Automatic Gates To Ease Congestion At Suvarnabhumi Airport

[theblether]

Excellent news.........keep it coming.

Credit where credit is due, the investment is being made, well done.

Finally!! A grateful person. You'd think everybody would be relieved to know it will be a quicker process getting through the airport now.

Some people are just not happy in Thailand Nisa...........they take every single chance they get to denigrate the country, and if they can't find a real reason they make one up.

This is the type of news and investment that this forum has been asking for for years, and now we have it it's a rush to the gate to castigate.

What is going through people's minds???????

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Crushdepth]

Passport scanning for everyone. Its not brain surgery.

[Nisa]

fancy machines ... I had assumed they were simply talking about card readers but this looks like a truly automated system.

Has anyone seen anything like this anywhere else?

Edited March 21, 2012 by Nisa

[jayjayjayjay]

Big help when five plane loaded with Russian's lands in front of you..........

Immigration is a national disgrace.......... Frigging joke it is....

[David48]

fancy machines ... I had assumed they were simply talking about card readers but this looks like a truly automated system.

Has anyone seen anything like this anywhere else?

We have the automated system in Australia which reads the smart chip in your Passport and then matches it to your recorded biometrics HOWEVER ...

I just wonder how many Thais have a smart chip (barcode or similar identifier which makes the system operate) in the their passport and then are subsequently able to use this system?

Don't get me wrong ... I'm all for it but the article states "Automatic Gates To Ease Congestion At Suvarnabhumi Airport" which is plainly wrong if you think about it because the Thais will have to queue just like everyone else UNTIL their Passports are updated to the new style.

The article implies that the Thai Nationals can use the system NOW … they can’t.

I'm a regular traveller, but I don't have the new style Australian 'Smart' Passport ... Why, because my perfectly good Australian passport has many years left to run on it and gaining access into Australia is a relatively fast and easy process for me.

The automated system will eventually ease congestion, but only when the Passports are updated.

What would greatly assist the process is if the ‘riot police’ could navigate the queue and check if each passenger had actually completed their card by the time they reached the counter.

Multi lingual assistants would be great, but TiT and I don’t want to stretch into fantasy land.

Just have a pen ready and teach them how to complete their arrival/departure card.

[tlansford]

Rose colored glasses upcountry expats ==== Yay ! The government is making a intelligent proactive move regarding a significant problem. You whiners need to pipe down or go home...

Bitter long term expats ===== <deleted> ??? The problem is tourists waiting in their long lines. How will the tourists watching Thais whiz through special lines just for them create anything but resentment ??? Except to reinforce right off the bat that farangs will be treated as second class people here.... :-)

The actual solution to this problem ?? HIRE MORE IMMIGRATION STAFF.......

Automating the passage of Thai nationals will mean more immigration staff for non-Thais.

Everywhere I go, non-nationals wait in separate queues and citizens pass right through special lines at a much faster pace.

Foreigners are treated differently in every country. "second class people" if you like...

[Unkomoncents]

Yet another advantage of Thai citizenship!

Congratulations. How long did it take you? (Seriously. While I don't want citizenship here myself, I am deeply respectful of the folks that have managed it. Good stuff.)

[Unkomoncents]

fancy machines ... I had assumed they were simply talking about card readers but this looks like a truly automated system.

Has anyone seen anything like this anywhere else?

Reminds me of the ticket-readers at the new BTS stations. I noticed recently that Udomsuk is missing partial functionality when you go through the line (I waited with a crowd to go through the machine, which only allows pre-paid monthly cards for access [and not machine-purchased pay-as-you-go cards]?! Why not multiple functionality Thailand?) Oh wait. I need to understand that this is a different culture. That means that you can be as retarded as you want and you get a get-out-of-jail-free card. There is no better or worse. Just "different" cultures.

[OzMick]

Does Thailand issue e-passports? My g/f's is 5yo - definitely no chip.

[Sibbo]

I have used the same system on offer at Gatwick. if this can reduce the number of people in front of me whilst waiting for customs at BKK. Then I am all for it. When they refer to Thais I think you will find they refer to holders of Thai passports.

I would hazard a guess that the complaining members do not have the new scanning passport and have to queue up with all the other sheep. I do not know if all the UK passprot holders behind me at Gatwick had the bio metric passport, nor did I care. I did not care also about the tutting from my colonial colleagues as I got into the country much quicker.

I have one, and if you want to beat the queues, then I suggest you get one rather than complain about those that do.

[madmitch]

Does Thailand issue e-passports? My g/f's is 5yo - definitely no chip.

Yes they do, and have been issuing them for some time (but maybe not five years)

But don't Thai passports only last five years anyway?

[NewlyMintedThai]

Does Thailand issue e-passports? My g/f's is 5yo - definitely no chip.

Yes they do, and have been issuing them for some time (but maybe not five years)

But don't Thai passports only last five years anyway?

Five years, then renewable for another five.

[Soutpeel]

from my experience it seems there are a certain traveller that holds the ques up and that is one who hasn't filled in their transit card correctly, this not only frustrates the immigration officer but also those waiting behind....there is no real solution to this but it really does make your blood boil!

send him/her to the back of the Q.

They usually do kick them out of the queue....in usually Russian/Chinese tour groups and i have seen the tour guides giving immigration a hard time, but in fact its the tour guides who have messed up....maybe they should employ Security guard Somchai from the BTS and he can come over and beat people around the head with his metal detector when people dont fill in their cards

[FangFerang]

from my experience it seems there are a certain traveller that holds the ques up and that is one who hasn't filled in their transit card correctly, this not only frustrates the immigration officer but also those waiting behind....there is no real solution to this but it really does make your blood boil!

send him/her to the back of the Q.

That is the perfect way to deal with vision-impaired people that make mistakes, and foreign visitors who don't read Thai or English. We'll punish them all, the offenders, the offensive offenders, with nothing in mind but delaying my arrogant arse from getting where I want to go as quickly as possible.

I hate swampy, but having my "blood boil" never happens for the simple reason that getting my panties in a bunch isn't changing anything.

[chrisinth]

fancy machines ... I had assumed they were simply talking about card readers but this looks like a truly automated system.

Has anyone seen anything like this anywhere else?

They use very similar ones at Heathrow. However, when passing through them (last time January) I don't think one person in the line I was in got through first time because of the passport matchup and the recognision software they were using. Faster (in those circumstances), maybe a little.

I'm not sure if all Thai passports are chipped, perhaps someone could verify that? If not, then immigration are still going to need manned booths for those that aren't.

[Soutpeel]

fancy machines ... I had assumed they were simply talking about card readers but this looks like a truly automated system.

Has anyone seen anything like this anywhere else?

They use very similar ones at Heathrow. However, when passing through them (last time January) I don't think one person in the line I was in got through first time because of the passport matchup and the recognision software they were using. Faster (in those circumstances), maybe a little.

I'm not sure if all Thai passports are chipped, perhaps someone could verify that? If not, then immigration are still going to need manned booths for those that aren't.

If someone has been issued a Thai passport in the last 3 years or so...its a chipped/biometric PP

[chrisinth]

fancy machines ... I had assumed they were simply talking about card readers but this looks like a truly automated system.

Has anyone seen anything like this anywhere else?

They use very similar ones at Heathrow. However, when passing through them (last time January) I don't think one person in the line I was in got through first time because of the passport matchup and the recognision software they were using. Faster (in those circumstances), maybe a little.

I'm not sure if all Thai passports are chipped, perhaps someone could verify that? If not, then immigration are still going to need manned booths for those that aren't.

If someone has been issued a Thai passport in the last 3 years or so...its a chipped/biometric PP

Cheers Soutpeel, so with that there will be a percentage (passports with two years to run) that will still require booth entry.

[ch4o]

As a Thai, I am truly disappointed in the quality of the airport. There is no excuse in its many flaws. The planning and execution of the design and construction of the airport is just bad. I dont need to elaborate more because the outcome speaks for itself. The airport link is a joke. Its just ridiculous that they expect passengers with luggage to interchange with mrt station by having to cross roads instead of connecting it some other way. I cant beleive they cant plan ahead for this immigration issue... With all the TAT tourist 'figures' they cant get it to work. Sorry, i just had to let out some steam.

[Payboy]

Hope it works better than the Easy Pass on the expressway.

[anterian]

What I don't understand is that if you go to Bangkok immigration to renew your visa, they have this number ticket machine and seats where you wait until your number appears. So why cannot they do the same at the airport, these machines are not expensive, many hospitals, and post offices use them.

[tlansford]

What I don't understand is that if you go to Bangkok immigration to renew your visa, they have this number ticket machine and seats where you wait until your number appears. So why cannot they do the same at the airport, these machines are not expensive, many hospitals, and post offices use them.

Anterian, maybe I am missing something, but wouldn't a snake line achieve essentially the same result?

[wpcoe]

It is the snake line that will help. Having one line and you can go to the next open counter when you get to the head. If one counter gets held up by the slow person that didn't do the paper work you will still be next. The other way it is luck of the draw and the 15 people ahead of you that didn't fill out paper work and don't have things ready are always in your line. That won't happen to anyone again. Add to it the express lanes for those that know how or have the passport to use it. The commissary would do this on payday shopping day - you see one long line but it never stops moving as each person is directed to the next teller rather then getting stuck in a slow line - there is no slow line anymore.

The best implementation of the "snake line" that I have seen is at Narita Airport Immigrations. When the queue gets long, there is an inspector at the head of the queue who:

(a) makes sure the next person's immigration card is filled out (If it isn't they are sent to a desk to fill it out.)

( sends ONE person to stand in line at each podium. This ensures less wait for the Immigrations Officer to greet the next person. How often have you seen two or three desks open at a bank (or other place with a queue) with the person at the head of the line either looking the wrong direction, or just plain clueless, with the available tellers flailing their arms to get attention?

By implementing (, there is no wait for the Immigrations officer. Even if the person at the head of the "snake line" were on the ball, it still takes time to move from the line to the officer. The Narita process is VERY efficient. Mind you, they only do this for foreigners. The Japanese Citizen lines are still a scrum of individual queues for each podium. Go figure.

[MaiChai]

Went through immigration on Sunday; no problems whatsoever. Dont know what all the fuss is about? To me looks like the problem has been fixed?

[anterian]

What I don't understand is that if you go to Bangkok immigration to renew your visa, they have this number ticket machine and seats where you wait until your number appears. So why cannot they do the same at the airport, these machines are not expensive, many hospitals, and post offices use them.

Anterian, maybe I am missing something, but wouldn't a snake line achieve essentially the same result?

No with a snake line you still have to stand and hold your place, with the ticket number you can go and sit down, visit the toilet, even return to duty free if a very large queue.

[rotary]

I saw the auto machines yesterday at airport but as the article says in the Thai section. There is never any line in the Thai section anyway as thats my line when my wife is with me. ha ha

[TheWalkingMan]

Here in Japan we have those automatic passport readers. People with re-entry permits must first register at their main immigration office. I am not sure where Japanese nationals would sign-up, but I presume it would be at the airport. In all my going in and out of the country I have never seen anyone use the autogate. Not once. I think I signed up to use the gate but of course the terminal I used at the did not have an autogate.

Japan has 1 passport control for people leaving the country and for entering there are 3 sections: Japanese, non-Japanese and re-entry permit holders.

I have seen some complaints about Thailand requiring that entry card, but Japan does it also. Japan also requires the written customs declaration which Thailand does not.

[tlansford]

What I don't understand is that if you go to Bangkok immigration to renew your visa, they have this number ticket machine and seats where you wait until your number appears. So why cannot they do the same at the airport, these machines are not expensive, many hospitals, and post offices use them.

Anterian, maybe I am missing something, but wouldn't a snake line achieve essentially the same result?

No with a snake line you still have to stand and hold your place, with the ticket number you can go and sit down, visit the toilet, even return to duty free if a very large queue.

true, but I guess I just want to get through customs asap... standing is no problem.

[hawker9000]

What is it about this forum?

A perfectly good attempt to improve something and it's immediately pounced upon.

And for those who say Thais cannot think outside of the box, maybe, looking at the first two responses to the OP, the syndrome is rubbing off on expats!

For Pete's sake. Allow people to express their opinions, even if you don't happen to agree.. Jumping on their case like this just puts you on the same level! Live & let live. Move on.

[pattayadingo]

i came through immigration yesterday morning (landed at 07-50) and the immigration halls were almost empty. Through in 10 minutes.

Plenty of staff on hand to check landing cards and to show people the way. Also handing out landing cards to people.

All so efficient

[hawker9000]

Went through immigration on Sunday; no problems whatsoever. Dont know what all the fuss is about? To me looks like the problem has been fixed?

Ah, does it occur to you that not everyone has the same expererience? I can't even imagine why you would just assume that if you breezed through when YOU happened to arrive, then everyone ELSE must also no matter when they arrive. Well, guess what? Some do (breeze through); some definitely don't.