According to the Daily Mail anyway. Bring on the London Olympics 2012! It puts any issues for visitors to Thailand into perspective.

Very true, I get the feeling that most of the whingers about Thai immigration queue's are EU nationals who are used to waltzing past IO's with a simple flash of the passport.

Heathrow is a joke at the best of times if you are a non-EU national.

Even EU nationals can have a long wait at Heathrow now that all passports are swiped and the UKBA have cut staffing levels.

Very true, I get the feeling that most of the whingers about Thai immigration queue's are EU nationals who are used to waltzing past IO's with a simple flash of the passport.

Heathrow is a joke at the best of times if you are a non-EU national.

Well there is also the comparison to how it used to be. My average doors open to waiting for a cab time at Don used to be about 25 min.

Very true, I get the feeling that most of the whingers about Thai immigration queue's are EU nationals who are used to waltzing past IO's with a simple flash of the passport.

Heathrow is a joke at the best of times if you are a non-EU national.

Well there is also the comparison to how it used to be. My average doors open to waiting for a cab time at Don used to be about 25 min.

Well, the airport now handles 10m PAX per year more than DM did and nearly double the aircraft movement, so you are going to expect some increased wait times.

Having said that, I've always been critical of the expansion strategy, plus the fact that DM is an underutilised resource, but having said that, my experience of doors opening to cab is still around 30 mins, especially if I'm bussed from the plane to immigration.

The other week at LHR took about 30minutes to get through Immigration (EU Passport), the electronic ones had people at them, but still a very long queue to go to an officer, were about 5 working at that time.

Not a visa matter, moved to travel.

Very true, I get the feeling that most of the whingers about Thai immigration queue's are EU nationals who are used to waltzing past IO's with a simple flash of the passport.

Heathrow is a joke at the best of times if you are a non-EU national.

Well there is also the comparison to how it used to be. My average doors open to waiting for a cab time at Don used to be about 25 min.

Well, the airport now handles 10m PAX per year more than DM did and nearly double the aircraft movement, so you are going to expect some increased wait times.

Having said that, I've always been critical of the expansion strategy, plus the fact that DM is an underutilised resource, but having said that, my experience of doors opening to cab is still around 30 mins, especially if I'm bussed from the plane to immigration.

This is my experience too. The big waiting times for Bangkok are on trying to leave. The queues there can be horrendous!

A 3 hour wait at heathrow must indicate a problem with a visa. I can't believe any normal person passing through will be detained that long.

The queues are normally longer I notice but not by that much. I would figure on half an hour max.

Sorry, smokie, but it's not a three hour wait once you've shown your passport/visa or a three hour detention by immigration; it's a three hour wait in the queue to get to immigration!

From news reports I've read/seen from sources more reliable than the Mail, this is not routine, but is common.

Sorry, smokie, but it's not a three hour wait once you've shown your passport/visa or a three hour detention by immigration; it's a three hour wait in the queue to get to immigration!

From news reports I've read/seen from sources more reliable than the Mail, this is not routine, but is common.

I must have been lucky then as I've never had a wait of more than half an hour. Perhaps just certain times in the day?

What nationality are you? The lengthy waits are in the non-EU queue. If you are an EU national then you will get through more quickly.

When did you last enter the UK via LHR? This is a relatively recent problem since government cuts have meant a reduction in the number of IOs on duty.

Yes, obviously the queues are going to be longer at certain times of day, and even certain days of the week. Which terminal you are using is also a factor, with T3 being the worst, I understand.

Edited April 23, 201214 yr by 7by7
Addendum

What nationality are you? The lengthy waits are in the non-EU queue. If you are an EU national then you will get through more quickly.

Yes, obviously the queues are going to be longer at certain times of day, and even certain days of the week. Which terminal you are using is also a factor, with T3 being the worst, I understand.

I have a UK passport. Its definitely worse at T3 no matter your nationality but I haven't noticed the queues for non EU passengers being that much worse. Certainly not ten times longer or anything near that.

I would believe this has happened on occasion but I find it hard to believe it is the norm.

Beginning of March T3 45 minutes wait for UK passport holder. My taxi driver said the average from landing to pick up was now close to 90 minutes. I always used to sail through the iris scan booth but they have been removed and the new chip reading machines seemed to be causing major delays.

Great the Thai missus can walk through UK line with me, wouldnt fancy waiting 3 hrs for her to get through the non-eu line.

Very true, I get the feeling that most of the whingers about Thai immigration queue's are EU nationals who are used to waltzing past IO's with a simple flash of the passport.

Heathrow is a joke at the best of times if you are a non-EU national.

My last foray into the UK took me about 20 minutes from exiting the aircraft to climbing into my car. As for the suggested waiting time at BKK, I can only scoff at the reports posted on Thai Visa earlier this month. From Leaving the aircraft to getting into a taxi with my gf, 17 minutes.

From earlier readings on this website I had anticipated at least a two hour wait for customs etc.

Before people comment, I suggest that you leave the country and then fly back in so you can see for yourself.

I flew into London City last Friday night with the gf on her first ever visit. From plane to land side was about 20 minutes. The UKBA lady asked the gf a few questions (we had to queue separately, but I was beckoned when she knew I was waiting. But it was so easy without the big family groups of Nigerians/Indians with all their worldly goods (not including the stuff they checked in).

I'm thinking that's how I will go from now on. Change in Amsterdam or somewhere and go through LCY rather than the ordeal of LHR and the multiple expensive trains.

I flew into London City last Friday night with the gf on her first ever visit. From plane to land side was about 20 minutes. The UKBA lady asked the gf a few questions (we had to queue separately, but I was beckoned when she knew I was waiting. But it was so easy without the big family groups of Nigerians/Indians with all their worldly goods (not including the stuff they checked in).

I'm thinking that's how I will go from now on. Change in Amsterdam or somewhere and go through LCY rather than the ordeal of LHR and the multiple expensive trains.

wherever I can, when going to the UK, I try and get into London via London City, usually by organising a stop over somewhere in Europe.

Last time i flew to the US (LAX), the queue to get to the Immigration Officer was 2 hours. Bangkok is nothing to complain about.

Last time I flew into LHR, July last year, the queue with a YUK passport was more than 2 hours.

I'm not allowed to mention the ethnicity of the majority of the travellers in the same queue but I can guarantee that very few were named 'Smith' or similar. Ditto in fact for the immigration/border control officers.

Very true, I get the feeling that most of the whingers about Thai immigration queue's are EU nationals who are used to waltzing past IO's with a simple flash of the passport.

Heathrow is a joke at the best of times if you are a non-EU national.

I was horrified it took me all of 3 minutes to get through immigration the last time I past through Heathrow it used to only take 30 seconds, oh wait you said non-EU nationals.

Very true, I get the feeling that most of the whingers about Thai immigration queue's are EU nationals who are used to waltzing past IO's with a simple flash of the passport.

Heathrow is a joke at the best of times if you are a non-EU national.

I was horrified it took me all of 3 minutes to get through immigration the last time I past through Heathrow it used to only take 30 seconds, oh wait you said non-EU nationals.

5555

Fortunately I don't visit mud island much these days, so I will take solace in using the Thai passport e-gates.

Very true, I get the feeling that most of the whingers about Thai immigration queue's are EU nationals who are used to waltzing past IO's with a simple flash of the passport.

Heathrow is a joke at the best of times if you are a non-EU national.

Well there is also the comparison to how it used to be. My average doors open to waiting for a cab time at Don used to be about 25 min.

Well, the airport now handles 10m PAX per year more than DM did and nearly double the aircraft movement, so you are going to expect some increased wait times.

Having said that, I've always been critical of the expansion strategy, plus the fact that DM is an underutilised resource, but having said that, my experience of doors opening to cab is still around 30 mins, especially if I'm bussed from the plane to immigration.

No I would expect more staff and streamlining the process.

Last time i flew to the US (LAX), the queue to get to the Immigration Officer was 2 hours. Bangkok is nothing to complain about.

Agree, the longest and most disorganised immigration and customs I have encoutered in the world.

To be honest for many of the "immegrants" to Britain its a pity its not 3 years.

Flew out of BKK on Saturday. United check in took 15 minutes (Premier line), passport control took 10-minutes. Got to DC in USA and missed my connection because passport control and security took over 2-hours. Staff wouldn't let anyone cut in line who had connections because almost everybody did and they insisted the planes would wait. Then as we finally were almost through security they announced where to go to re-book your flights that obviously didn't wait.

Edit: Connecting through Tokyo took 30-minutes to get through security even though we were all going from one international flight to another and never leaving the secure area.

Oh and there was another 5-minute wait at BKK as they re-screened everyone before boarding, including taking off shoes ... this was a new experience but one i didn't mind.

Edited April 24, 201214 yr by Nisa

3 hours to get in to the UK sounds like a long time, but I would be prepared to wait much longer to get out again...

Heathrow is a nightmare pig-sty. I last traveled through there on the day they opened Terminal 5. BA helpfully flew me and two jumbos full of passengers to Narita with no luggage...luggage arrived 3 weeks later. I swore I would never fly through Heathrow again and I haven't since

From reading the BBC news today, there were huge queues in LHR last night, not just for NON EU, but for UK passport and EU passport holders. 3 hour wait to clear immigration.

Heathrow is going to the pits like the rest of the country.

Chris.

From reading the BBC news today, there were huge queues in LHR last night, not just for NON EU, but for UK passport and EU passport holders. 3 hour wait to clear immigration.

Heathrow is going to the pits like the rest of the country.

Chris.

Big queues at T5 shown on TV news this morning. Apparently the Immigration boss has been called to a meeting NEXT MONTH to explain what's gone wrong. I'm sure his answer will be just give me enough money and I will recruit more staff; otherwise leave me alone !