Originally Posted by
number_6
Getting visa in advance is always better, and there are dedicated immigration counters if you hold a visa instead of using VOA, so you save time there as well as in avoiding the VOA queue (which can take time at peak hours). But getting a visa can be a hassle and isn't automatically granted, while VOA is easy but of limited validity.
The queue in the visa in advance / visa free line tends to be more predictable, whereas the queue in VOA line can be short on a good day and very long on a bad day. So visa in advance / visa free line is quicker on average, though not always the case.