Thai Immigration To Launch Fast-Track Entry For Tourists

[Psych01]

Now, this is funny! I am a member of a certain airline and when you fly with them regularly, after a particular amount of points and card level, you can add this service to your member card. It scans your member card and register's you in the country. Not really sure that the fee they are on about charging here really works with the maths of buying said system.

[SOTIRIOS]

..another case of..........'all or nothing'..........

[Baerboxer]

Frankly, I am very impressed with the artists impression.

Me too..... not any tourist has luggage with him/her....

Luggage is collected AFTER immigration.

Only if it's checked in, not hand luggage.

[Dap]

Wonder if we could get one of those fast track things in Chiang mai?

[samjaidee]

Frankly, I am very impressed with the artists impression.

Ever been to KL, that could be a photoshopped image of immigration there.

Very clever of them to get Tag Heuer to sponsor the artisit's impression.

[chotthee]

This is a no brainer, the normal immigration queues will become half full, and the fast track queues, usually reserved for business and first class customers will overly become packed.

So in real terms, you'll still be waiting a long time.

Why not just remove all the normal queue.

And just name all the queue FASTRACK.

[Maestro]

I have deleted an off-topic post about "90 day report" and the replies to it.

[MahaYellow]

A visa fee of "40 or 50 baht per passenger" is way too low.

I would consider 500 to 800 Bahts a reasonable fee.

It would also boost the Thai economy.

Thai passport holders visiting the UK pay a minimum of 3900

Bahts for single entry.

//Edit:

Edited September 7, 2012 by Maestro
This topic is not about visa fees.

[RubbaJohnny]

I expect they will split the difference knowing that all folks arriving lang haul have exactly 45 bahts in change.555.

They will of course accept credit cards where $10 be more like it.They can smell the money already and wives are probably thinking how ott fill the new Benz.

Of course for 2 Falangs there will be the novelty of the 90 baht reort (I wager they will have runout of receipts) 10 minutes on day 1,like theTamar brisge toll trousered bythe tollgate scammers

[jocko]

Frankly, I am very impressed with the artists impression.

Yes indeed, so clever of the artist to air brush out about 98% of the actual queue of people

However; if I'm mistaken on this point, then we must assume that the artist has some strong insight into the real impact on tourism in Phuket following the string of scandals, including murder, over the past couple of years.

They used the same artist to draw the new condo's for sale you see .Pavement, Car parking .Some green stuff ,Family's walking about etc I'm still looking for them.

[SunsetT]

This is a no brainer, the normal immigration queues will become half full, and the fast track queues, usually reserved for business and first class customers will overly become packed.

So in real terms, you'll still be waiting a long time.

This was exactly my experience when arriving 7.30am at Heathrow last April. For the first time in 6 years I found the immigration queue beginning way back up the corridor leading to the immigration hall. When I reached the hall I found the reason appeared to be that 2 or possibly 2 pairs of machines had been installed; I assume the same machines as are being proposed for Thailand. One immigration officer was manning a booth behind them, and using a loudspeaker was instructing people, who seemed totally confused, on what to do when they reached the machines. They didnt seem to be clearing any quicker than you normally do at a booth. There were a few normal booths open but I would say about 1/3 less than the previous norm. So the whole exercise seemed to be about cutting back on manpower, but we the passengers were having to queue longer. I am hoping that the problems, complaints and measures taken to speed up immigration queues in the build up to the Olympics, have hopefully also improved things for the long term and not just temporarily.

[SunsetT]

So no passport stamp.....how will people know they have not made a mistake in the date as they often do now.

Good question

They will be tourists and will get on their return flight they have booked. I doubt any tourist has to check their passport in order remember to leave.

....But they will if they have a double or triple entry tourist visa with all the mindless shinaneggins the Thais then impose on them to leave and re-enter!

[siampreggers]

I think that's the artist's impression of Swampy-phum, 2022.

[dude007]

Let's hope it works out

“Our worst fear is that criminals or terrorists will come to conduct activities or use this region to hide out. Even though there are not that many cases at the moment, we don't want to take a chance,” Gen Jate said.

As for that line.....

To be fair Blether, most of them are already there driving tuk tuks, taxis and jetski hiring

Sssshhhh!!! Don't tell the General

You mean Chalerm, the basher?

[dude007]

I expect they will split the difference knowing that all folks arriving lang haul have exactly 45 bahts in change.555.

They will of course accept credit cards where $10 be more like it.They can smell the money already and wives are probably thinking how ott fill the new Benz.

Of course for 2 Falangs there will be the novelty of the 90 baht reort (I wager they will have runout of receipts) 10 minutes on day 1,like theTamar brisge toll trousered bythe tollgate scammers

You're right, but your English man, how awful!

[dude007]

I haven't been through any airport that runs a no-arrival-card regime, so I am guessing here ......

I'm all for an easier life when travelling, but there are so many ways to make that happen apart from immigration delays. Security, check-in and bag-drop could all be streamlined a lot more than at present.

I have flown into two places with no arrival cards...Tel Aviv and Muscat. Neither place seems to be a hotbed of terrorism or otherwise overrun with international "bad boys".

I have never really understood arrival cards anyway...other than to give the kind officer bullet items to quiz the arriving passenger about.

Your arrival places are those where the terrorists are coming from (from both sides)... So no need for arrival cards: be welcome in the country of the boom-boom...

[americaninbangkok]

the system should be simplified, without the need for an arrival/departure card.

in the EU (shengen countries) there is no border control, towards that direction AEC should be going as well

If Vietnam can get rid of arrival cards, one would think Thailand could graduate to this level of sophistication.

[cdnski12]

HKG seems to manage AOK. Takes a few seconds to get a 90 day Visa .. at least for Canucks. I suppose having 300K HKG Chinese in Canada helps ... although I'm finding the Chinese Grannies occupying my Radiation Queues, now I'm finally using the Cdn Medical System, after paying into it for 50 years.

[wprime]

They already have a fast track lane, it's just to the right of the main immigration section in the same room as the visa on arrival area. You just need to present those fast track cards you get on the plane.

[Arkady]

from OP:

The APP system will also be used to check departing international passengers bound for Thailand to see if their names are on the Thai Immigration blacklist. If they happen to be on the blacklist, or are wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant in Thailand, the person who first notices such details could report them to local police for possible arrest, he said.

So, if I'm checking in at LAX and am on the Thai Immigrations blacklist, and the LAX airline rep calls the local police, what the heck would LAPD care if I were on a Thai Immigrations blacklist?

If the LAX airline rep *doesn't* call the police -- the quote says they "could" report them not that they *have* to -- how/when/where would I be stopped?

Doesn't that mean that once the information has been transmitted to Thailand they could be reported for arrest on arrival?

[Arkady]

this system could be a problem for Thais with dual nationality. After providing the airline with details of their foreign passport to fly to a country that Thais need a visa for, this information is transmitted to Immigration which is unable to match it with the traveller's entry on their Thai passport. Alarm bells go off when the Thai passport is scanned on departure because it has not been logged into the system.

[skorchio]

Artists fantasy more like. I was leaving Phuket airport 5 weeks ago, on the redeye to BKK, and then following on to Norway. I checked in an 90 mins before flight, grabbed a coffee and had a few smokes outside. I went into the immigration hall 40 mins before departure, there were 5-600 people there waiting, there were 4 Imm Officers working. It was chaos, bedlam. Luckily I had my Priority Pass, went back out and got one of the chicks to fast track me.

These moron know there the expected passenger numbers in advance. There were 2 large aircraft of Chinese departing at the same time, 0650am. 600 ppl, it is no secret, and the muppets cant staff the desks accordingly. Will a computer be any smarter than its operator?

[NewlyMintedThai]

this system could be a problem for Thais with dual nationality. After providing the airline with details of their foreign passport to fly to a country that Thais need a visa for, this information is transmitted to Immigration which is unable to match it with the traveller's entry on their Thai passport. Alarm bells go off when the Thai passport is scanned on departure because it has not been logged into the system.

Just check in with Thai passport, and show airline counter the other passport to assure them no visa needed.

[Keesters]

Thai Immigration Bureau to launch fast-track entry for tourists

So who gets the slow-track? Thai nationals!!

[NewlyMintedThai]

Thai Immigration Bureau to launch fast-track entry for tourists

So who gets the slow-track? Thai nationals!!

Thai nationals already have fast track via the automatic gate system already in use.

[RubbaJohnny]

I expect they will split the difference knowing that all folks arriving lang haul have exactly 45 bahts in change.555.

They will of course accept credit cards where $10 be more like it.They can smell the money already and wives are probably thinking how ott fill the new Benz.

Of course for 2 Falangs there will be the novelty of the 90 baht reort (I wager they will have runout of receipts) 10 minutes on day 1,like theTamar brisge toll trousered bythe tollgate scammers

You're right, but your English man, how awful!

Apologies was using an Arabic keypad

[RubbaJohnny]

Artists fantasy more like. I was leaving Phuket airport 5 weeks ago, on the redeye to BKK, and then following on to Norway. I checked in an 90 mins before flight, grabbed a coffee and had a few smokes outside. I went into the immigration hall 40 mins before departure, there were 5-600 people there waiting, there were 4 Imm Officers working. It was chaos, bedlam. Luckily I had my Priority Pass, went back out and got one of the chicks to fast track me.

These moron know there the expected passenger numbers in advance. There were 2 large aircraft of Chinese departing at the same time, 0650am. 600 ppl, it is no secret, and the muppets cant staff the desks accordingly. Will a computer be any smarter than its operator?

Your point is accurate ,the staff are not muppets rather the management/decision makers but atthe end of the day someone ,guess who will have to pay for extra staff

[howzat]

Pigs will fly. Seem to remember two years ago they were going to have a frequent visitor channel up an running within 6 months like HK.As usual they talk the talk and never walk. Normal high voltage rhetoric. Dream on my friends.

[Tomtomtom69]

from OP:

The APP system will also be used to check departing international passengers bound for Thailand to see if their names are on the Thai Immigration blacklist. If they happen to be on the blacklist, or are wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant in Thailand, the person who first notices such details could report them to local police for possible arrest, he said.

So, if I'm checking in at LAX and am on the Thai Immigrations blacklist, and the LAX airline rep calls the local police, what the heck would LAPD care if I were on a Thai Immigrations blacklist?

If the LAX airline rep *doesn't* call the police -- the quote says they "could" report them not that they *have* to -- how/when/where would I be stopped?

I think the blacklist is mainly an "immigration blacklist" meaning the passenger should be refused boarding, in this case, boarding his/her flight to Thailand. Already check-in agents refuse passengers for lack of documents such as visas and/or return or onward tickets so refusing boarding for the much more serious offense of being on a blacklist, although rare, should also be enforced by check-in agents. However, this would simply mean being denied boarding, not being subject to arrest or anything like that, unless interpol is involved or there is an outstanding arrest warrant. I mean, as a Thai immigration blacklist has nothing to do with the LAPD, you would simply be refused boarding to answer your question.

[thaikahuna]

“The APP system is not ready to use at the moment. We still have to settle the agreement with AoT [Airports of Thailand] about an extra fee that may have to be charged when the system is in place.”

“We proposed a fee of 80 baht per passenger, but that was rejected. So we will offer to make the fee about 40 or 50 baht per passenger,” he added.

Not enough tea money for someone???