Phuket Airport immigration boss denies ‘tax’ on departures

[CNXBKKMAN]

"Overtime" because it was a national holiday. You normally get it on the land borders at about 10 baht. Never heard of it at a airport though.

[Sena Dave]

 

well at least its cheaper than the 500 you had to pay 10 years ago , and in them days 500 baht was 500baht

 
That 500 you still pay, it is included in the ticket price now, and I think it's 800 now,

 


hahah of course , Think its 700 or 800 I still prefer that than having to hang on to 500 baht , forgot a few times in the past

[Suradit69]

If hundreds of people had to pay the 50 Baht on departure last night, then it will be confirmed or denied very soon by some of them who departed , and for sure there will be egg on someones face.

 

Lets wait and see where the egg lands .

 

"Lets wait and see where the egg lands ."

 

Ah, but this Thai Visa where waiting for the facts to emerge is just not the done thing. Better to start throwing eggs so everyone gets yolked and let the facts take care of themselves.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Suradit69

[klauskunkel]

 

He said he thought there must have been some kind of misunderstanding.
 

The first thing out of any officials mouth when something comes to light is "misunderstanding". And the "misunderstanding" always involves money flowing to the officials, never ever the other way around. These "misunderstandings" are extremely biased, benefitting only the officials.

[starkey_rich]

Misunderstanding ,Deny ,Misunderstanding, Deny ,Misunderstanding ,Deny.Blah ,Blah

Sounds like me explaining to my GF why I was seen with another lady last night.

What a total joke this place has become.

It seems not many people on Phuket are afraid of the army at the moment

[belg]

pirate island continues to shame itself...

 

the ripp off starts the moment you arrive at the airport

 

 

 

[Chao Lao Beach]

YouTube time at the airport.

 

When the likes of Google Glass is common, Thailand is going to have egg on its face.

[Maroon Watcher]

Weevil

 

Insect

 

A weevil is a type of beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily.

They are usually small, less than 6 millimetres, and herbivorous.

There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae -Thailand.

[Carrerakiss]

A month ago my nephew paid 300 baht to be taken to the diplomatic counter at Phuket immigration on his way into the country, thereby avoiding very long queues. The guy who asked him if he wanted to avoid the queue was careful to check that he had a passport eligible for VOA.

The nephew was ok with it as he regarded it as a VIP service. But of course he had a choice whether to pay or not.

[Peterphuket]

Pardon?, Do you think you don't have to pay it anymore? You still pay 500 baht or more now, only the differents is it is included in your ticket price.

well at least its cheaper than the 500 you had to pay 10 years ago , and in them days 500 baht was 500baht

 

[than]

A new corruption scandal from Thai police 

[Soupdragon]

Instead of these guys waving two fingers at the idea that Phuket can be corruption free, maybe they should try three, see what response that gets

[trainman34014]

Sounds like the dear General needs to get stuck into this lot and remove a few more senior officers to 'inactive posts'.  The list of scumbags in charge of just about anything in this country seems endless. 

[hawker9000]

'Sounds like the Sgt Schultz routine.

 

I know nothing!!

 

(Sgt Schultz was funnier...)

 

[spidermike007]

PHUKET: -- The matter was brought to the attention of The Phuket News by the friends of a passenger who was leaving last night. They did not want to be named.

The passenger got to the Immigration desk to be told, “Fifty baht.” She did not have any Thai money with her and so had to phone the friends who had dropped her at the airport to come back again and bring her B50.

She was not the only one. Hundreds of people leaving Thailand, who had already converted their Thai money into other currencies, were caught out by the imposition of the toll.

The scene was described as “chaos” as people who had reached the front of the queue realised that they would have to go out of the immigration hall and back into the main departure hall, wait in a queue to change money back into baht and then join the back of the Immigration queue again.

Others shouted out for anyone who might happen to have a stack of Thai B50 notes for sale.
 

 

“When I came to work in Phuket I was strict with my officials and I am sure that this behaviour has decreased since July.

“It is impossible that this happened because I have CCTV cameras and policemen with soldiers watching [at Immigration].”

 

 

Of course. Hundreds of tourists are just making this up, as they have nothing better to do, and want to create a scandal out of nothing. Tourists cannot be believed. Why would they be honest? Do not believe it. It cannot happen. The cameras would see them, and then we would know about it.

 

The only solution for problems like this, is a recommended prison term of 5 years hard time, for the director of immigration at the Phuket airport. He knew about this, and he probably profited from this. If you are serious about reform, show us just how serious you are. Or stop jawboning about reform. 

 

[catweazle]

<deleted> Where's the long overdue big cleanup and crackdown on immigration officers???

Edited August 12, 2014 by SeaVisionBurma

[orpheus454]

I departed Phuket late Friday night without any sign of this.

[robertthebruce]

It's Stuff like this that does not do Phuket or Thailand any favours...

Terrible...

[IamNoone88]

Inbound there are usually many "go slow" queues and 2/3 express VIP lines for THB 100 - you just need to know how to and who to ask but its quite open. The same for the Outbound queue at THB 100. It was THB 50.00 but the rate seems to have gone up. I don't mind an express service given the long queues (but that is the point) ........ My guess is that these folks got in the wrong line and were asked to pay ..... if it was every counter .....well that's another thing altogether. They should just legitimize the VIP desks.

[zaZa9]

Pol Col Prapansak now admits that his officers were grafters?

 

I thought he said the exact contrary over the  'Express Line' accusations of bribery only a month ago.

[Time Traveller]

Thailand again living up to it's reputation.

We all knew the Thai immigration was corrupt, but to now try this on exiting passengers at an international airport departures- these guys either don't care or too stupid. 

 

 

[spud67]

My favourite line,"This happened from the Chinese tourists’ habit of giving officials five to 10 yuan.." See? We're just so used to getting tips now, sometimes we get a little too anxious and expectant that we suggest a 50 baht tip up front. Not our fault, blame the rich Chinese big spenders.

[sandyf]

 

well at least its cheaper than the 500 you had to pay 10 years ago , and in them days 500 baht was 500baht

 

That 500 you still pay, it is included in the ticket price now, and I think it's 800 now,

 

It is in the ticket at 700 THB, still a great deal cheaper than the UK at 2485 THB

 

 

Tax  

 Thailand Passenger Service Charge700 ฿(THB)

 Air Passenger Duty (APD)4,750 ฿(THB)

England Passenger Service Charge2,485 ฿(THB)

Total price38,870 ฿(THB)

[mango66]

Sadly, it is not just Thailand. On a recent trip to Cambodia my Thai wife was told she had to pay the 'arrivals' immigration officer tea money to get her passport back - she gave him THB40

 

Unfortunately she was in the Asian, no Visa queue, whilst I was in the faring Visa queue so I didn't see what was happening, and didn't find out about it until we had formally entered Cambodia. By then it is too late!

 

Corruption will not be eradicated in SEA, certainly in my life time, because officials don't want it to end.

Why she went to ASIA line ?

Because she didn't keep the rule !

So dont complain the officer,

your wife started!

I see this behavier many time from play the game, to try a que which have less people,

but dont match your nationality or passport;

In Frankfurt the officer last time i saw refused and he had to go back on the long end of the correct raw !

I would say correct would be do put such am wrong doer under special investigation of, passport,

handlagguage, because why he not keep the correct row ?

[overherebc]

 

Sadly, it is not just Thailand. On a recent trip to Cambodia my Thai wife was told she had to pay the 'arrivals' immigration officer tea money to get her passport back - she gave him THB40

 

Unfortunately she was in the Asian, no Visa queue, whilst I was in the faring Visa queue so I didn't see what was happening, and didn't find out about it until we had formally entered Cambodia. By then it is too late!

 

Corruption will not be eradicated in SEA, certainly in my life time, because officials don't want it to end.

Why she went to ASIA line ?

Because she didn't keep the rule !

So dont complain the officer,

your wife started!

I see this behavier many time from play the game, to try a que which have less people,

but dont match your nationality or passport;

In Frankfurt the officer last time i saw refused and he had to go back on the long end of the correct raw !

I would say correct would be do put such am wrong doer under special investigation of, passport,

handlagguage, because why he not keep the correct row ?

 

Perhaps because she's Asian ?

[Nowisee]

Take out phone or camera and record all (unusual) contact with government officials. 

[Larry001]

Typical LOS behaviour.

[starkey_rich]

Thailand again living up to it's reputation.

We all knew the Thai immigration was corrupt, but to now try this on exiting passengers at an international airport departures- these guys either don't care or too stupid. 

 

 

 

I would go with stupid.

[steelepulse]

Take out phone or camera and record all (unusual) contact with government officials. 

 

I'm sure many would, except for the "no photos allowed" signs. This is perfect to perpetuate the scam, and if anyone is caught taking a photo, that's going to be trouble.

[hawker9000]

And where else would you expect this before any place else but in that paradise on earth, Phuket...   Seriously - if you're the honest type who really does take some pride in his position and in his work, and share this thai concept of "face", and are part of this organization, how can you NOT be humiliated by shenanigans like this by guys wearing the same uniform as you?