Move to exempt Thais from immigration form

[TSF]

"Over the past year, the number of passengers passing through Don Mueang airport every day has increased to 40,000, up 400 per cent from 2012, when it was reopened as Bangkok’s second international airport."

 

Yes, that same old tired excuse again. However, they also have a 400% increase in departure & airport taxes that is built into every passengers' tickets, which is meant to go towards upgrading services. 

[bberrythailand]

Stopping to ask foreigners to fill a stupid form could help a lot also ! Ridiculous people still using paper in 2017.

 

Countries should be fines to be manages by suck ridiculous people.

[Knocker33]

I don't understand why a Thai national has to fill in an immigration form.

They should make these forms available on line and make people fill them out before arriving or is that just too logical thing to do for Thailand 

[Ulic]

Not sure what the TM6 form has to do with anything. You fill that in while

on the plane or standing in line. Nobody walks up to the immigration officer

pulls out the form and a pen and start filling it in. The issue is not enough

immigration staff on duty and half the desks are closed.

[johnarth]

2 hours ago, Bangyo1948 said:

According to another article the form is used for "planing and marketing" so why do Thais need to fill it out in the first place. This form could easily be replaced with an online version at a low cost and it wouldn't take more than a day to get it up and running.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

they say all same info in pass port so why not drop it altogether.

[sead]

Rofl.

They are going to increase the counters? How about start with having them manned.......

[inThailand]

All good suggestions to use technology like the rest of the world. But in a country that is still mastering the calculator, it ain't going to happen in our life time.

[csabo]

I don't see why Thais have to pass through Immigration at all.  When I fly to the States I use my Global Entry card at a kiosk and walk right on through.  True if everyone did this there would be a long line at the kiosks but having fifty kiosks is cheaper then fifty staff. 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, heybuz said:

the exit form has been done away with in australia but the entry form which deals with customs declarations still is in force for obvious reasons

I'm not sure what the obvious reasons are. Thailand doesn't have a customs declaration form, and nor does the UK and any European country I've been to,

[mikebell]

Thai officialdom just likes paper; the more of it the better.  Look at the number of copies of everything you need when applying for anything.  Do Immigration officers weigh in the tons they duplicate every year or is it just burned?

[Kinnock]

I don't understand why anyone needs to fill out these forms.  All the useful information is in your passport - and that can be scanned.  The other information is not checked - you could put anything down as your address. 

 

Some countries don't have any forms if you have a visa - as all the data is in the system, and in some countries they have forms, but nobody even collects them anymore, as the gates are automatic (Singapore for example)

 

I bet all these forms are just heaped up in some warehouse somewhere .... or hopefully recycled.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

I am surpised to read Thais had to fillout immigration forms. Most contries now offer registration of automatic gates. Nothing is more hidebound and ridiculous than my country USA. Where I see harmless tourists clutching a huge stack of forms answering ridiculous questions like I was not a member of the Nazi party.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[StayinThailand2much]

23 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Thai officialdom just likes paper; the more of it the better.  Look at the number of copies of everything you need when applying for anything.  Do Immigration officers weigh in the tons they duplicate every year or is it just burned?

Not to mention the 20,000 baht in cash, that you're supposed to carry when arriving: in paper money! Except, of course, if  one carries it in 5-baht coins...

 

Same for visas: Cambodia, a much poorer country than Thailand, offers e-visas, while it's neighbor to the west relishes in paper.

Edited August 10, 2017 by StayinThailand2much

[webfact]

Immigration Bureau clears up confusion over termination of Immigration 6 form

 

 

BANGKOK, 10 August 2017 (NNT) – The Immigration Bureau has pointed out that there has been a misunderstanding over news the Prime Minister signed the cancellation of the Immigration 6 card, explaining that the stoppage was to pave the way for a new form to be introduced in October. 

The Immigration Bureau has clarified that while the Immigration 6 form that travelers must complete before entering or re-entering the Kingdom has been cancelled, the system has not been terminated and the form will be replaced by a new design. The new form was created by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports so that it can better gather needed data. 

Commander of the bureau Pol Lt Gen Nutthorn Prohsunthorn and Don Muang Airport Director Wing Commander Suthirawat Suwanwat meanwhile, have led discussions on remedying crowding and slow queues for immigration. The two noted however, that Don Muang Airport has seen a surge in travelers over the past 5 years from 10,000 a day to 40,000 and that immigration desks often have to process over 4,000 people at a time, resulting in delays. 

Officials are to initially expand processing space to add capability to handle another 1,000 passengers at a time.

 

-- nnt 2017-08-10

[NanLaew]

3 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I'm amazed that they currently have to do this. Does any other country in the world make its own nationals fill in departure/arrival cards? Certainly none of the ones I have lived in do.

Nope. The UK has (or is just about to) sh!tcan them but the US of A still asks for loads of written stuff, especially if you qualify for the visa-waiver system of entry.

 

But this is part of Thailand's unique, quaint but woefully arcane system of border control and thus construed as charm. Same-same as sweating your nuts off riding an open sided "tropical island bus" across the tarmac at Samui in 100% humidity. When it comes to bits of paper, I think in SE Asia, probably only Singapore still does this sh!t? Japan maybe?

 

The argument that time will be saved by removing the Thai passport holder's requirement to complete a TM6 isn't based on any logic... quelle bonne surprise!

 

Thai's complete the TM6 prior to departure surrendering the Departure stub when they stamp out and retain the Arrival stub in their passport while out of the country and surrender it, already filled up, on re-entry to the enchanted kingdom. Eliminating it doesn't speed bugger all up.

 

What does speed things up though is paying attention to when the Thai passport holders aisles are bereft of inbound clutter and (admittedly this may be a hard concept for them to adopt) reallocate some of these aisles for the thundering herd of the great unwashed.

 

As for the new, pocket-sized TM6... it's so quaint isn't it?!

[NanLaew]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

The new form was created by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports so that it can better gather needed data. 

Why not elicit the input from the Kamnan of Ban Mai Lue in Nakhon Nowhere as well? Pretty sure he has some very relevant and pertinent data that he needs to wring from an IMMIGRATION CONTROL document, no?

[daboyz1]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

The two noted however, that Don Muang Airport has seen a surge in travelers over the past 5 years from 10,000 a day to 40,000 and that immigration desks often have to process over 4,000 people at a time, resulting in delays. 
 

 

-- nnt 2017-08-10

So what's their excuse for what's been happening at swampy the last 24 hours?

[NextStationBangkok]

An Electronic chip passport has all the information. IATA should design a software, so that people tap the passport on a system and print the arrival or departure card for immigration.

 

All we have to fill up is how long you visit the country, and purpose of visit. But if someone gets tourist visa, they have a deadline to stay, i am not sure why this world is duplicating the information ?

 

In the future Robots can handle all of these.

 

[ilovebkk12345]

Typical Thailand...

wait til something makes it in the news with lots of online criticism, then they finally are forced to reconsider things.....

[gandalf12]

What is this much needed data they talk about and how is it used?

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Nope. The UK has (or is just about to) sh!tcan them but the US of A still asks for loads of written stuff, especially if you qualify for the visa-waiver system of entry.

 

But this is part of Thailand's unique, quaint but woefully arcane system of border control and thus construed as charm. Same-same as sweating your nuts off riding an open sided "tropical island bus" across the tarmac at Samui in 100% humidity. When it comes to bits of paper, I think in SE Asia, probably only Singapore still does this sh!t? Japan maybe?

 

The argument that time will be saved by removing the Thai passport holder's requirement to complete a TM6 isn't based on any logic... quelle bonne surprise!

 

Thai's complete the TM6 prior to departure surrendering the Departure stub when they stamp out and retain the Arrival stub in their passport while out of the country and surrender it, already filled up, on re-entry to the enchanted kingdom. Eliminating it doesn't speed bugger all up.

 

What does speed things up though is paying attention to when the Thai passport holders aisles are bereft of inbound clutter and (admittedly this may be a hard concept for them to adopt) reallocate some of these aisles for the thundering herd of the great unwashed.

 

As for the new, pocket-sized TM6... it's so quaint isn't it?!

Japan still has a form but Narita also has a time-saving pre-screening system where they take your photo and fingerprints and check the info before you see the Immigration Officer. They also have a customs form so there's actually more to fill out than in Thailand, though no obtrusive salary questions, which is perhaps where the Tourism Ministry arrive at their expenditure data; someone on a big salary will spend more than someone on a small one. There's no rubber stamp but a QR coded sticker. Exit was simple with no more than a scan of the passport and a wave through.

 

[Guest Jerry787]

cancel the tm6 safe time and money, purchase e scan machine with eletronic stamp in and out, adding finger print and pic, the whole process is less the 3 minute. 
 

indeed, if they want collect data on incoming passengers they can give on the plane whatever form and next to queue immigration line a dropbox where to place the form.

 

 

[Baerboxer]

8 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Can't help but wonder where the additional 58, presumably highly trained, immigration officers suddenly materialised from.

 

Seems a sensible idea to exempt Thais from having to use the form but I don't think it will happen. A lot of money is being made out of the printing of that form. And for sure there would be few political fingers in the money pie trying to make sure the bottom line is not affected.

 

 

 

Training ????

[Billy Bloggs]

8 hours ago, inThailand said:

What percent of Thais go thru immigration? Once again, a solution that fails to address the heart of the problem. The Hub of useless solutions!

All of the ones coming back from overseas, so if you go back to your home country(that is if your not Thai) you go thru an immigration section well in Australia you do, maybe in the Euro zone you dont you just stroll on through like everyone else.

[Billy Bloggs]

1 hour ago, NextStationBangkok said:

An Electronic chip passport has all the information. IATA should design a software, so that people tap the passport on a system and print the arrival or departure card for immigration.

 

All we have to fill up is how long you visit the country, and purpose of visit. But if someone gets tourist visa, they have a deadline to stay, i am not sure why this world is duplicating the information ?

 

In the future Robots can handle all of these.

 

Shit good idea they have that in the USA but then ya have to front an officer at the desk anyway.

[wump]

40 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

They've obviously got a major problem and no solutions so far.

 

I might get shot down for this but I reckon the delays are because they have been told to go through everyone's passports and scrutinise for illegal workers. This is taking its toll on the officers and consuming more time. Last time at Suvarnabhumi I entered it took about 5-10 minutes at the desk and the immigration official wanted to know what I was doing here. My seaman's book demonstrated I had just returned from a vessel and he let me through. 

 

A close friend who has only been to Thailand twice in his life was also asked intrusive questions last week, and accused by the officer of going to India for a 'visa run' when in fact this was only his second visit to Thailand and he had returned to the UK in the meantime. 

 

Even if they scrutinise 1 in 5 arriving passengers it is still too much for them to manage. 

 

Expect these shenanigans to continue until they realise they have not got the manpower or the ability to do this and things return to normal. 

There has got to be some truth to this. Why is it taking forever and not just "stamp, stamp, stamp", especially when exiting?

 

Immigration usually takes me 3 minutes plus with the immigration official flicking through my passport with all the blue and green stickers, mumbling something in Thai and shaking their heads.

 

Give me a visa or don't! I don't like this shenanigans when entering and exiting. Highly annoying and makes me feel like a criminal even though I do nothing wrong.

[NextStationBangkok]

28 minutes ago, Billy Bloggs said:

Shit good idea they have that in the USA but then ya have to front an officer at the desk anyway.

Then they start the shit, strip search ?

[heybuz]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I'm not sure what the obvious reasons are. Thailand doesn't have a customs declaration form, and nor does the UK and any European country I've been to,

it asks do you have anything to declare i.e. booze .food.or any other contraband which is either illegal or taxable, failure to answer correctly or not disclose will result in a fine or jail. it is a legally binding document.

Edited August 10, 2017 by heybuz

[gamini]

No country anywhere could cope efficiently with the massive surge in tourism like  Thailand has experienced. They never expected such increasess and they are doing their best to cope. Just remember all the posters on this forum claiming  that tourism numnbers will fall! They were wrong and the opposite has happened.

[novo58]

despite all this talk ...the last time I entered the kingdom in May 2017......I was expecting a long wait at immigration only to get there and get thru in less than 10 mins. fastest I have ever personally experienced ---thou that was at Swampy and at about 6am local time