Subvanapbumi fast track customs

[gillap]

Hello everybody...last night I returned from abroad and to my surprise, for the first time in all the years I've checked in, there was a huge line up to go through customs, at least 200 peoples circling around...a 1.5 hour wait! But has I was waiting I noticed to my left, separated by a wall, farangs going through a FAST TRACK custom check in! Can anyone tell me who is eligible for this fast track(hopefully not only rich dudes) and how does one become eligible?

[Rimmer]

Moved to Subvanapbumi Airport forum

[Upnotover]

It's not customs it's immigration.

 

Business/First class (if they give you a pass), old fogies (70+), wheelchairs amongst others can use it.  You can also buy passes online.

[gillap]

Thanks Upnotover...I am clarified...where I come from customs is synonymous with immigration! Thanks again for the info.

[perthperson]

8 minutes ago, gillap said:

where I come from customs is synonymous with immigration

 

As a matter of interest where do you come from? 

 

All countries that I know and  have visited clearly differentiate between the "Customs" and  "Immigration"(border control) at airports and other points of entry.

[Kadilo]

I had a similar experience when I entered last time. Massive queue. Every now and again they randomly allowed people to move to the fast track entry to help reduce the queue regardless of your status.


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[Anythingleft?]

Just a little over 1000bht, they meet you at the airport entrance leaving Thailand and straight at the plane entering then escort you through

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[bubba]

20 hours ago, Upnotover said:

It's not customs it's immigration.

 

Business/First class (if they give you a pass), old fogies (70+), wheelchairs amongst others can use it.  You can also buy passes online.

Also, BOI company employees (with a letter) and ABTC card holders.

[theoldgit]

On ‎22‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 10:27 AM, perthperson said:

 

As a matter of interest where do you come from? 

 

All countries that I know and  have visited clearly differentiate between the "Customs" and  "Immigration"(border control) at airports and other points of entry.

Becoming a bit of a grey area now, whilst there are usually separate border and immigration checks the two agencies are somewhat intertwined.

In the UK you now have the UK Border Force that is made up of staff who were previously Immigration or Customs Officers, they can and do change roles when there is a need, in the US you have ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and I believe that the Australians work a similar way.

[josephbloggs]

On 7/23/2017 at 0:53 AM, bubba said:

Also, BOI company employees (with a letter) and ABTC card holders.

 

Although it says you need a letter I have used this privilege 20+ times and have never been asked to produce the letter (I don't have a letter).  They just check your visa and that tells them all they need to know.

[NanLaew]

I read on another forum that anyone with a valid and current 1-year extension for marriage or retirement can also use this channel. Apparently, the guy was told this by the cabin crew on his inbound flight but in doubt, he asked the immigration groundstaff at the ramp leading to the rugby scrums and they confirmed it was acceptable.

[bubba]

6 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I read on another forum that anyone with a valid and current 1-year extension for marriage or retirement can also use this channel. Apparently, the guy was told this by the cabin crew on his inbound flight but in doubt, he asked the immigration groundstaff at the ramp leading to the rugby scrums and they confirmed it was acceptable.

Interesting, as I had never heard of that before.  Retirement and marriage extensions are not included in the list of acceptable conditions that are posted at the entrance to Fast Track. 

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, bubba said:

Interesting, as I had never heard of that before.  Retirement and marriage extensions are not included in the list of acceptable conditions that are posted at the entrance to Fast Track. 

Until I had read this, neither did I but I have no reason to think that the guy who posted it made it up. He claims it was mentioned in the welcome video that THAI play during the decent and he confirmed it with ground staff before using it. In my experience, some fast-track IO's get out of their boxes and lift the rope to allow family groups (and old buggers like me) to get out of the big line and slip through the fast-track, others just enjoy sitting their doing bugger all.

[impulse]

Old guys, BOI companies, marriage visas, retirement visas, first/business class, purchased access...

 

Seems like sooner or later, half of the arriving passengers will qualify for the Fast Track, and with only one or two Fast Track lanes available, they'll have to rename it "Special People" because it won't be very fast.

 

Edit:  BTW, it would be really humane if they put up signs in front of the rest rooms in the arrival corridor letting passengers know there will be a 1-2 hour (or longer) wait at immigration so they should probably hit the head before they get in line.  My teeth usually hurt by the time I get to the front, and I've seen people waiting in line with their eyes and their legs crossed.

 

 

Edited August 13, 2017 by impulse

[NanLaew]

14 minutes ago, impulse said:

Old guys, BOI companies, marriage visas, retirement visas, first/business class, purchased access...

 

Seems like sooner or later, half of the arriving passengers will qualify for the Fast Track, and with only one or two Fast Track lanes available, they'll have to rename it "Special People" because it won't be very fast.

 

I don't think they will allow that to happen. Any family groups that I have observed being shepherded to these lanes, it's seldom before they get to those lanes but rather after they are in the conga line and subsequently pulled out and redirected. Despite some signage, usage does appear to be very much 'by my liege' which is so very appropriate for any government bureacracy in LOS.

[impulse]

15 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

I don't think they will allow that to happen. Any family groups that I have observed being shepherded to these lanes, it's seldom before they get to those lanes but rather after they are in the conga line and subsequently pulled out and redirected. Despite some signage, usage does appear to be very much 'by my liege' which is so very appropriate for any government bureacracy in LOS.

 

I'm recalling a post from a guy last week who claimed to have waited over 50 minutes in the Fast Track lane.  Probably still a lot quicker than the normal queue, but imagine paying for first/business class or an Elite visa or expedited arrival and still waiting an hour...

 

Last time I arrived, I got waved through from the normal line to the Fast Track (I'd already been in the normal line for well over an hour), and still waited 20 more minutes because they seemed to be scrutinizing everybody for several minutes each.

 

Edited August 13, 2017 by impulse

[NanLaew]

58 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

I'm recalling a post from a guy last week who claimed to have waited over 50 minutes in the Fast Track lane.  Probably still a lot quicker than the normal queue, but imagine paying for first/business class or an Elite visa or expedited arrival and still waiting an hour...

 

Last time I arrived, I got waved through from the normal line to the Fast Track (I'd already been in the normal line for well over an hour), and still waited 20 more minutes because they seemed to be scrutinizing everybody for several minutes each.

 

Recently, BOTH of Bangkok's airports have had huge inbound immigration delays so chances are, they are already funneling more than usual into the fast track lanes.

 

I think First and Business use the dedicated, small Fast Track immigration hall that is between the two large halls. The "Elite" holders do have to use the general fast-track lines so agree they will be a bit dis-chuffed as will anyone using the paid meet & greet services. However, such inconveniences are infrequent, typically fleeting and have some other, undisclosed reason for happening. Increased passport scrutiny and additional questioning has also been the order of the day recently. Latest kerfuffle about the new TM6 cards is another example of deflection. It's probably all because Immigration don't have any sense of time management and a whole lot are allowed to take summer holidays at once. Could even be a 'work to rule' or 'go slow' to leverage some other behind the scenes, internal power struggle. Maybe their parking privileges have been rescinded. Who really knows?

[bubba]

Until I had read this, neither did I but I have no reason to think that the guy who posted it made it up. He claims it was mentioned in the welcome video that THAI play during the decent and he confirmed it with ground staff before using it. In my experience, some fast-track IO's get out of their boxes and lift the rope to allow family groups (and old buggers like me) to get out of the big line and slip through the fast-track, others just enjoy sitting their doing bugger all.

I know for sure that the landing video shown on TG flights makes no mention of Fast Track availability for marriage and retirement extensions.

[bubba]

Recently, BOTH of Bangkok's airports have had huge inbound immigration delays so chances are, they are already funneling more than usual into the fast track lanes.
 
I think First and Business use the dedicated, small Fast Track immigration hall that is between the two large halls. The "Elite" holders do have to use the general fast-track lines so agree they will be a bit dis-chuffed as will anyone using the paid meet & greet services. However, such inconveniences are infrequent, typically fleeting and have some other, undisclosed reason for happening. Increased passport scrutiny and additional questioning has also been the order of the day recently. Latest kerfuffle about the new TM6 cards is another example of deflection. It's probably all because Immigration don't have any sense of time management and a whole lot are allowed to take summer holidays at once. Could even be a 'work to rule' or 'go slow' to leverage some other behind the scenes, internal power struggle. Maybe their parking privileges have been rescinded. Who really knows?

My experience is that anyone eligible for Fast Track can use either the dedicated hall in the middle, or the Fast Track channels inside the two normal immigration halls.


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[BuddyDean]

How does Fast Track differ from QIC, which is when you are on TG (and a few others) and you show them you have to connect to a domestic flight....then they give you the QIC sticker and you get through pretty fast.  Otherwise, there would be mobs of people missing flights to Phuket, CM, etc..

[Langsuan Man]

I don't know where posters are getting this "fast track customs" from ! 

 

Fast Track is limited to Immigration processing before the luggage carousel, you pick up you luggage from your flight and the airlines could care less if you got through Immigration Fast Track,  you still go  through Red or Green channel after getting your bags to exit arrivals  

 

In 12 yearly trips to Thailand have always ended up at the same carousel hall, whether I used Fast Track or the regular line 

 

Tuesday , 9 Oct 17 at 1 PM there was no one in either Red or Green Channel in the arrival hall opposite Door 10