dsquared37

In my experience this is always the situation when checking in via TG C/F.

Toconaur

Even better - great to hear! TG is slowly, but surely becoming one of my favorite * carriers.

ScottieFlyer

Me too, can only ever recall more than one person ahead of me at immigration one time when there was maybe 8-10 people there. Howver, even that cleared very fast.

dsquared37

About a year ago we were heading out of BKK and a family of 10 were ahead of us getting to the TG C/F immy line. It was quickly clear that none of them had filled out their departure cards and the two of us looked at each other, then the only immigration agent, and were about resign ourselves to a long wait when the agent politely, but pointedly, told them to move aside.

One of the strangest (but cool) things I saw in the TG Fast Track line was when traveling with my parents two years ago. My dad, while having his passport stamped out of the Kingdom, inquired about the agent's US Airborne badge. The agent, an older and senior ranking individual, got out of his chair and shook my dad's hand expressing appreciation and thanks for having noticed. He then wished us all a safe trip.

broadwayboy

Their defense:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...ects-criticism

yosithezet

Thanks for pointing to the article. Does anyone know anything more about this:

spk

I wonder whether the inbound immigration delay has anything to do with the Iranian terrorists caught in Bangkok recently. They may implement more stringent checks for foreigners.

They will try to divert Thais to use the automated gates. This should relieve the workload for the remaining counters.

ScottieFlyer

Interesting article but it seems more like an excuse than a defence to me. At the end of the day it is same old story as many other airports, the pennypinchers make sure that the cash flows in the airport operators interests rather than the pax interest. Issue at BKK seems no different from LHR and other major airports, not enough money being spent on immigration and security screening personnel. While I would not like their job I cannot say the Thai immigration staff ever looked undely stressed to me. Many process visitors at a tortoise pace, while oters sit and happily chat away to the officer next to them. I have also seen immigration officers shut up shop, effectively doubling a lines length, on more than one occasion.

ulyparis

It looks like they are not prepared to streamline the process. Adding 20 agents won't do much good. A major overall of the regulations would do. The 60+30 days visa, x 2 and the re-entry permit are vastly complicating things for the agent. Provide a 90 days and a 180 days visa, no re-entry limit within the period. Instead of collecting 1200 bahts for the + 30 and the re-entry, add it to the base fare. The airport agents would have less calculation to do which will accelerate the process. And then transfer to the airport the agents in BKK office having to deal with these useless rules.

dsquared37

I read that in the lounge this morning.

The delay has nothing to do with the Iranians arrested or sought. It is completely due to understaffed (and unconcerned) nature of the ministry. I understand that promotions come up at specified times of the year. That it happens to coincide with high season and, more importantly, that there were no contingency plans to deal with this, show the importance that BKK immigration is given.

If Thais can have something it would at least alleviate a bit of traffic. Mrs dsquared flew out yesterday afternoon and spent 25 min in line. While this is certainly a breeze compared to many, if there was the ability to use an automated machine it would free up a few more aisles for foreigners.

dsquared37

You're proposing an overhaul rather than a streamline. As the 60 day tourist visa is north of 1000Baht while the 30 day visa exemption stamp is free my view of your suggestions is less than enthusiatic.

On top of that your proposal is entirely unworkable and would do nothing to assist the officer to determine which nationals are eligible for what.

brunos

The situation is bad in BKK and the Bangkok post interviews about hard work and stress are laughable. Too common to see counters understaffed while a few immigration agents are chatting around.
The situation in HKT is even worse. Outbound usually takes over 20 minutes in the late afternoon/evening when so many pax depart to Europe, either nonstop from HKT (lot of semi-charter flight, especially Russian) or with connection in BKK, KUL or SIN. It is not unusual for immigration+security to take over 40 min. Officers work so slooooowly! And the inbound immigration can be a nightmare when several international flights arrive at the same time. I fly from HKG and it can take well over 30 min. Never less than 15 min unless very lucky.
I am not aware of any fast-track at HKT.

joejones

Ridiculous experience at BKK on Saturday evening. I had a layover from 6 PM to just before midnight, so I decided to get out of the airport and grab dinner with a buddy in the city.

Inbound immigration was mobbed with people and took half an hour to clear. Not fun, but not particularly unusual either. The Thai national lines seemed to have a much shorter wait.

Heading out was where it got really crazy. I already had my boarding pass, so I went directly toward passport control, only to find a line formed along the back wall of the check-in area. So I followed it, and followed it, all the way over to the entrance for domestic departures, where it then snaked back all the way to the front doors of the terminal! I saw many people come out of check-in, crane their necks to try to see the end of the line, and sigh in despair. 40 minute wait. Seriously, to LEAVE the country?

The good news is that nobody ever charged me the departure tax...

Thunderroad

Thanks for posting this. Seems to be a pretty lame excuse.

+1

railways

Passed through D4 immigration at about 3pm on Saturday (10 March) off the lunchtime TG flight from HKG.

The mass of people backed right up to the main concourse and some passengers were getting frazzled - there didn't seem to be any orderly queue system and no-one controlling the flow.

Was in F so went through the diplomatic/fast track channel, which still took about 15 minutes with 5 people ahead of me - two control points were open and a third one was opened while I was queueing.