gav0106

There is a fast track if you want to pay, and I am glad we did ^

I booked VIP arrival package through:
Bangkok Airport VIP services
www.limousine.in.th
https://facebook.com/FastTrackBangkok

We had never arrived at DMk before, but knowing UK low cost airline airports, I expected large lines, so bit the bullet and paid for VIP arrival and limo to Conrad. It cost £97 for 2 of us.
We were met at gate of plane with sign, by actual immigration officer. Taken to diplomatic line. Told to wait while he went off with passports. We waited 2-3 minutes he came back and took as straight through, we did not event wait at desk or anything. He did take a seldf of us on his phone Picked up bags and out to car, from door of plane to car 10 minutes. Amazing, given the lines of people we saw. Well worth it if you want to spend a bit.

LAXlocal

normally I get thru immigration before my bags ever get out , and that is with priority tags,

But I have been lucky and not had a tour group of chinese in front of me :0

CJKatl

BKK or DMK? Many of us have this experience at BKK, especially late at night, but not DMK.

transpac

102 digital screens to find a home at Don Mueang

BrightSky Media Co has joined with Plan B Media Plc to spend 100 million baht installing 102 large digital screens at Don Mueang airport.

The two firms formed a 50:50 joint venture, Plan B BrightSky Media. BrightSky hopes to generate 200 million baht in revenue from the partnership with Plan B.

Veerawat Singhamany, chief executive of BrightSky Media, said the new media space will easily attract passengers and passers-by at the airport, making it a value-for-money advertising tool.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/...-at-don-mueang

dsquared37

And people will be fixated on the screens when waiting for tow trucks after all the accidents it will create.

CrazyInteg

I wonder if BrightSky (a Thai company) uses BrightSign (a USA company) hardware? https://www.brightsign.biz/

transpac

AoT eyes internal rail line at Don Mueang

Airports of Thailand (AoT) Plc plans to introduce an internal rail system at Don Mueang, worth at least one billion baht, to boost the airport's capacity to handle increasing passenger numbers.

AoT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said the system, known as an Automatic People Mover (APM), should ease congestion at the airport which has also caused traffic jams outside.

The AoT board, chaired by Prasong Poontaneat, has asked the AoT to conduct a feasibility study into the APM, he said, adding the study should be completed in six months and the findings submitted to the board.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/gene...-at-don-mueang

RustyC

FWIW, my flight on Air Asia from KUL arrived at DMK at 8:30 p.m. on a recent Thursday and there was an HOUR LONG WAIT to get through immigration. Maybe only half to a third of the positions were manned, but it was pretty bad. Could be the wrong time of day to arrive, and I got a sense that going through passport pages to check the back-to-back thing (that they've been cracking down on) might have been some of it as well. But it was one of the worst waits I've encountered at either airport.

transpac

I got a sense that going through passport pages to check the back-to-back

Almost 100% certain that this is flagged/highlighted within their computer system once the passport is swiped?

They may be looking for previous travel history re: other countries visited, with an eye on some particular pattern? Or they're just shuffling paper.

CJKatl

Can you please explain what is the back-to-back thing? I'm unfamiliar, but as someone who often flies to BKK, flies elsewhere to Asia on a LCC, flies back to DMK and maybe out and back again, I'm concerned. I think I've heard of an issue for people living in Thailand who leave to renew a visa over and over, but if you could clarify, that'd be great. Thanks in advance.

ADDED: Is this the issue?

transpac

I confess to not staying up on this issue as it does not affect me but there may be some limitations on the usage of the 30-day "Tourist" visa exemption?

I think some changes were recently made re: land border crossings/entries, like only two per "calendar year"

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/...-more-15-days/

but do not think there is any current limit on international airport arrivals? (edited to add: there are some anecdotal, individual reports that after six (6) visa exempt entries via an international airport arrival over some period of less than 12 months, some IO's may start to ask questions about your reasons, probably trying to determine if you are "employed" in Thailand without the requisite documentation.)


Obviously a real tourist visa might be best for some, and most of these are still free (promotion extended again I think), if you get one at an official Thai Embassy (and not a consul). A Re-Entry Permit can be obtained during an international air departure, for a fee, which will "preserve" the shelf-life of an existing entry for future use, regardless of type (exempt, real visa, etc.).

CJKatl

Thanks. It appears that I can continue doing what I do (use BKK as a base and fly on a couple LCC excursions) without worry. While I've never had a problem entering Thailand, the number of Thai entry/exit stamps created an issue when I was driving into Canada a few months back. Canadian authorities searched my rental car and looked through my luggage. They asked why I had so many Thai stamps in my passport. I explained that many single trips produced four entry and four exit stamps, but they were still suspicious. I literally had to trace dates (It's usually cheapest to fly to BKK or SIN and switch to a LCC. I entered BKK on the 4th, stayed two days to get used to the time change and flew to REP. I flew back to DMK, took a bus across town and hopped on a plane in BKK, creating four stamps in my passport...)

transpac

Not sure where to put this, but it does look like DEPARTING Immigration lines are quite long at SBIA/BKK, and that maybe people should consider arriving at the airport earlier than normal. I think this may have happened yesterday (Feb. 26, 2017), but not 100% sure, or if it is some sort of continuing issue?


Crazy queue at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s immigration causes travelers to miss flights


Foreign tourists were stranded in a long line at the immigration checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi International Airport yesterday morning.

Morning News showed a video of a paranoia-inducing long line of travelers queuing at the immigration checkpoint to leave Thailand as only six out of eighteen counters were open for service around 8am on Sunday.

The influx of travelers caused the line to stretch from the immigration checkpoint all the way to the check-in area, according to government radio channel JS100.

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/cra...-miss-flights/

dsquared37

Inbound this afternoon the eastern immi area's were outside of the snake and backing up on the ramp. Fast Track was 8 deep minimum at all three lanes.

TravelinSperry

I've seen the line that long before - it can be a nightmare getting out and through BKK immigration. And there are no exact lines/lanes... just a mass of people. It's truly ridiculous for an airport this busy.