Immigration Experience

[Searat7]

On Monday afternoon I entered the Immigration area which was very full. As I got closer I noticed one female officer who had an extended conversation on her cell phone while she was slowly handling passengers. After she finished the call she got up and closed her gate, handled 3 remaining passengers and left. I was in line for male officer sitting next to her and I noticed he was on the phone too for a very long time (at least 15 min. that I observed)..using earplugs in his phone. It's no wonder that Immigration here is so slow. These people cannot propely do their job properly while chatting on their cell phones.

[easyride]

Took me 90 minutes to get OUT the other day. They check your boarding pass and send you up an escalator for the X-ray and whatnot (very quick) then down an escalator into the immigration room. I'm not lying when I say it was so crowded that I had to push people out of the way to get off the escalator. You'd think they'd be glad to be rid of us since they've already fleeced us of our money. TIT

[candid]

^{you are lucky that there were officers there. Last time I came through there were only 3 out of 12 booths manned/girled?}

[breadbin]

Took me 90 minutes to get OUT the other day. They check your boarding pass and send you up an escalator for the X-ray and whatnot (very quick) then down an escalator into the immigration room. I'm not lying when I say it was so crowded that I had to push people out of the way to get off the escalator. You'd think they'd be glad to be rid of us since they've already fleeced us of our money. TIT

Can you explain this one please?

The check in desks are on the ground floor, the immigration is also there, where are you being sent up the escalators for x-rays?

I was there a in July and nothing had changed!!

[SeaVisionBurma]

Took me 90 minutes to get OUT the other day. They check your boarding pass and send you up an escalator for the X-ray and whatnot (very quick) then down an escalator into the immigration room. I'm not lying when I say it was so crowded that I had to push people out of the way to get off the escalator. You'd think they'd be glad to be rid of us since they've already fleeced us of our money. TIT

Can you explain this one please?

The check in desks are on the ground floor, the immigration is also there, where are you being sent up the escalators for x-rays?

I was there a in July and nothing had changed!!

easyride is correct. There is a an immigration entry which first sends you up one level to complete security before sending you straight back down again to pass through immigration.

and it has been in operation since at least early July - I went through that particular up-down bit on July 4th...

Sent from my ALCATEL_one_touch_918D using Thaivisa Connect App

[topt]

Took me 90 minutes to get OUT the other day. They check your boarding pass and send you up an escalator for the X-ray and whatnot (very quick) then down an escalator into the immigration room. I'm not lying when I say it was so crowded that I had to push people out of the way to get off the escalator. You'd think they'd be glad to be rid of us since they've already fleeced us of our money. TIT

Can you explain this one please?

The check in desks are on the ground floor, the immigration is also there, where are you being sent up the escalators for x-rays?

I was there a in July and nothing had changed!!

easyride is correct. There is a an immigration entry which first sends you up one level to complete security before sending you straight back down again to pass through immigration.

and it has been in operation since at least early July - I went through that particular up-down bit on July 4th...

Sent from my ALCATEL_one_touch_918D using Thaivisa Connect App

Is this because of the remodelling they are doing? Fast Track (or VIP as it is called at Swampy) is still (3 weeks ago) on only one level.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Correct

[SOTIRIOS]

...hatred...resentment...jealousy....'payback time' to the foreigners.......

(....and no recourse......no consequences.....)

[Farma]

...hatred...resentment...jealousy....'payback time' to the foreigners.......

Don't know where you got that from.

No problems thursday mid morning. Web check-in so only a 5 minute bag drop...up the esculators and through the scanner, another 5 minutes....down to immigration and a zigzag queue 3 lanes full..another 5 minutes followed by 5 minutes in the actual immigration queue.

[Aachen]

I think it is some kind of hobby to complain about immigrations. I never have spent much time in BKK nor in local Immigration Phuket town. Only once they forgot me and found me back after some time with many excuses by themselves. No reason to complain.

[MILT]

Took me 90 minutes to get OUT the other day. They check your boarding pass and send you up an escalator for the X-ray and whatnot (very quick) then down an escalator into the immigration room. I'm not lying when I say it was so crowded that I had to push people out of the way to get off the escalator. You'd think they'd be glad to be rid of us since they've already fleeced us of our money. TIT

What airport are you talking about?

[SeaVisionBurma]

Suvanabhumi. I took photos yesterday will post shortly.

Sent from my ALCATEL_one_touch_918D using Thaivisa Connect App

[kkerry]

If nothing else, immigration officers with earbuds listening to their phones or mp3 players while processing arrivals is unprofessional as well as rude. I've yet to see any talking on their phones but that would be even worse. Some serious lack of supervision when staff are allowed to get away with it.

[phutoie2]

Took me 90 minutes to get OUT the other day. They check your boarding pass and send you up an escalator for the X-ray and whatnot (very quick) then down an escalator into the immigration room. I'm not lying when I say it was so crowded that I had to push people out of the way to get off the escalator. You'd think they'd be glad to be rid of us since they've already fleeced us of our money. TIT

Can you explain this one please?

The check in desks are on the ground floor, the immigration is also there, where are you being sent up the escalators for x-rays?

I was there a in July and nothing had changed!!

It has changed, I departed Sat evening and was expecting it to be like it was the last time, well over 2 years now since last flying out.

From check in floor you do go up one more level, place all your stuff in the trays and have your hand luggage scanned , then back down the stairs and a member of staff is there to direct you to Foreign or Thai passports. Only took some 10 mins or so and no probs.

[pattayapip]

Arrived Yesterday 4pm, Immigration took just under 1 Hour, Packed right out into Duty free area, exactly the same as my last arrival on a Sunday about 4 weeks ago, Have never seen immigration as bad as this in 11 years !! Welcome to Thailand

[SeaVisionBurma]

For this who were asking about the weird "go upstairs to do security screening, go back downstairs to do immigration' set up at Suvanabhumi, here it is.

Passport Control entrance, adjacent to the end of "J" Row counters.

First show your passport & boarding pass to this chap:

Next head up these escalators. Security screening as at the top (xray, scanner etc as per normal)

Finally you head back down another set of escalators (this time inside) and proceed through immigration. Shot through the window from outside, you can see people coming off the escalators having just completed security screening upstairs.

[moe666]

If nothing else, immigration officers with earbuds listening to their phones or mp3 players while processing arrivals is unprofessional as well as rude. I've yet to see any talking on their phones but that would be even worse. Some serious lack of supervision when staff are allowed to get away with it.

well speak up to the officer and give him a piece of your mind, complaining here doesn't change anything.

[moe666]

For this who were asking about the weird "go upstairs to do security screening, go back downstairs to do immigration' set up at Suvanabhumi, here it is.

Passport Control entrance, adjacent to the end of "J" Row counters.

First show your passport & boarding pass to this chap:

Next head up these escalators. Security screening as at the top (xray, scanner etc as per normal)

Finally you head back down another set of escalators (this time inside) and proceed through immigration. Shot through the window from outside, you can see people coming off the escalators having just completed security screening upstairs.

I went thru in June and the same set up as photos

[Samedeepwaterasyou]

High season is not even close, and immigration at BKK is already starting to burst at the seams .

Add to this the fact that some of the BKK immigration officers have been transferred to DMK, and you can see a disaster in the making for the coming high season.

[Chicog]

I wouldn't mind if they stopped taking f***ing backhanders to funnel the chavs into fast track.