Suvarnabhumi Immigration queues: "We're doing our best to help" says airport chief Sirot

[ChangMaiSausage]

Same delays in the Middles East specifically Qatar (UAE can also be a drawn out affair at peak times)

 

Airports are aware of the arrivals departures they should be manned-up accordingly (we know it will never happen)

[Emster23]

In situations like this, "doing your best" doesn't cut it. Do better!

[elgordo38]

Increases in the numbers of travelers makes you a captive audience. Incoming yes spending on improvements for incoming not so fast. 

[Cyclone88]

The stats don't add up.

200000 people a day in high season.

In the report yesterday it stated they have 18 desks and it takes 45 seconds to 1 minute to process each passenger.

At that rate they would need to process almost 8 passengers every minute of the day. 

[Bikerbabe]

2 hours ago, ikke said:

Exactly, I was on an Asian tour last month and visited 4 countries, average waiting at immigration 5 minutes....

Thai immigration is under-educated, or even not educated at all.

I give my passport open on the right page, the stupid officer(whats in a title) closes it first. reopens on the wrong page and start searching , where i come from, we call that an idiot !

Totally agree with you on that...

[zappalot]

Well, it seems the immigration presented alternative facts here... 

[Bikerbabe]

3 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Agree, check the whole incoming immigration set-up at Shanhgai Airport in China, continuously thousands of arriving passengers, more passport desks than you can count, always manned appropriately for the peak arrivals times etc, with quite fast processing.

 

Off the flights, quickly to a long passport line which moves quite quickly and within 10 minutes or less all finished.

 

Well done. 

 

Luggage and taxi services also well organized.

Singapore Changi Airport is just as busy but you can count on the swift process...Thai immigration talk and play on their mobile too much

[Familyaffairs]

Even to go through security for domestic flights after  checking in has huge queues, takes ages, with equally rude, obnoxious staff in BKK and HKT. Don't ask me about the mentality of the immigration people, they top them all....

[scorecard]

2 minutes ago, Bikerbabe said:

Singapore Changi Airport is just as busy but you can count on the swift process...Thai immigration talk and play on their mobile too much

 This is what you get when the people who get to the top of ministries are incapable of envisioning the future let alone anticipate needs 3 months from now and have total lack of insight into the subject and are not interested.  i.e. Nepotism and position buying alive and well. 

[Puccini]

3 hours ago, ikke said:

...

I give my passport open on the right page, the stupid officer(whats in a title) closes it first. reopens on the wrong page and start searching , where i come from, we call that an idiot !

 

What seems to be the right page for you may not be the right page for the immigration official and the idiot may be you, slowing down his work with your action.

[fruitman]

13 minutes ago, Puccini said:

 

What seems to be the right page for you may not be the right page for the immigration official and the idiot may be you, slowing down his work with your action.

They want to see all the stamps/visa's in your passport...

 

Other asian countries have never asked me to fill in my income or profession. I don't know why that's so important for Thailand..for me it's rude to ask that since i already have shown all my bankdetails to get that visa. And on top of that i'm married to a Thai with sufficient education/income so i don't understand why they ask me so many copies of official papers at all.

[Stocky]

3 hours ago, shows said:

Compared to many other countries I've visited the Thai officials take twice as long (if not longer) to process each passenger.

Try Moscow's Sheremetyevo.

[sstuff3]

4 hours ago, shows said:

Compared to many other countries I've visited the Thai officials take twice as long (if not longer) to process each passenger.

I would guess you haven't traveled to the USA before.

[ourmanflint]

Is there any good reason for immigration checks when leaving a country? Seems a bit silly

[exalll]

1 hour ago, Bikerbabe said:

Most of the time also no need for scan

Viet Nam also requires no paperwork

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

I left Bangkok Feb. 24 for SGN on a 2 pm flight.

 

There was a lineup at the top of the escalators leading down to the passport control area. Stood there for 10 minutes. Finally got down and waited and waited. Was able to edge into a long long lineup.

 

There were 5 two-person kiosks. One was completely empty. One had two officers, the other three only had one officer each. So there were five empty chairs out of 10 in the high travel season. A 50% turnout. No one there to tidy up the lineups either. Thai Immigration was obviously really short of staff. Full stop.

 

Arriving at SGN airport with a visa already in my passport, Viet immigration  were quick and there was not one empty passport check counter. 

Edited March 1, 2017 by Kaoboi Bebobp

[Pasadena]

Now they really work more slowly than before, I don't know the reason, I just know now take very long time more to pass immigration.

[kennw]

4 hours ago, shows said:

Compared to many other countries I've visited the Thai officials take twice as long (if not longer) to process each passenger.

Correct !,  Singapore is a breeze. But here not same!!  

[dunque]

4 hours ago, shows said:

Compared to many other countries I've visited the Thai officials take twice as long (if not longer) to process each passenger.

Not been to the US of A then ? https://blog.shermanstravel.com/2013/the-10-best-worst-u-s-airports-for-immigration-wait-times/

[sahibji]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

The simple answer is obvious, get more immigration officers on the desks.

Surely there must be some available, from the inactive post room  

do a thorough job analysis to find out the processing time for one visitor and monitor the performance of the officers to ensure productivity. award those who are efficient and censure those who cannot cope up and pull on antics to delay passengers.

[sahibji]

3 minutes ago, dunque said:

Not been to the US of A then ? https://blog.shermanstravel.com/2013/the-10-best-worst-u-s-airports-for-immigration-wait-times/

why are you comparing apples and oranges. USA is a country with unique immigration issues.

[ginjag]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

The simple answer is obvious, get more immigration officers on the desks.

Surely there must be some available, from the inactive post room  

For gods sake please give some incentives to carriers--lower costs to re-locate to D.M. BKK  we need direct connections with the domestic low cost airlines.  Who the hell wants to fly to DM. and then transfer to S.BKK

 

[sahibji]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

To simplify immigration procedures, Thai bosses and high ranking officials

has to forgo bureaucracy that is the problem with almost every government

branch and make things lighter and quicker, but oh no, not a Thai official will allow

such things to happened,, they're fixed on the need to employ

millions of government civil workers

and still lacking the ability to move things quickly....

increase productivity by training the immigration officers to process X number of normal cases per hour and have a separate section to deal with passengers with particular requirements. monitoring the performance of the immigration officers is very important.

[Jimbo2014]

4 hours ago, DMC1 said:

 

You haven't been to Bangladesh then? Nearly 5 mins for one passenger!

 

Well to be fair Bangladesh isnt really promoting themselves seriously as a tourist destination (or even if they are who wants to go there :D). TAT wants tourists and wants to complete for that market. Thailand relies on tourists (12-25% gdp depending who you ask) then greets them with sour faces and hour long lines.

Edited March 1, 2017 by Jimbo2014

[sahibji]

4 hours ago, shows said:

Compared to many other countries I've visited the Thai officials take twice as long (if not longer) to process each passenger.

this question should be studied carefully to ascertain the reasons for the long period of process each passenger and then implement measures to enhance productivity.

Edited March 1, 2017 by sahibji

[sahibji]

4 hours ago, ikke said:

Exactly, I was on an Asian tour last month and visited 4 countries, average waiting at immigration 5 minutes....

Thai immigration is under-educated, or even not educated at all.

I give my passport open on the right page, the stupid officer(whats in a title) closes it first. reopens on the wrong page and start searching , where i come from, we call that an idiot !

ikke please do not forget that your passport does not confirm where you are coming from.

[sahibji]

4 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Just get them to show up and do their jobs.

looks like only doing the utmost talking or lip service as it is called. list down the steps taken to improve and we will have better clarity and for sure, results.

[humqdpf]

9 hours ago, colinneil said:

The simple answer is obvious, get more immigration officers on the desks.

Surely there must be some available, from the inactive post room  

The mismatch between resources and requirements never seems to be an issue. They could have put in automatic gates as they have in Dubai where if something is wrong you get shunted to a real person. No need to rewrite all the info about you on a card that is already on the computer anyway.

 

Same same in the consulates in neighbouring countries - since they have instituted this new two free entries and then you have to get a visa, the consulates are full of applicants who are expat residents of neighbouring countries who just want to go to Thailand for a few hours to buy some stuff or to renew a re-entry into that neighbouring country (e.g. in Laos, for longer-term Lao visas you have to leave the country and re-enter by land border)

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, Chicog said:

If he thinks the Immigration cards are the problem, then eliminate them.

Allow people to do it all online before they travel.

Extremely simple.

 

 

The UAE doesn't need cards filled out. Why does Thailand.

[retirementenquiry]

30 minutes ago, Pasadena said:

Now they really work more slowly than before, I don't know the reason, I just know now take very long time more to pass immigration.

I concur with this i timed the last one in feb a older guy discretely he was taking 3.5mins per person ( 17 per hour to clear an average plane of 200 people would take 11.7 hours ) unfortunately i was in his queue had a lot of time to compare with an adjacent desk with a younger lady she was flying through them them need to be processing at least 1 per min

most of them are a bunch of lazy, incompetent grumpy buffoons that need more supervision

 

                                                               Always Check your passport stamp if you require additional visa permission