The Immigration Bureau of Thailand is finalising a study that seeks to provide solutions to speed up the long immigration process at Suvarnabhumi Airport, particularly within the departure section.

The transport permanent secretary Supoj Saplom told local media that they have two weeks to propose ways of improving the present system. He added that hiring more immigration officers to man the counters would be one part of the solution.

The immigration facilities at the airport have recently been over flooded by a surge in passengers. Currently, 90,000 passengers pass through the airport per day, making Suvarbhumi the 16th busiest airport in the world in 2009 based on figures from Airports Council International.

The immigration facilities at the airport have recently been over flooded by a surge in passengers.

Over 10 months, January to October, Suvarnabhumi Airport showed an increase for both international and domestic aircraft movements of 4.98% from 149,535 and 1.21% from 59,522 over the same period last year.

International passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport, during the same period, increased 23.23% (31,803,700 from 24,414,263), while domestic passenger traffic fell 2.76% (8,049,999 from 8,272,556) over the same period last year.

The transport permanent secretary Supoj Saplom told local media that they have two weeks to propose ways of improving the present system. He added that hiring more immigration officers to man the counters would be one part of the solution.

Suvarnabhumi to shift security checkpoints


BANGKOK, 1 October 2010 – Suvarnabhumi Airport plans relocate security checkpoints for international passengers from behind the immigration areas to a new zone to be built on a deck hanging from the ceiling of the departure hall. The project will be ready by mid-2011.

Suvarnabhumi Airport former director, Niran Thiranartsin (transfers to Don Mueang Airport today), told TTR Weekly that the airport authorities had gained approval from the board for a Bt148 million budget to build a floating platform between the floor and the ceiling of the departure hall, above immigration area that will accommodate security check points.

Currently there are two security check points behind the immigration counters, east and west.

“When complete, the new security check area will increase in size from 1,200 sqm (east and west) to 3,600 sqm and will have 30 scanners, up from the current 16 machines. There will be eight escalators to and from the raised area,” Mr Niran explained.

Passengers will go up to the platform on four escalators, pass through the security check scanners and then descend on separate escalators directly to the immigration checkpoint hall, which is a secure zone for passengers and airport officials only.

Mr Niran said passengers would be able to hand over liquids or expensive cosmetics to their relatives and friends before passing through the security checkpoints which is not possible at present as the scanners are located after immigration counters.

The airport authorities will soon open the project for bids by issuing a TOR (Terms of References).

“We have shown the TSA ( US Transportation Security Administration) officials who visited the airport recently and they support the idea. This November, the Airports of Thailand president and top executives will vsit the US to study security measures and equipments that has TSA’s stamp of approval.”

Last year, when AoT relocated the scanners to a zone immediately after the immigration checkpoints, travellers and editorials in this publication criticised the move claiming the area was too small and to make it more convenient for passengers, duty free shops would have to be dismantled.

Based on designs dating back to the mid- 90s, the airport opened in 2006 with security checkpoints located at concourses just before the holding lounges and air bridges. However, airport designs post 2001 era tended to favour consolidated security checkpoints located either before or directly after the immigration zone.

At the time, airlines based at Suvarnabhumi Airport also favoured the consolidation of security checkpoints directly after immigration zones because it helped to speed up boarding times.

However, with time some airline managers acknowledged that the post-immigration checkpoints zones were cramped and inadequate causing more delays during peak hours than when security scanners were located at the individual concourses.

Short of evicting high revenue earning dut- free shops to free up more space behind immigration, the only practical alternative appears to be a Bt148 million investment in a floating zone anchored to the departure hall ceiling.

Mr Niran also commented on controversial body scanners saying AoT would study advanced imaging technology units after TSA begins installation in US airports from March 2011.

Earlier this year, Suvarnabhumi Airport tested body scanners using microwave imaging equipment called Brijot Gen2 supplied by Law Enforcement Technology the distributor in Thailand.

“That didn’t work. We stopped the trial after a week or so,” the airport director said.

By the end of this year, Suvarnabhumi Airport will introduce 16 self check-in kiosks, priced at Bt60,000 to 70,000 per unit and provided by Samart. The airport will recruit staff to assist passengers that are not used to the technology and the airport will not charge the airlines for this service.

“ I don’t think the airlines would be happy to pay any additional cost.”

The transport permanent secretary Supoj Saplom told local media that they have two weeks to propose ways of improving the present system. He added that hiring more immigration officers to man the counters would be one part of the solution.