Must Read Crazy queue at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s immigration causes travelers to miss flights

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Crazy queue at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s immigration causes travelers to miss flights

 

Foreign tourists were stranded in a long line at the immigration checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi International Airport yesterday morning.

 

Morning News showed a video of a paranoia-inducing long line of travelers queuing at the immigration checkpoint to leave Thailand as only six out of eighteen counters were open for service around 8am on Sunday.  

 

The influx of travelers caused the line to stretch from the immigration checkpoint all the way to the check-in area, according to government radio channel JS100.

 

Full story: https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/crazy-queue-suvarnabhumi-airports-immigration-causes-travelers-miss-flights/

 

 

-- © Copyright Coconuts Bangkok 2017-02-27

 

 

[whatawonderfulday]

What's new ?

[rkidlad]

So strange. Go into a shop in a department store and you can see an overkill of staff. Go through immigration at Swampy and you can see unmanned immigration counters that could be used. I'm lucky as I always travel with the missus and can go through the Thai only immigration, but you can see the confusion and frustration on travellers faces when they're in a huge queue with about 6 immigration officials stamping passports. 

 

Sort it out. 

[mtls2005]

It also sounds like the initial back-ups are at the security check-points as the lines to reach those on level 5 (for those who can't use the VIP lanes on level 4) are backed up (down?) the escalators into the check-in lobby on level 4? But the whole system could be grid-locked at departing Immigration?

 

There has been some buzz about increased security.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2017 by mtls2005

[ukrules]

I wonder if it was the same today

[oceanyachting]

TV3 reported (according to my partner's translation for me) that everyone has now got on their correct flight. Is this not true?

[baansgr]

Recently had a 2 hour wait back from PI arriving around Midnight, 4 counters open only. Compare that to straight through at Manila within seconds.

[Cuchulainn]

30 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

So strange. Go into a shop in a department store and you can see an overkill of staff. Go through immigration at Swampy and you can see unmanned immigration counters that could be used. I'm lucky as I always travel with the missus and can go through the Thai only immigration, but you can see the confusion and frustration on travellers faces when they're in a huge queue with about 6 immigration officials stamping passports. 

 

Sort it out. 

If you have a Non Immigrant visa (yearly extension) and travel with your Thai wife, is it possible (legally) to go through the Thai only channel?

 

Don't particularly want to queue up and then be turned back once at the counter!!

[Prbkk]

I went though BKK on Sunday of last week.  I had priority immigration and security access. In front of me were 2 groups of TIPs  with no right of access....but they managed to talk their way past the dragon and were still laughing and congratulating each other as they sauntered off into the duty free area. Certainly they were in no rush, so missing the flight could not have been the basis of their inappropriate access. Try doing it as a farang and they would laugh in your face.

40 or 50 passengers were delayed for my flight to Taipei, reaching the gate in a sweat , 15 minutes after scheduled departure time. Talking with the purser, it seems the situation in BKK is getting much worse and is very frustrating for crews/airlines.

[docphil]

17 minutes ago, Cuchulainn said:

If you have a Non Immigrant visa (yearly extension) and travel with your Thai wife, is it possible (legally) to go through the Thai only channel?

 

Don't particularly want to queue up and then be turned back once at the counter!!

Yes you cannot you can prove that you're family. Bring a copy of your marriage certificate

 

Out of curiosity how did you get married to a Thai with a non immigrant visa?

[trogers]

Perhaps officers for the unmanned booths were assigned for duty at a temple?

[oceanyachting]

Thanks for this info. Living in Phuket I can now travel to UK without going to BKK, so I will continue to do that

 

[darksidedog]

My son has a Thai and European passport, but whenever we go through Suvarnabhumi, he uses his Thai one and we can go through the often almost empty Thai Queue.

Saved me a good 2 hours last time we came back in as the queues were out of the hall, down into the corridor.

I don't understand hwhy sometimes it is okay and many counters open and sometimes not.

They know how many planes are landing, with X amount of people.

It shouldn't be that hard to work out how many staff are needed.

 

[quadperfect]

Its because tourism is booming.

Long lines are a sign of that.

 

[ddavidovsky]

A simple bit of software, using existing flight data, could predict in advance how many people will turn up at any time, and accordingly, how many staff are needed at any point throughout the day to process them with optimum efficiency. It's not quantum mechanics.

[luis888]

58 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

So strange. Go into a shop in a department store and you can see an overkill of staff. Go through immigration at Swampy and you can see unmanned immigration counters that could be used. I'm lucky as I always travel with the missus and can go through the Thai only immigration, but you can see the confusion and frustration on travellers faces when they're in a huge queue with about 6 immigration officials stamping passports. 

 

Sort it out. 

I don't think you can go through the Thai side anymore, I left in Jan and the Thai side is automated, has one assistant to assist the Thai people only

[luis888]

28 minutes ago, Cuchulainn said:

If you have a Non Immigrant visa (yearly extension) and travel with your Thai wife, is it possible (legally) to go through the Thai only channel?

 

Don't particularly want to queue up and then be turned back once at the counter!!

I used to do that with my wife but not now

[Prbkk]

3 minutes ago, luis888 said:

I don't think you can go through the Thai side anymore, I left in Jan and the Thai side is automated, has one assistant to assist the Thai people only

Correct. In arrivals, there were 3 young women to assist Thais going through the automated gates. 2 were awake and playing on their phones, the third in a deep slumber.Meanwhile the adjacent queues for everyone else stretched back 20 metres.

[rkidlad]

37 minutes ago, Cuchulainn said:

If you have a Non Immigrant visa (yearly extension) and travel with your Thai wife, is it possible (legally) to go through the Thai only channel?

 

Don't particularly want to queue up and then be turned back once at the counter!!

Every time me and the missus have come back into swampy I've gone through the Thai one. She always informs them before that I'm her husband and they always say okay. It's always worked for me. Just make sure you ask first. 

[rkidlad]

11 minutes ago, luis888 said:

I don't think you can go through the Thai side anymore, I left in Jan and the Thai side is automated, has one assistant to assist the Thai people only

It's worked for me every time. The last time I did it was the beginning of January. Maybe that's changed, but I hope not. My missus always informs them and asks politely. They always say it's fine. 

[Bluespunk]

That's why I only fly business class.

 

No hassle, no worry.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

 I'm lucky as I always travel with the missus and can go through the Thai only immigration, but you can see the confusion and frustration on travellers faces when they're in a huge queue with about 6 immigration officials stamping passports. 

 

Last time I went thru Swampy Immigration in December, I was traveling outbound with my Thai wife, and I asked that exact question of the staff managing the queue, and was told I couldn't join my wife in her queue and I had to go to the separate one for foreigners.

 

Maybe I shouldn't have asked, and just gone with her regardless....

 

[rkidlad]

Just now, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Last time I went thru Swampy Immigration in December, I was traveling outbound with my Thai wife, and I asked that exact question of the staff managing the queue, and was told I couldn't join my wife in her queue and I had to go to the separate one for foreigners.

 

Maybe I shouldn't have asked, and just gone with her regardless....

 

My missus is always the one who asks. Probably better your missus asks. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

My missus is always the one who asks. Probably better your missus asks. 

My wife did ask in Thai of the Thai staff managing the queue, and was told NO... I had to go to my own separate queue.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

20 minutes ago, luis888 said:

I don't think you can go through the Thai side anymore, I left in Jan and the Thai side is automated, has one assistant to assist the Thai people only

Perhaps that's why we were told NO back in December...

[rkidlad]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

My wife did ask in Thai of the Thai staff managing the queue, and was told NO... I had to go to my own separate queue.

 

I really don't know, then. It's always been okay for me. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

30 minutes ago, docphil said:

Out of curiosity how did you get married to a Thai with a non immigrant visa?

Why would you think there's any problem for a foreigner on a non-immigrant visa to get married here with a Thai?

[Kasset Tak]

This is why when I fly I always assume that there will be problems and leave so that I have 2 hours extra and therefor usually arrive at the airport about 4 hours before departure and is first in line for check-in and not like some people that get there 5 min before check-in closes!
I rather sit down and relax or stroll thru tax-free than stress and risk missing my flight.

[kanook]

28 minutes ago, luis888 said:

I don't think you can go through the Thai side anymore, I left in Jan and the Thai side is automated, has one assistant to assist the Thai people only

 

17 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Every time me and the missus have come back into swampy I've gone through the Thai one. She always informs them before that I'm her husband and they always say okay. It's always worked for me. Just make sure you ask first. 

The report concerning the queue and other's posters comments about automated Thai lanes refers to departures; have you been able to use the Thai only lanes when departing Thailand at Suvarnabhumi, rkidlad? 

[Prbkk]

1 minute ago, Kasset Tak said:

This is why when I fly I always assume that there will be problems and leave so that I have 2 hours extra and therefor usually arrive at the airport about 4 hours before departure and is first in line for check-in and not like some people that get there 5 min before check-in closes!
I rather sit down and relax or stroll thru tax-free than stress and risk missing my flight.

Agree about getting there early but it's not checkin that is the problem but rather 2 hours in an immigration queue....and while airlines are perfectly willing to cut off 2 or 3 late passengers and off load their luggage, they can't do it when 50 or more are still stuck in immigration at the scheduled departure time.

Passengers pay a premium for using Thai airports: the fees and taxes are among the highest in Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore....but AOT and other agencies want to fob off the public with lamentable, 3rd world service.