National police chief gets tough on immigration department after more delays anger tourists

[webfact]

National police chief gets tough on immigration department after more delays anger tourists

 

Picture: Daily News

 

BANGKOK: -- The national police chief has ordered the immigration department to sort out the problem of long queues at Thailand's airports intimating that heads may roll over the matter.

 

The news comes as excuses issued by immigration for delays at Suvarabhumi on Wednesday continued to irk the chief.

 

Queues at Thailand's main airport were particularly severe on Wednesday afternoon seeing thousands of tourists unable to even get in the immigration hall area. Problems persisted later in the day with booths unmanned but hundreds waiting to leave.

 

As far as Wednesday afternoon was concerned Region 2 immigration said they did all they could.

 

They said twenty planes landed with 4,600 people and only 3,000 could fit in the hall. They claimed that all the booths were manned with officers and that the problems were exacerbated within an hour.

 

But rumors were rife on social media that staff at Suvarnabhumi had been assigned to solve problems at Bangkok's other main airport where five hour queues last week saw people who didn't want to lose their place urinate on the floor.

 

Such situations have angered the national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda who has ordered the setting up of monitoring stations at five airports to look into the problem.

 

These will be at Suvarnabhumi, Don Muang, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai.

 

The chief told Daily News that he was looking into the matter to see who was responsible for the delays.

 

Immigration in Thailand is a part of the police force.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-08-11

[darksidedog]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

The chief told Daily News that he was looking into the matter to see who was responsible for the delays.

Total and utter incompetence by all concerned aside, as the Chief of Police, who are in control of immigration, he is ultimately responsible, so maybe it is his head that should roll. It is truly unbelievable that they are unable to work out in advance how many planes, with X amount of people, are arriving within a given amount of time and allocate staff accordingly. I mean, its not as if this is something new is it? They do it every day, so should have something beyond the first clue how to make it work.

Edited August 11, 2017 by darksidedog

[colinneil]

These clowns are full of excuses, always someone else to blame, they couldnt run a p++s up in a brewery.

Sack a few of the top dogs, that will wake the others up.

[tomacht8]

They are now learned about weak urinary bladders. Do not let people wait for hours in your Immigration queues.

Otherwise many will be pis...ed

 

[Salerno]

Personally I think it's great ... hopefully they'll crack down until at least next Friday when I land 

[tomacht8]

Blind as bread.

Why do they not simply give out waiting numbers, as in any bank.

Then at least the annoying waiting in a queue could be avoided. Instead you could go shopping or eat comfortably in a restaurant. Also more massage shops could be

stationed in the airport. Would bring money and would contribute to the general relaxation. As long as they can not organize more immigration staff.

 

Edited August 11, 2017 by tomacht8

[lovelomsak]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

But rumors were rife on social media that staff at Suvarnabhumi had been assigned to solve problems at Bangkok's other main airport where five hour queues last week saw people who didn't want to lose their place urinate on the flo

  I wonder how people like me who need to catheter would deal with lines like these. I could not even urinate on the floor. 

[Peterg59]

They better have it sorted for when I arrive on the 22nd ??

[colinneil]

well if i was in a loooonnngg queue at the airport, at least i wouldnt p++s myself.

[tomacht8]

Forget the neck pillow for long distance flights.

The new accessorie for thailand is a Pilots urinbottle.

[zzaa09]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

Total and utter incompetence by all concerned aside, as the Chief of Police, who are in control of immigration, he is ultimately responsible, so maybe it is his head that should roll. It is truly unbelievable that they are unable to work out in advance how many planes, with X amount of people, are arriving within a given amount of time and allocate staff accordingly. I mean, its not as if this is something new is it? They do it every day, so should have something beyond the first clue how to make it work.

Actually, shouldn't these broader issues and concerns be the domain of the Airport Authority and particular government ministries?

Less, the ideals of allowing a policing system/state to create policy and legalities, especially considering the Thai policing instinctive tendencies.

 

Akin to asking the foxes to watch the hen house.

[InMyShadow]

Stop pushing for more tourists until the staff can handle the current volumes

[Misterwhisper]

Sheer incompetence!

 

And to think that it supposedly is the low season now...

[Ricardo]

Is there something going on, some change under-discussion perhaps, to which Immigration might have taken exception ?

 

This is, as others pointed-out, low-season & the problem seems to have arisen awfully suddenly ?

[terminatorchiangmai]

Its those irritating europeans , why are they all having their holiday at the same time?

This call for section 44.

[Lunchbob]

I have never heard of this problem before. Something must have changed?

[Happyman58]

All the booths are manned hey Crap Then what are those immigration people doing walking around doing nothin

[mlmcleod]

 

First, I have heard from many locals in Jomtien that many of the condos here are stuffed with zero-baht Chinese tourists.  The huge tourist buses are parked all over the place so I suspect it is true.  Second, August is the start of the month long European holidays.  Third, immigration has no idea how to manage and staff for queues. 

 

There are simple standardized statistical solutions to solve the last two problems.  They are generally taught in management 101 classes at most universities in the west.  

 

Don't get mad, it is just my opinion!

 

 

 

 

[robertson468]

This I am sorry to say is classical Thai.  The Chief of Police, who is responsible for immigration says he wants answers as to why this has happened (again).  Sorry Dude, look to yourself.  What did you do to resolve the issue?  Also the Officers on the desk do not get the education that involves problem solving.......they learn everything by rote, but if it don't fit the model, they are helpless, because they have not been taught otherwise.  Education, education, education.  Not quite the same as Thank you three times, but not far off!

[Bill Miller]

17 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

Blind as bread.

Why do they not simply give out waiting numbers, as in any bank.

Then at least the annoying waiting in a queue could be avoided. Instead you could go shopping or eat comfortably in a restaurant. Also more massage shops could be

stationed in the airport. Would bring money and would contribute to the general relaxation. As long as they can not organize more immigration staff.

 

None of those facilities are readily available before immigration, if I recall. Ergo people peeing on the floor.
No excuse whatsoever for not organizing more immigration staff. The information regarding the number of incoming passengers is readily available. Somebody just has to bloody look!
My GF gets called in on her off time, and kept over all the time in her retail management job. Are the IO exempt from normal employment practices?

[Searat7]

This morning I arrived around 7:30 am and had to wake up female immigration officer working in the Priority area

[saminoz]

18 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

  I wonder how people like me who need to catheter would deal with lines like these. I could not even urinate on the floor. 

Hand over your catheter bag with your passport when you finally reach the counter saying"now you really can take the piss"!

[chuang]

Can't cope with the influx of tourists,  simple solution is to curtail the numbers of tourists's arrival...

[Thian]

22 minutes ago, Searat7 said:

This morning I arrived around 7:30 am and had to wake up female immigration officer working in the Priority area

Few years ago we parked behind Swampy on an open parkinglot with guards...when we wanted to leave at 5 am we couldn't even get the guard awake to open the barrier for us...Had to horn about 30 seconds nonstop to get him awake.

[StayinThailand2much]

19 hours ago, colinneil said:

These clowns are full of excuses, always someone else to blame, they couldnt run a p++s up in a brewery.

Sack a few of the top dogs, that will wake the others up.

I'm surprised, that the excuse: "Too many foreigners came suddenly at the same time. If the foreigners had planned their travel to Thailand better..." hasn't come up yet.

 

Depending on the airports' number of employees from neighbouring countries, we might also still hear: "It's the fault of the Cambodian employees...", etc. 

[StayinThailand2much]

38 minutes ago, Searat7 said:

This morning I arrived around 7:30 am and had to wake up female immigration officer working in the Priority area

That's what I always say: Thais are like 3-year old children, they need their napping time... 

[StayinThailand2much]

48 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

None of those facilities are readily available before immigration, if I recall. Ergo people peeing on the floor.

I remember reading a book about 1980s China: people waiting a long time for their trains, urinating and defecating right there on the platform. With people, including children, waiting in a queue for several hours -  keep on reading the news about Thailand's airport(s) (mess)...

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, mlmcleod said:

 

First, I have heard from many locals in Jomtien that many of the condos here are stuffed with zero-baht Chinese tourists.  The huge tourist buses are parked all over the place so I suspect it is true.

 

 

Well, according to the TAT, these are Thailand's new quality tourists! 

Edited August 12, 2017 by StayinThailand2much

[moe666]

Much ado about nothing, one shot deal with too many airplanes landing at the same time. Get over it. When they man unneeded desk then the complaint will be a waste of man power.

 

I had a similar experience years ago when a couple of 747s landed from China, the big problem was they didn't fill in the TM6 as no english. I just scoped out the area and jumped in line at a newly opened q, it did take about an hour to get out but when I left the lines were growing.

 

Things happen no need to get carried away. 

[Orton Rd]

I sure that will be a great comfort the next time people are stuck in line for 4 hours with a Chinese peeing next to them!.

Edited August 12, 2017 by Orton Rd