Travel to LAX from Thailand

[Skypattaya]

I just recently came from BKK to LAX and I used to go through SFO because customs and passport control was such a long line and a pain at LAX. The customs people were letting green card people in and looking at us US citizens coming from Thailand as potential whatever and we got the big S for secondary screening put on our card by the Immigration Agent. Well what a big change. LAX has about 20 immigration kiosks that handle 40 American citizens each with agents showing you how to use the terminals. You put your American passport into the machine and lay your customs form in there and press SCAN. Then it takes your picture. Then it prints a receipt and off you go to pick up your baggage. I couldn't believe how fast this went compared to the old lines. The non-US Citizens still had to wait in long lines for agents and many were upset because of a late flight from Taipei and missed their connections. It's about time we citizens got some preferential treatment. But to continue this when I got my big luggage bag from carasel 6 I hauled butt upstairs and the final customs person looked at me sitting on a chair and asked if I had nothing to declare. Of course I didn't and he took my machine receipt and waved me on. There were several agents in chairs ready to stop people.

I hope this info will be helpful to anyone travelling in and out of LAX.

[HeijoshinCool]

Had the same pleasant surprise last month.

When I came through in '09, they hassled me and held me up, searching right down to letters that someone had written me. That kiosk was now gone. Breezed right through, in just minutes.

The photo the machine took of me, on the other hand, was horrific.

But if they ever come looking for me, they'll never recognize me.

[RKASA]

Same thing in Seattle I&C was faster then ever. Vary nice.

"The photo the machine took of me, on the other hand, was horrific." I noticed that too (I mean mine also) - had the same reaction.

[Diplomatico]

The photo the machine took of me, on the other hand, was horrific.

But if they ever come looking for me, they'll never recognize me.

All they have to do is look for the tall guy hanging out with Rocky the Flying Squirrel.

[TerryLH]

"The photo the machine took of me, on the other hand, was horrific."

"But if they ever come looking for me, they'll never recognize me."

But, that's exactly how you look.

Nice report, OP.

[Skypattaya]

Same thing in Seattle I&C was faster then ever. Vary nice.

"The photo the machine took of me, on the other hand, was horrific." I noticed that too (I mean mine also) - had the same reaction.

After many hours on Eva Air and connecting to the USA West Coast, our facial hair is coming out and what is left of our hair is not clean. We look to USA customs as homeless people in these photo taking machines.

[surangw]

we ( my daughter and I ) did the photo machine route, but the printout still had us go through the line ) and the line was switched from one booth to another twice. still was not as bad as other times

[Skypattaya]

Good responses and hopefully helpful to others going into the USA. These kiosks are good. After 20 hours of travelling to the USA West coast, you will look homeless is the photo part, lol. US Customs and TSA isn't interested in us anymore now that the Republicans have control of both houses.

[mogandave]

I think only immigration in the Bradley terminal has been upgraded and that the other (2 & 6?) international terminals are still the old style.

The entire Bradley terminal has been completely renovated and is very nice.

[gk10002000]

I flew back from Thailand/Taiwan into LAX in December 2013. I don't recall any passport scanning process, just the usual Disney land long wrapping lines that didn't take too long to get through, get looked at by the immigration guy and then waved through to luggage pickup. The longest part is then waiting in a long line again to actually get past whatever you call the bag checking just before the exit. I only had a carry on but I still had to get in behind the hundreds of people with trolleys full of steamer trunks and what not. Getting ready for a Thailand vacation shortly and I will be flying out and back from LAX. If it has been improve, that is fine with me.

[mikebell]

I took my Thai wife on a trip to Las Vegas. We wanted to fly into LAX & then on to Vegas. The queues were so horrendous + having to collect luggage prior to checking it in again for our onward flight meant we had to cancel and stay overnight in a hotel. It was not a good start to our holiday of a lifetime. Iwill not be visiting the West coast anytime soon.

[mesquite]

I just recently came from BKK to LAX and I used to go through SFO because customs and passport control was such a long line and a pain at LAX. The customs people were letting green card people in and looking at us US citizens coming from Thailand as potential whatever and we got the big S for secondary screening put on our card by the Immigration Agent. Well what a big change. LAX has about 20 immigration kiosks that handle 40 American citizens each with agents showing you how to use the terminals. You put your American passport into the machine and lay your customs form in there and press SCAN. Then it takes your picture. Then it prints a receipt and off you go to pick up your baggage. I couldn't believe how fast this went compared to the old lines. The non-US Citizens still had to wait in long lines for agents and many were upset because of a late flight from Taipei and missed their connections. It's about time we citizens got some preferential treatment. But to continue this when I got my big luggage bag from carasel 6 I hauled butt upstairs and the final customs person looked at me sitting on a chair and asked if I had nothing to declare. Of course I didn't and he took my machine receipt and waved me on. There were several agents in chairs ready to stop people.

I hope this info will be helpful to anyone travelling in and out of LAX.

Those kiosks are part of the Global Entry program. To use them you have to be pre cleared and have previously gone through a background investigation and in interview with ICE, unless things have changed. They are almost always empty at lax.

[Diplomatico]

I just recently came from BKK to LAX and I used to go through SFO because customs and passport control was such a long line and a pain at LAX. The customs people were letting green card people in and looking at us US citizens coming from Thailand as potential whatever and we got the big S for secondary screening put on our card by the Immigration Agent. Well what a big change. LAX has about 20 immigration kiosks that handle 40 American citizens each with agents showing you how to use the terminals. You put your American passport into the machine and lay your customs form in there and press SCAN. Then it takes your picture. Then it prints a receipt and off you go to pick up your baggage. I couldn't believe how fast this went compared to the old lines. The non-US Citizens still had to wait in long lines for agents and many were upset because of a late flight from Taipei and missed their connections. It's about time we citizens got some preferential treatment. But to continue this when I got my big luggage bag from carasel 6 I hauled butt upstairs and the final customs person looked at me sitting on a chair and asked if I had nothing to declare. Of course I didn't and he took my machine receipt and waved me on. There were several agents in chairs ready to stop people.

I hope this info will be helpful to anyone travelling in and out of LAX.

Those kiosks are part of the Global Entry program. To use them you have to be pre cleared and have previously gone through a background investigation and in interview with ICE, unless things have changed. They are almost always empty at lax.

That was my initial thought but the OP seemed shocked at the existence of the kiosks - which one wouldn't be if one had signed up for Global Entry. In addition, one does not put one's customs form into GE for scanning....so this may be a trial program for something different? Dunno.

Sounds a lot like GE but enough to make me wonder if it's something else.

[mogandave]

The Global Entry are different kiosks.

The new kiosks are (I think) only in the Bradley terminal, so if you are traveling UA, AA or DAL you would not see them.

I went through in November by myself, and with my wife and kid last Saturday afternoon and it took less than ten minutes each time, although Emirates lost my boy's bag so it still took over an hour to get out of the airport.

[dddave]

This sounds great...I hope soon to all terminals as I usually come in on Delta.

One time last year at LAX I had to wait 2 hours in the corridor leading from the arrival gate before entering Immigration it was so full. I had a 4 hour window for a connecting flight and still missed it.