not be "Thai-built" and for at least the first 5-7 years would not be Thai run either...and if Thailand cannot get any home grown reactor operators who have passed the international exam, they will not be operating it either themselves.

Yeah, in your dreams and in the best of worlds. You really believe Thais should accept to having to pass international exams to run anything in their own country? Then you do not know them very well.

Which is precisely why nuclear power in Thailand is a pipe dream.

[takatukaland]

While the issue of long arrival queues is not limited to Thailand - let me mention IAH (Houston) in the U.S., for example - it simply will not work to not come up with a Plan B when removing 2/3s of capacity from the immigration screening process and to state that one has no idea when the renovation work will be finished is just unacceptable.

Difference is,Thailand is not in war with half the world.If you go to Europe[except Uk] your done within 5-10 minutes[fra.ams.muc] with immigration stuff,same goes with Doha,Dubai,KL,Jakarta,Singapore,,I don,t count the USA as normal country since sep 11.So it's Thailand alone,whenever I go through Immigration at Bkk airport,the officer needs 3-5 min,sometimes longer,back in Europe the immigration officer is done within 1-2 min,now imagine 5 jumbo jets arrive or leave same time from to bkk........................So i would say something wrong with the Thai Immigration.With those boimetric passportds and eyecams its kind of easy and fast to check,u only put the passport on the scan window,then its ok or not ok,,stamp the passport and done,no idea what they do here in Thailand

[ragandboneman]

I just arrived from Manila about 3 hours ago. They have formed queues to approach the immigration stations now, which is certainly more fair than just lining up and hoping for the best. it cuts down on line-jumpers as well. However, the traffic managers really need to work on their game. TIme and time again, immigration officers had to wait for passengers to be directed to their station. People either wouldn't see the stations closer to the luggage claim, or they were confused and waited for the traffic manager to tell them to go. One young females traffic cop kept walking off her post, leaving many people in line confused until other passengers kept urging them to just go.

Oddly enough, they had two queues instead of one huge one as they do in other airports. And as mine had a very dysfunctional traffic cop, the people in the other queue kept shifting over and taking "our" immigration stations. When she was gone, it was better, but when she was there, she blocked our movement as she either daydreamed or held long conversations with the next passenger in line.

Regardless, things were better on this trip. I waited about 15 minutes on Wednesday to get out and about 20 minutes today to get in the country. Of course, we had to wait another 25 minutes for our luggage to hit the claim carousel.

Thanks for the updated situation, I am arriving on the 26th March nice to know they are starting to get it sorted.

Every time I jump on news stories on this forum, they are inevitably accompanied with dozens of posts berating anything Thai, with allegations of corruption, and incompetence.

Incompetence and corruption is not unique to Thailand.

Travel anywhere in the world and you will find it, only in many Western nations they are much better at disguising it.

Having said that, my opinion is that Suwannbhumi is a great airport.

The Immigration bottle neck has nothing to do with the building and is more about levels of staffing/remuneration/management.

There are too many armchair critics with nothing better to do than winge.

Plus 1 spot on.

Edited March 17, 2012 by ragandboneman

[reenatinnakor]

Surely it's not the queue's that are annoying? It's the fact that the free wifi lasts only 15 minutes and you have to go get a password and login and a Burger King go large meal costs 300thb. 300!!!! That's like 10 USD. 10 USD!!! Didn't know burgers was a luxury good.

Why not just give people free wifi like they do in HK, Singapore, Beijing, Manila (on the odd occassion that it does work) - it's ridiculous we're in 2012 and there's no free airport wifi.

I actually left today and found it ok, the immigration 3 was backed up to like the check in desks so I went to the immigration 2 and it seemed fine, single file spray queueing and the officers were stamping people out quicker than I have seen them before. Maybe they are under orders to do so.

I actually quite like SVB airport overall, great design and always see loads of pretty thai girls with their older meal tickets out of the country. Management need to sort a few things out and it should be fine on par with HK and Singapore.

[wannascuba]

What is the status of the "Fast Track" lanes. Are they closed?

Thx.

[rotary]

What a mistake building SWAMPY. Don Muaeng was much better and should have been expanded.

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed.

[Markaew]

Bangkok airport problems threaten tourist-friendly image

Despite what has previously been posted about swamp airport, may I ask how an airport can affect a tourist-friendly image?

Once past the airport, we then encounter what is tourist friendly or not - not the ruddy airport itself.

What a misleading headline, if I ever saw one!!

-mel

The airport is your first impression of a country when you are visiting and Swampy is an excellent indicator of Thai culture. Immigration is controlled by the government not the airlines so I disagree with you. And...once you get past the airport, nothing changes.

[Markaew]

Immigration is certainly a problem for tourists and businessmen arriving in Bangkok.

But Thailand is not the only country with these problems.

Read today's IHT, where the situation in US is described as "disgraceful".

Now I don't say, Thailand does not have a serious problem, indeed they have, but is not a problem unique to Thailand.

Just a few ideas on how to improve the immigration problem:

- at least the long distance flight by THAI could put an immigration officer in the plane. If he has up-to-date equipment, he could finalize the immigration procedure in the plane, otherwise at least check if the arrival cards are correctly filled in.

- I don't uderstand why Thailand makes such a big fuzz when leaving the kingdom. Why not just ask at check-in to give back the arrival/departure card and skip the lenghty check at immigration, at least for non-Thai-citizen.

Someone has other ideas?

I've never spent more than 5 mins at immigration. I don't understand the problem, unless TV members are just writing for fun. ???

Please enlighten me to these major problems.

Thanks in advance.

-mel.

I suspect you are talking about a different country other than Thailand.

Edited March 18, 2012 by Markaew