Immigration chief hits back: Sunday missed flight claims are rubbish

[Bill Miller]

10 hours ago, MadMuhummad said:

From personal experience I've never had a major issue and I'm notorious for cutting things fine. I usually arrive with around 90 minutes before flying and have never missed yet.

Every business gets overwhelmed at times.

So far we plan for two hours before check in, and so far have always had ample time to get a meal, etc. This is the experience for domestic flights.
I have not done that many international, but so far three hours are enough.

 

[Penicillin]

I know this is kind of a novel idea , but if you build 18 counters ....why not try posting 18 immigration staff?    

It's not the end of the world if there are no lines some times.  

I doubt that the immigration officers would object to getting additional help, and I would happily pay a surcharge to fund a full staffing if it was necessary.  Even a few baht x thousands of passengers could pay a lot of salaries. 

[Dale59]

So he's basically calling us tourists liars! Nice. Way to promote your country Chief!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Usual Suspect]

If the decline in Western tourist numbers carries on then there will be no need to open all those Imigration channels/gates..

.. they really do not want to help the humble tourist enjoy their visit here do they..?

(The people who make you feel welcome are the low-paid servants such as restaurant waitresses, hotel workers, & even the hotel cleaners...but never any Thai who feels such an act may impair their imaginary status)... TiT

[louse1953]

20 hours ago, fruitman said:

And what will this chief do to speed up the immigration process?? Waiting 2 hours in line is no fun and ruins the reputation of Thailand.

 

And what happened to the tourist who made a picture while standing in the qeueu for hours?? She got arrested, we all saw it happening. She made a picture of the unmanned counters while there were 3 officials standing there behind them talking to eachother.

How long do you wait at Heathrow,big airports in the states,Australia,just asking.I'm just lucky i guess,no longer than 20 minutes at either airport.

[louse1953]

20 hours ago, petermik said:

Any form of criticism of anything thai related is denied,nothing new here

Same as any govt.,heard what's coming outa the States lately..At least the previous Prez could put a sentence together,make it sound believable.

[louse1953]

19 hours ago, MadMuhummad said:

From personal experience I've never had a major issue and I'm notorious for cutting things fine. I usually arrive with around 90 minutes before flying and have never missed yet.

Every business gets overwhelmed at times.

And passengers are never late,pull the other one.I've seen em roll up still pissed from the night before,totally disorganized and slow the line down.Some miss the flight because they are late,think they are catching a bus and another will be along in 5 mins.

[louse1953]

19 hours ago, fruitman said:

 

Yes or at least they could give the tourists in line for 2-3 hours something to drink, fresh cold mangojuice or so.

Bring your own drink!!

[louse1953]

18 hours ago, chasggg said:

If anybody is mug enough to leave it until the last minute then it serves them right....... If you arrive for an international flight, at the recommended 3 hrs before(same recommendation everywhere) you get on that flight. It's as simple as that.

Spot on mate,i have way to much time on airside,but have never missed a flight.Kindle and tablets were invented to use at airports.

[louse1953]

20 hours ago, trogers said:

He spoke the truth, which TAT should include in their flyers - international airports here in Thailand requires 2 hours to process all required formalities.

 

Coupled with the horrendous traffic, you should make your way to the airport 4 hours before your flight departure.

Rubbish,can get to either airport from Suk in well under an hour.What big city doesn't have traffic problems.

[louse1953]

18 hours ago, whatawonderfulday said:

So the problems were solely related to foreigners, in this case Cambodians. Of course incompetent immigration officials, piss poor management of them by their superiors had absolutely nothing to do with it.  Ignorant and Xenophobia is bliss, more so here in Thailand were it will probably be rewarded with some stupid title and a board appointment on a national company for which he would have no experience when he eventually retires.  Nepotism, corruption, stupidity are the Hubs in Thailand

A minute or less to pass through,pretty good i would have thought.Try that in the States or Aust.I take a tad longer because my passport is chockers and my latest extension is hidden way back and they have trouble finding it.No probs,what is the hurry.People are obsessed with a few minutes and then will go have a coffee and sit for an hour.

[trogers]

9 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Rubbish,can get to either airport from Suk in well under an hour.What big city doesn't have traffic problems.

You then have not driven from soi 33 to soi 43 taking an hour...

[louse1953]

16 hours ago, manhood said:

My experiance the last couple of times i flew out of Suvarnabhumi: the queing for immigration on departure times is getting longer and longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So there is something wrong without any doubt!!!!

 

But yes...in Thailand nobody feels or is responsible for anything and that goes through nearly all official departments or government offices and as we say: the fish stink from the head!!!!!!!!!!

I don't like singling out one group of people but have you every been behind a mob of newbie Chinese,what a rabble.I don't blame them because they are new to the travel game and nothing is in Chinese,so they do slow the line down,if you can find the line behind them.Once in Aust a Customs officer was screaming at them to form a queue,in English(or our version of it),Chins didn't bat an eyelid,what a laugh.I suggested she learn Chinese.She asked me if i could tell them,so i did,in Thai.

[louse1953]

8 minutes ago, trogers said:

You then have not driven from soi 33 to soi 43 taking an hour...

Your right,i go by BTS.

[IAMHERE]

18 booths times 60 equals maybe 4 planes full. That is the busy time?

[kamahele]

19 hours ago, canthai55 said:

Read it again - or keep trolling every topic ...

 

The chief reminded passengers of the need to make sure they have plenty of time - one to two hours is the recommendation - to clear all airport formalities, especially during peak times.

 

Clearing Security, Passport Control, Walk to your departure gate. 

In the US, the recommended time to clear your check in and head to the gate is 3 hours and in the US you don't have to clear Immigration prior to departure as the airline is responsible to check your documentation. However, it has never taken me that long in the US or in Thailand. 

[louse1953]

16 hours ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

Nothing unusual, take pictures inside an airport, particularly the secure areas, and you are likely to be taken away for questioning, they are worried about terrorism by the way.

Exactly,but some posters can't help themselves.Try doing that is the States.

[louse1953]

16 hours ago, natway09 said:

TAT has been promoting Thailand & has been so successful in bringing the lower end tourists here

(which I think is a major marketing blunder)

with no thought whatsoever to the infrastructure to handle the vast numbers.

These people do not help Thailand at all, spending very little money & putting an overburden on immigration,

internal transport, water resources, sewerage & rubbish disposal to name a few.

What TAT should be doing is to market the middle to upper end & stop just looking at bodies

but to reciepts

What a class snob.Every person has the right to travel,no matter their social,economic status.When i 1st came here i didn't have 2 bob to rub together,now i'm here spending my vast wealth.What comes around,goes around,because of Thailand's generousity in the early days is why i am here now,and still loving it.

[trogers]

22 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Your right,i go by BTS.

Try taking the train with three pieces of 16kg luggage.

[louse1953]

16 hours ago, 8OA8 said:

If everyone arrives at the airport exactly 3 hours before the scheduled (originally scheduled) departure time, there will be a smooth flow. If some arrive 4 hours, or 2 hours, or anywhere outside 15 minutes of the time that everyone is deciding is the correct arrival time, then the hassle starts..

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
 

You have it the wrong way around.By your rekoning if the whole plane load,say 250 people all walked to check in 3 hours before,there would be a line up and flow on to Immi.Staggered approach is better.

[louse1953]

15 hours ago, Kurtsie said:

One way to alleviate the problem is that they have taken, mostly Chinese, out of the main lines and racked them over to Fast Track lanes.  Pay extra for Fast Track or business class, get a group of loud unruly Chinese first time travelers blocking your way.  Most have no clue about the form to fill out and demand to stand there to fill them out!!!

Yes,they should have their own counters.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

The whole system needs to be replaced, just copy Singapore's or Malaysia's never waited long there to clear immigration.

[NotThatGuy]

I have never missed a plane, or spent more than 30 minutes at Swampy. I been here 9 years flying out on average 3 - 4 times a year. Does not mean it can't happen, but I am yet to witness a huge line that took close to an hour. Now Don Muang on the other hand...

[Mobileroadie]

If anyone's ever spent a decent amount of time in Thailand, you come to learn very quickly that these people change and make laws at the drop of a hat and quite frankly how one should change ones underwear. To boot, some borders choose to outright refuse to go along with the changes that comes down from the various departments when it sits in favor of the foreigner.  Thailand is by very definition a blame society! They are always looking to offset their wrongs on others and will never admit nor compensate you for their wrongs and, good luck as a foreigner trying to make a case against them in their legal system. It's a bouncy house of horrors. Equally, if you are not Thai, you are automatically deemed a liar no matter how you try to make a valid case against a Thai in the law or in the workplace. It has been my own personal experience that whenever a foreign guest to this country gets stiffed with the bill be it overstay, purchasing a new flight, or what have you, it is often 99.9% of the time because of the Thai official and its joke of a political policy system that's offset onto the unsuspecting traveler and there's NOTHING you can do about it!!! Much like their traffic stops aren't for safety checks as much as it's for scamming a few hundred baht for their beers or whatever other personal purpose of theirs that requires funding. I very seriously doubt those folks missed their flights from not knowing the layout of the airport or lolli gagging around as often as Cambodians travel to Thailand on holiday & business. Do you know how expensive a plane ticket is?... I doubt the majority of people out there have an endless revolving door of disposable income to just be shelling out all day.  I'm certain that it was Because of a lack of regard for foreigners as usual, whom the Thais hold in contempt (although they NEED our tourism dollars for their economy to thrive) that caused this little escapade for which they will not be re-compensated for.  I think Thailand should be boycotted globally if other men can keep their little pricks in their pants long enough to teach them that long and much overdue lesson cause, let's face it, Thailanf is not a family destination no matter what their showing on NatGeo or The Discovery Channel. 

[trigpoint]

I have coming and going to Thailand 25 years and can say it's quite often you queue longer to get out than I ever queue to get in, form your own opinion about that, and why does it take so long to check out? Anyway it's nowhere near as bad as LAX, worst immigration queues I have ever experienced.

[bubba]

Things do not appear to have gotten any better. Just came back in and the arrivals  immigration queue snaked all the way back into the terminal and then some. There were some very unhappy looking tourists joining the back of the queue, which would probably take two hours.

 

I was lucky enough to have Fast Track, but even that was a 15 minute wait.

[drgoon]

On 2/28/2017 at 5:39 PM, craigt3365 said:

Incredible that this is even an option.  Draconian comes to mind.

 

 

 

Thainess.....

[louse1953]

23 hours ago, wavemanwww said:

I caught a flight back to Australia on the 21st Feb 2017. Departure midnighnt. From memory I think they had 8 custom booths and only 6 were manned.

 

What stood out when I first entered  the area to line up, next level below the escalator  the room was so small for the amount of people trying to line up BUT worst was  going to that level using either of the two escalators going to that level to meet the queues backed up to the base of the escalator. Guess what the escalotor was turned off which made them just another stairwell with bags to lug etc. The reason they were turned off was clearly so as to not quickly flow incoming passengers to the crowded queues. I bet these escalators are almost permanently stopped.

 

So immigration chief Natathorn Phrosunthorn get a bigger queue area and clearly have ALL staff at customs on duty. Christ you pay them peanuts. Increase the pay and have full staff and every body happy. Dah! No need to blame others then :-)

What bags are you lugging,surely it's just carry on?

[louse1953]

23 hours ago, renaissanc said:

I haven't flown abroad for many months now, but the longest I can remember waiting in the Departure Immigration queue is about 25 minutes, and usually it is about 15 minutes. This is since they reorganised the Departure area and process. I should also add that I have not met any unfriendly officials. Often I try to show empathy to them in one sentence. I always say "thank you". They appreciate that.

How do you know they appreciate that,did you ask them.

[louse1953]

5 hours ago, Mobileroadie said:

If anyone's ever spent a decent amount of time in Thailand, you come to learn very quickly that these people change and make laws at the drop of a hat and quite frankly how one should change ones underwear. To boot, some borders choose to outright refuse to go along with the changes that comes down from the various departments when it sits in favor of the foreigner.  Thailand is by very definition a blame society! They are always looking to offset their wrongs on others and will never admit nor compensate you for their wrongs and, good luck as a foreigner trying to make a case against them in their legal system. It's a bouncy house of horrors. Equally, if you are not Thai, you are automatically deemed a liar no matter how you try to make a valid case against a Thai in the law or in the workplace. It has been my own personal experience that whenever a foreign guest to this country gets stiffed with the bill be it overstay, purchasing a new flight, or what have you, it is often 99.9% of the time because of the Thai official and its joke of a political policy system that's offset onto the unsuspecting traveler and there's NOTHING you can do about it!!! Much like their traffic stops aren't for safety checks as much as it's for scamming a few hundred baht for their beers or whatever other personal purpose of theirs that requires funding. I very seriously doubt those folks missed their flights from not knowing the layout of the airport or lolli gagging around as often as Cambodians travel to Thailand on holiday & business. Do you know how expensive a plane ticket is?... I doubt the majority of people out there have an endless revolving door of disposable income to just be shelling out all day.  I'm certain that it was Because of a lack of regard for foreigners as usual, whom the Thais hold in contempt (although they NEED our tourism dollars for their economy to thrive) that caused this little escapade for which they will not be re-compensated for.  I think Thailand should be boycotted globally if other men can keep their little pricks in their pants long enough to teach them that long and much overdue lesson cause, let's face it, Thailanf is not a family destination no matter what their showing on NatGeo or The Discovery Channel. 

Well you set the precedent,off you go.