Automated Passport Control is being introduced at Bangkok Suvarnahumi International Airport. E-gates will be installed for departing passengers.

However, this initiative raises a number of questions.

Will the service be available to departing travelers from all countries? Even at airports which already have e-gates for departure immigration--there are a number in Europe--only select countries' nationals can make use of the system.

Why is the system being installed for departures only? In my experience flying into both of the Bangkok airports, the lengthiest and slowest-moving lines are on arrival, not departure. The UK, for example, has made arrival e-gates available to citizens of more than three dozen low-risk countries.

If arrival immigration must still be performed by a human officer and passports stamped with date of arrival, will passengers using e-gates and departing without an exit stamp have problems in the future?