Move to exempt Thais from immigration form

[calexapic]

6 hours ago, Ricardo said:

 

IME Thais do fill out a TM6, Departing & Arriving back home again, I don't see why this would actually be any more helpful than swiping the passport through a reader, unless it's just that authority usually hates to give up any control on-principle ?

 

6 hours ago, Ricardo said:

why would a Thai have to fill out the form TM-6? immigration CLAIMS to have people on their computer, when you arrive they take your photo, scan your passport and stamp it. as a citizen you should have all your information on your passport!

They do have people on computer... i stupidly filled out wrong part of arr/dep card for sister who has Thai passport when leaving a few weeks ago. Got taken to one side, passport details entered for sis and a pic of every arrival/departure since she was born across 2 passports. Strange experience and a bit unnerving even though we weren't doing anything wrong. If she had never left Thailand with me before I suspect there would have been more questions asked... it's a great system when talking about kidnap of children. Strange for us both to see her with our Dad on screen who passed away.

[joecoolfrog]

2 hours ago, gamini said:

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.

So because Thailand can not plan efficiently , no other country can or has !!!!

[manhood]

If the form is just only for tourism planning: why does it goes through Immigration???

There can be just some one collect the forms for the statistic things (TAT or whoever love to do it)

 

Everything what is on this card now is already saved in their computer systems or not???

So Immigration just have to check and that's it!

 

But most governments love to produce paper as much as it can be and tries to safe the forests ?!?!??!

[calexapic]

48 minutes ago, manhood said:

If the form is just only for tourism planning: why does it goes through Immigration???

There can be just some one collect the forms for the statistic things (TAT or whoever love to do it)

 

Everything what is on this card now is already saved in their computer systems or not???

So Immigration just have to check and that's it!

 

But most governments love to produce paper as much as it can be and tries to safe the forests ?!?!??!

The text on screen was thai script so i don't know about info but dates and times with photographs and length of stay for me in LOS plus pic of whoever was travelling with child on each exit and arrival. Im sure there is a more efficient way but I am ok with them being so thorough in this case. I actually have never waited as ling through Thai immigration as i have in the US.

[tryasimight]

6 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

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

Surprising that with over 5,000 posts commenting on all things Thai that you've never seen the form. You've never been to Thailand?

[tryasimight]

6 hours ago, Jerry787 said:

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.

 

 

Which is essentially what happens now except the drop box is the immigration officer.

[realenglish1]

11 hours 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?!

On top of that allow non "O" visa holders to go through on the Thai lines Some tweeks will make a big difference but I doubt they will do this because of their way of thinking

[gandalf12]

10 hours ago, tryasimight said:

Surprising that with over 5,000 posts commenting on all things Thai that you've never seen the form. You've never been to Thailand?

Maybe you should understand what I am saying. The TAT say they need the data but for what? I have in Thailand for over 30 years and can almost complete the form without looking at it. That does not answer the question as to what the TAT needs the information for.

[bluesofa]

59 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

Maybe you should understand what I am saying. The TAT say they need the data but for what? I have in Thailand for over 30 years and can almost complete the form without looking at it. That does not answer the question as to what the TAT needs the information for.

That is the $64,000 question. I'm sure decades ago someone thought it might be a good idea. However, I'd bet that no one even looks at them now.

 

I couldn't imagine immigration allowing the TM6 to be sent to a TAT office, hoping they would all come back intact, so wouldn't it mean TAT would need a staff member to enter the information at the point of entry?

 

I remember reading a post by a TV member who found the IO had retained the TM6 departure section instead of the arrival one. I'm sure they said they went to their point of entry at Nong Khai and managed to retrieve the correct part. So they don't seem to go anywhere to a central place nationally to be stored?

 

I've never filled in the the back of the TM6, and as we know, it's not as if the IO looks at it to make sure there's some data in there.

 

Edited August 11, 2017 by bluesofa

[Ricardo]

3 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

Maybe you should understand what I am saying. The TAT say they need the data but for what? I have in Thailand for over 30 years and can almost complete the form without looking at it. That does not answer the question as to what the TAT needs the information for.

 

I can see that the TAT might be interested in the tourist-visitors, analysing their origins & basic-profiles & so on, but as long-stay guests you & I don't need to complete that part of the form anyway.

 

So I haven't completed the back-of-the-form in many years, either.

[gandalf12]

43 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

 

I can see that the TAT might be interested in the tourist-visitors, analysing their origins & basic-profiles & so on, but as long-stay guests you & I don't need to complete that part of the form anyway.

 

So I haven't completed the back-of-the-form in many years, either.

I agree with numbers and origins but why occupation and income? It isn't really any of their business how much earn

[Skeptic7]

21 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Training ????

Yes...on how to perfect that disinterested, I hate you, sour puss look!

[Skeptic7]

Clears up? After reading the article, everything was clear alright...as mud! 

Edited August 11, 2017 by Skeptic7

[Ricardo]

2 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

I agree with numbers and origins but why occupation and income? It isn't really any of their business how much earn

I used to work in Marketing, it's just one of those things they like to know about, As & B1s & so on, gives 'em a warm feeling that their customers are up-market instead of plebs. You can see how that might appeal to Thai wannabe-bosses ? 

 

Which theoretically tells them what sort of media they need to aim their adverts (or other promotional activity) at ?

 

I always used to make it all up anyway !  If they want my real data, they can offer me a few free airmiles, or a chance to win a prize in a raffle, or something !

[hhinhh]

On 10.8.2017 at 1:44 AM, NCC1701A said:

what has the form got to do with the huge period of time one has to wait in line?

 

that's a rhetorical question.

 

 

It has to be read and checked, not difficult to understand. And the big pile of bureaucratic paper, where do it go? Is anyone ever reading it as all inforation is in the computer stystem?

All those data are already in the passport chip so why not make things easy and fast?

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

The answer to this seems to be in the insistence of Ministry of Tourism and Sports . The printing cost quoted looks more than a little inflated to me at ฿5 each, that's ฿165m a year for just tourist TM6 cards...

Someone should check who owns the print firm?

 

Earlier post by Mark is right, only for visa on arrival for tourists (keep TAT happy) or scrap it completely.

 

But who am I trying to kid?

 

same song different day.