Warning on current immigration clearance time
Mar 12, 2012, 3:37 am
#361
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: BKK/SEL/YQG
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It generally happens if you try to get a boarding pass issued. If you have one from before, immigration doesn't ask you about it. Its more problematic with overnight connections because the TG transfer desk wont issue you your boarding pass the night before.
Mar 12, 2012, 4:20 am
#362
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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.
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.
Mar 12, 2012, 4:29 pm
#363
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Melbourne
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It is a shambles no doubt about that and passenger numbers were predicted to reach these levels so it is no excuse.
They need to combine 2-3 lines in to one and feed them in to 7-10 desks. The problem at the moment is of one agent finishes their shift and leaves a whole line of people to merge in to another. The other problem with the current system is that if an agent gets stuck with a difficult pax for 10mins or so it holds the whole system up, rather than pax flowing past this person to other desks if there was a main feed line.
I know they tried the above on outbound immigration for a while but not sure if this is still the case.
They need to combine 2-3 lines in to one and feed them in to 7-10 desks. The problem at the moment is of one agent finishes their shift and leaves a whole line of people to merge in to another. The other problem with the current system is that if an agent gets stuck with a difficult pax for 10mins or so it holds the whole system up, rather than pax flowing past this person to other desks if there was a main feed line.
I know they tried the above on outbound immigration for a while but not sure if this is still the case.
Mar 12, 2012, 7:23 pm
#364
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 43
The Bangkok Post article indeed showed lousy excuse on the part of immigration office. The increase in passenger volume has been incremental over the past several years. Anyone who is awake can see this coming. It is like they just woke up to the fact that the volume of passenger increased from 80K per day to almost doubled, therefore they are caught short-handed.
This type of excuse merely shows their incompetence.
This type of excuse merely shows their incompetence.
Mar 12, 2012, 10:21 pm
#365
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BKK to deploy 70 female riot police officers to assist on the desks tomorrow and later recruit more immigration officers to help meet demand.
Looks like another trip to BKK is in order.
Looks like another trip to BKK is in order.
Mar 12, 2012, 10:56 pm
#366
Join Date: Sep 2006
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From that article:
If he's serious, the guy needs to be fired immediately! What a complete idiot. I'm pretty much avoiding BKK this year, but for other reasons. Certainly glad I don't have to see this gross mismanagement in action.
Suvarnabhumi airport director Somchai Sawasdipol said fast-track immigration booths for first-class and business-class passengers would be removed so staff there could help handle regular passengers during peak hours.
Mar 13, 2012, 3:44 am
#367
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Interesting point from that article -
"We are very tired...many immigration officers want to leave the organisation because they cannot rest and are in very risky situations. If they rush and let through fake passports or wanted criminals they can be jailed,"...
I can understand a severe dressing down if they let Hannibal Lecter through, perhaps even firing them - but jail ? This may explain why they take so long....
D.
"We are very tired...many immigration officers want to leave the organisation because they cannot rest and are in very risky situations. If they rush and let through fake passports or wanted criminals they can be jailed,"...
I can understand a severe dressing down if they let Hannibal Lecter through, perhaps even firing them - but jail ? This may explain why they take so long....
D.
BKK to deploy 70 female riot police officers to assist on the desks tomorrow and later recruit more immigration officers to help meet demand.
Looks like another trip to BKK is in order.
Looks like another trip to BKK is in order.
Mar 13, 2012, 7:29 am
#368
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Don't worry , he is just another pathetically moronic and incompetent Thai civil servant uttering the first stupidity that flies through his deeply impaired brains, knowing he will get away with it, as he always has before . He may even get promoted for uttering such nonsense, because he has shown his Thainess .
Mar 13, 2012, 9:36 pm
#369
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http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/tran...or-long-queues
Mar 14, 2012, 3:53 am
#370
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You may have seen this already, it is for Thai nationals only. With a bit of luck they will soon extend it to those those with work visas also (wishful thinking I fear)...
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/tran...or-long-queues
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/tran...or-long-queues
I'd like to see Thai nationals stop filling in the forms as the end of the article indicates. It seems useless to me.
I'm also concerned that there will not be enough of the these machines working properly and Thai nationals will be forced to use them potentially creating a backlog for Thai nationals while foreigners are favored to be dealt with by the staff.
Rather than create a color coded indicator of how soon the pax' flight is, i have a better idea: GET MORE STAFF WORKING EFFICIENTLY. How is this so difficult?
Mar 14, 2012, 7:36 am
#371
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Still a shithole
The sad state of things at BKK just now is that unless you fly TG C or F, or any other carrier that will give you a Fast Track pass outbound or inbound : you are bound to suffer ridiculously long waiting lines at immigration, either way . Beware .
Mar 14, 2012, 9:48 am
#372
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YUL, BKK, VLC
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The consequences will be dire for TG and for the tourism industry in general. BKK can no longer be the hub from where you go to Vietnam, Hong Kong, Bali, etc. as you risk missing your flights and lose so much time queuing. Better use SIN and avoid long delays getting in and long delays getting out.
Mar 14, 2012, 2:25 pm
#373
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The consequences will be dire for TG and for the tourism industry in general. BKK can no longer be the hub from where you go to Vietnam, Hong Kong, Bali, etc. as you risk missing your flights and lose so much time queuing. Better use SIN and avoid long delays getting in and long delays getting out.
99 % of people boarding a plane to BKK and who intend to stay there have never heard of delayed immigration procedures , this is exclusive knowlegde of forum members . though useful of course .
Mar 14, 2012, 2:42 pm
#374
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Alberta, Canada
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Swampy has often had issues like this ever since it opened. I remember meeting another Canadian couple years ago who had missed their flight for these very same reasons. So only first time travelers to BKK would likely be unaware of the potential delays.