Chaos at Don Mueang as unstaffed immigration desks leave thousands of passengers stranded

[Stargeezr]

My last post should have said  Fire  the Immigraion Official at Don Muang aiport.

  This person does not deserve their job.

Geezer

[Dibbler]

21 hours ago, Briggsy said:

You are assuming the reason was incompetence. I suggest that this was a deliberate act of sabotage by Immigration for more money from AoT. We have seen this before.

 

It is important to look behind official press statements in Thailand as they are usually some form of lie.

In Australia, UK or France, this action would be a called a strike. As that is technically illegal under the current draconian legal structure, noone has claimed it as such. But effectively that's what it is and for the sake of international travelers let's hope immigration officials can negotiate better working conditions so this is not repeated too many times again.

[cornishcarlos]

21 flights were scheduled to land between midnight and 5am. 4 additional flights that were delayed arrived in the same time window. 

So immigration are saying that 4 extra flights caused 5hr queues !!

 

I'm calling BS :)

[Thian]

1 hour ago, gk10002000 said:

 Sad to hear  because I flew in and out of DMK on my first two trips to Thailand back in 2004.  I thought it was a fine airport.  There were no lines of any consequence.  And the airport in my opinion had more Thai artwork, and architecture than BKK does.  I got the feeling I was actually in Thailand.  No long walk to the gate.  There was a fine little juice shop along the walk where I could get a simple banana and orange juice completely freshly squeezed drink.  It was a great experience. 

The ONLY good thing about DMK was the Burger King which is gone now.

Now they have kebab but it's all for show, no real meat on the spit.

And the smokingrooms are very crappy, the most dirty i've even seen anywhere.

[metisdead]

A post containing a link to Bangkok Post has been removed:

 

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[mikiea]

22 hours ago, trogers said:

Perhaps this immigration task can be contracted out to King Power?

damn  , a right fine idea ..... who knew it could be that easy ?

[midas]

25 minutes ago, BasalBanality said:

Bangkok Post - Don Mueang queues due to 'staff shortage' - Plans in line to increase capacity

 

 

At least they admitted to their staff shortage, perhaps there is hope.

Maybe if they put more human resources on this instead of continually trying to track where all the foreigners are in Thailand and the myriad of paperwork that entails they wouldn't have a staff shortage of the airport?

[mikiea]

5 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

21 flights were scheduled to land between midnight and 5am. 4 additional flights that were delayed arrived in the same time window. 

So immigration are saying that 4 extra flights caused 5hr queues !!

 

I'm calling BS :)

they need to get their BS story straight now that there was a rumored worker slowdown ......oh.... and four planes landing one after the other caused this ? four planes ???  lordy , lordy ....

[MJKT2014]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Immigration Bureau apparently only realised something was wrong after Thammasat University law lecturer Piyabutr Saengkanokkul posted on Facebook

Says it all really, 5000 foreigners queuing in puddles of urine complaining made no difference.

[Thian]

Why do the Thai passport checkmachines need an assistant anyway?

 

The automatic ones in Europe don't have any assistant, they work slow though.

[mikiea]

22 hours ago, Thian said:

Oh boy, standing in puddles of urine for many hours in row...Welcome to Thailand you quality tourists! 

oooooh chinese... pee... hoooo ohhhhhhhh 

[Briggsy]

57 minutes ago, Dibbler said:

In Australia, UK or France, this action would be a called a strike. As that is technically illegal under the current draconian legal structure, noone has claimed it as such. But effectively that's what it is and for the sake of international travelers let's hope immigration officials can negotiate better working conditions so this is not repeated too many times again.

Yes, indeed you have seen what many posters have missed. They simply took the news at face value.

 

I would take issue with one point you made. A strike is traditionally employees (in this case immigration officers) versus employer (in this case the Immigration Department, a branch of the Royal Thai Police). However all indicators point to this being a dispute between the Immigration Department and the Airports Authority of Thailand over the Immigration Department's cut of the landing fees. It could still be called a strike but with the full support of the employer.

[chrisinth]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Authorities at Don Mueang Airport are considering adding an additional eight immigra-|tion counters as international arrivals at the airport are growing, he said.

 

He added that more counters would be opened by next month, enabling the immigration to |handle at least 1,800 visitors per hour.

It is really quite pointless increasing the number of counters if they don't have the staff to man them. The problem wasn't the number of counters, it was the number of counters manned.

 

I also wonder about the comment about the increased time allowed for each passenger due to additional security; was this not taken into consideration or was it just additional security for this time slot?

[Prbkk]

While the BKK experience is less than stellar, I'm not sentimental over DMK...recalling the extraordinary jams to/from, really from late seventies right through to the time BKK opened. Two hours from DMK to town was pretty average, could be three on a bad day/peak. Outbound was a nightmare at anytime after 6.30am. Add to that the slow immigration and it was usually a frustrating experience. 

At least now the traffic flow has improved.

[BasalBanality]

5 minutes ago, midas said:

Maybe if they put more human resources on this instead of continually trying to track where all the foreigners are in Thailand and the myriad of paperwork that entails they wouldn't have a staff shortage of the airport?

It is what it is. Remember this is after all Thailand.

[steven100]

Just now, BasalBanality said:

It is what it is. Remember this is after all Thailand.

correct ...  but some just have to whinge about everything ... lol

[Prbkk]

11 minutes ago, Thian said:

Why do the Thai passport checkmachines need an assistant anyway?

 

The automatic ones in Europe don't have any assistant, they work slow though.

The last time I went through near those Thai auto gates, THREE attendants were there to assist THAI passengers ( 1 asleep, 1 working her mobile furiously..looked like candy crush, the third staring vacantly), no-one needed help. Some kind of job creation scheme was my first thought.

[captspectre]

why the international news organizations have not picked up on this is beyond me. maybe someone in line should have contacted the BBC and reported this, cnn is eat up on just trump and it would take WW3 to get those sorry ass holes to report anything else!

[yellowboat]

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

correct ...  but some just have to whinge about everything ... lol

Yes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  Thank whingers when these problems get solved.  Solving problems is where society benefits and entrepreneurs make serious money.  The immigration debacle is not a whinge, but, rather bringing attention to a serious flaw.  You and the rest of Thailand should be grateful. 

[yellowboat]

1 minute ago, captspectre said:

why the international news organizations have not picked up on this is beyond me. maybe someone in line should have contacted the BBC and reported this, cnn is eat up on just trump and it would take WW3 to get those sorry ass holes to report anything else!

There always seems to be a two to three day delay now when reporting on Thailand.

[impulse]

1 minute ago, yellowboat said:

There always seems to be a two to three day delay now when reporting on Thailand.

 

Probably lagtime while the lawyers discuss whether reporting the story is worth risking a defamation suit.

 

[Thian]

12 minutes ago, Prbkk said:

The last time I went through near those Thai auto gates, THREE attendants were there to assist THAI passengers ( 1 asleep, 1 working her mobile furiously..looked like candy crush, the third staring vacantly), no-one needed help. Some kind of job creation scheme was my first thought.

So that's how the Thai use automation technology, instead of 1 imo now they have a machine plus 3 attendants.

 

I noticed the same at the new ticketvendingmachines at the new skytrain..at every machine there was an assistant to help you buy the ticket, for many weeks in row.

 

This only confirms that Thailand is not the brightest of the Asian countries.

 

 

[Orton Rd]

36 minutes ago, Thian said:

Why do the Thai passport checkmachines need an assistant anyway?

 

The automatic ones in Europe don't have any assistant, they work slow though.

even the e ticket machines at the cinema need an assistant for Thais to use them!

[johnnybgood]

38 minutes ago, MJKT2014 said:

Says it all really, 5000 foreigners queuing in puddles of urine complaining made no difference.

 Welcome to Thailand foreigner..........this is what lurks behind the smiles.

[steven100]

Amazing Thailand  !!   ........  you never know what you'll come across ..  

[lensta]

52 minutes ago, Thian said:

Why do the Thai passport checkmachines need an assistant anyway?

 

The automatic ones in Europe don't have any assistant, they work slow though.

Have you ever stood behind a Thai using an ATM machine? Sometimes they take so long,  I think they are sending emails on the the thing.

[YetAnother]

23 hours ago, RotMahKid said:

Always easy to blame the other, shame!

 

it is an art form here; responsibility is for other people in other countries

[brewsterbudgen]

why the international news organizations have not picked up on this is beyond me. maybe someone in line should have contacted the BBC and reported this, cnn is eat up on just trump and it would take WW3 to get those sorry ass holes to report anything else!

Most likely because the queues at European airports are worse at the moment!

[mike324]

1 hour ago, Prbkk said:

While the BKK experience is less than stellar, I'm not sentimental over DMK...recalling the extraordinary jams to/from, really from late seventies right through to the time BKK opened. Two hours from DMK to town was pretty average, could be three on a bad day/peak. Outbound was a nightmare at anytime after 6.30am. Add to that the slow immigration and it was usually a frustrating experience. 

At least now the traffic flow has improved.

I remember those days when you had to plan 2 hour car rides to the airports and even longer when it rains!

[baansgr]

Go to any other ASEAN country and are through within a few minutes. Thailand is a sham, I waited almost 2 hours in January. They don't even do their job properly, last entered in June and stamped 3 days prior to my extension and re entry permit. I walk through Manilla in less than 5 minutes, same at Changi, KL and Phonm Phen