Flyers to face B35 fee for airport background check

[webfact]

Airport authorities to introduce background screening check at six airports with 35 baht extra charge per head



BANGKOK: -- Beginning early December inbound and outbound passengers at the country's six international airports have to pay 35 baht each for background screening check charge after the Airports of Thailand (AoT) introduced the new system to check passengers.

The system called the Advance Passenger Processing System (APPS) will boost airport security by screening each passenger more closely than the current system in use.

According to Bangkok Post, It allows customs officials, airport and airline staff and immigration police to obtain the profiles of passengers from their countries of origin.

They will be able to check if passengers are blacklisted or banned from leaving a country.

Authorities will share passenger information and ordinary passengers whose profiles are clean can pass immigration checks faster.

AoT says it will take about three months to introduce the system and another month for testing before putting it in use in December.

The APPS will be put in use in six international airports namely Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Mae Fa Luang in Chiang Rai, and Hat Yai.

The APPS fee will apply to international passengers arriving and departing from the airports, as well as transfer and transit passengers, he said.

Airlines will be responsible for collecting the 35 baht additional charge, which will be incorporated into the air ticket price, AoT chairman Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said.

However, the Airline Operations Committee (AOC) has complained that airlines aren’t ready for the change as they have already sold a number of advance international flight tickets.

It has urged the AoT to consider postponing the plan for three months from December to allow sufficient time for the airlines to prepare.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/airport-authorities-to-introduce-background-screening-check-at-six-airports-with-35-baht-extra-charge-per-head

-- Thai PBS 2015-08-03

[webfact]

Flyers to face B35 fee for airport background check

By Coconuts

Photo: Lurson Nateepitak

BANGKOK: -- Starting on Dec. 1, air passengers for international flights will have to pay an extra fee of THB35 to cover the cost of the new passenger background check system.

The shiny, new Advance Passenger Processing System (APPS) is expected to launch at six international airports in Thailand to maximize airport security.

The new system will screen each passenger to check if they are blacklisted from Thailand or banned from flying.

The APPS will allow Thai officials to perform background checks from the passengers country of origin.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/08/03/flyers-face-b35-fee-airport-background-check

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-08-03

[BwindiBoy]

Pathetic

[Bluespunk]

Typical.

[CiaranO]

Im not sure too many countries will be sharing any profiles of a;; passengers with Thai authorities considering they then plan to share them with every agency in Thailand.

[Artisi]

Wonder if they will be able to handle all the excitement when looking at my APPS

[tso310]

it probably won't work or they've bought the cheapest servers and they won't be able to cope.

[fritzzz25]

So, in other words, fly into Krabi, or Samui to avoid the system.....(and other airports that have international arrivals).

The APPS will be put in use in six international airports namely Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Mae Fa Luang in Chiang Rai, and Hat Yai.

[Scouse123]

I can't see how a country such as the UK would want to share information with Thailand, especially with the debacle over the Koh Tao investigations being blocked and not transparent.

They British would not have appreciated they way they were treated or called it inter agency cooperation.

You also have a military installed here that overthrew a democratic government, that would raise issues as well about information sharing and finally Thailand's human rights issues and well documented corruption.

Doesn't it also throw up loads of human rights issue regards sharing peoples past lives and things such as spent convictions in Europe and how fanatical the EU is on human rights????

I can't see it working to be honest. Christ, the queues can get bad enough at airports now. Look at the recent nonsense caused by security increased checks at Don Muang!!!

Also, people could fly into a neighboring country and cross at a land post, seems weird to me. or simply, go through an airport at Krabi, yes or no?

Edited August 3, 2015 by Scouse123

[zaphod reborn]

Doomed for failure. For inefficient AOT workers, it would take hours to run a background check and collect the fee. People won't put up with the delay.

[Colabamumbai]

Cash grab, how low can you go?

[NoBrains]

only interpol send info for wanted persons arround the globe, not the country itself, privacy act !

[Colabamumbai]

So after you pay more for a background check at an airport, I guess you will not need one for certain visas, school work etc? How will they get out of this one?

[Baerboxer]

Thai Innovation.

A <deleted> carries a gun (allegedly) onto a plane and travels to Japan.

Causes a lot of questions about airport security.

Now how can we turn that into a revenue making scheme for the boys? Voila! No one (so they believe) will mind a mere 35 baht for every time you use the airport, collected on the price of your air ticket. And no one (so they believe) will ask where all that money really went and believe it's providing enhanced security.

Who says innovation and entrepreneurs aren't thriving in the land of scams?

[chrisinth]

"They will be able to check if passengers are blacklisted or banned from leaving a country"

I hope something has been lost in translation here. If the above statement is true, does that mean that the incoming traveler either "banned or blacklisted" will be reported back to their country of origin as having evaded detection leaving that country before arriving in Thailand?

Excellent if that is so. Lets hear from all the "Thais can't do anything right" camp now...............................

Well put in your places IMHO.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

doesn't this information show up when a passport is scanned anyway?

[timsims]

I think it's about making money 70 bart each 35 bart in 35 bart out times visitors per year mega millions

[DLock]

I wonder how Thailand would respond to the same request from other countries for information on it's citizens...and how accurate that information would actually be?

Half the Government would not be admitted into any countries.

Seems like a dumb idea to me...but fairly typical for Thailand.

[tomyumchai]

"we have 100 million chinese and indians arriving at xmas.......but they dont spend any money in our country".......

" ill sort that out, 35bt entrance fee,.....kerching".......

[ColdSingha]

"They will be able to check if passengers are blacklisted or banned from leaving a country"

I hope something has been lost in translation here. If the above statement is true, does that mean that the incoming traveler either "banned or blacklisted" will be reported back to their country of origin as having evaded detection leaving that country before arriving in Thailand?

Excellent if that is so. Lets hear from all the "Thais can't do anything right" camp now...............................

Well put in your places IMHO.

well i'm only half way through page 1 and already 2 people have pointed out major embarrassing loopholes lol

Edited August 3, 2015 by ColdSingha

[retarius]

Well here's one farang that is glad about the 35baht charge. Imagine if it were introduced in UK or US where feral capitalism is on the loose, they would charge 50 quid or more. Thank you for corrupt crony capitalism.

[brain150]

Welcome to the "Brave new world" or "1984 on steroids"

... but people just think it's funny or that Thais are stupid.

No ... it's all working the way it's supposed to work out.

[DoctorB]

I can't see how a country such as the UK would want to share information with Thailand, especially with the debacle over the Koh Tao investigations being blocked and not transparent.

They British would not have appreciated they way they were treated or called it inter agency cooperation.

You also have a military installed here that overthrew a democratic government, that would raise issues as well about information sharing and finally Thailand's human rights issues and well documented corruption.

Doesn't it also throw up loads of human rights issue regards sharing peoples past lives and things such as spent convictions in Europe and how fanatical the EU is on human rights????

I can't see it working to be honest. Christ, the queues can get bad enough at airports now. Look at the recent nonsense caused by security increased checks at Don Muang!!!

Also, people could fly into a neighboring country and cross at a land post, seems weird to me. or simply, go through an airport at Krabi, yes or no?

Calm down guys! If implemented here Thailand will simply be joining an existing system.

Many countries already do this. Certainly UK Immigration and Customs receives details of every incoming flight and exactly who is on it from Thailand already, from the airlines, information which is then checked against a watch list. America also gets details on all incoming passengers from wherever; I guess most European countries do too.

Also, the whole thing should be quite transparent to the traveller. There should be no additional queues as it all works behind the scenes.

Quite what this latest upgrade re Thailand comprises is not clear from the article but the days when one could travel the world incognito are long gone. As with everythig else, "Big Brother is watching", everything you do.

[jko]

It is inadmissable to do this.

Like every other company or organisation, such things must be planned and integrated into an annual budget, and costs/revenue forecasts adjusted accordingly.

A mandatory charge like this is unethical.

What next? An obligatory air-conditioning supplement, a toilet cleaning fee, a runway maintenance charge?

It should not be allowed.

[StefanBBK]

Just a note on the practicality. I hope that these ฿35 or $1 is conveniently added to the ticket price. Remember the days when we had to have ฿ 500 in cash and baht to pay departure taxes....

Don't mind the money, just don't want to hassle with coins....

[Monkeyrobot]

Hmm 17,000,000 passenger per year entering x 35 B that's about 20,000,000 USD then you have the outgoing fees. Good little money earner, that's if they even do the screening properly they will still charge the airlines. I am sure the right palms will be greased by the airlines to prevent this from going ahead.

[mmh8]

this is a good money maker. Perhaps they can provide some incentive to those airport workers. I think the background check is mute point other than interpol and fbi most wanted, I ugess it don't matter. people are flagged or not flagged. lets see a baggage checker cost as well. see the throwers paid a little mroe

[Chicog]

For the two posters that clearly didn't read it:

"Airlines will be responsible for collecting the 35 baht additional charge, which will be incorporated into the air ticket price, AoT chairman Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said.".

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Its a scam to pay for the new scanners that can detect guns.

Edited August 3, 2015 by SOUTHERNSTAR

[misterphil]

I've just paid £45 for a background check from the UK for a job, and it took 2 weeks. How are these clowns getting it done for 35 baht and in 2 minutes?

What a load of <deleted>.

Get a grip you lunatics.