Welcome to Thailand

[mak]

Swampy yesterday.

[parrot]

That sucks

[BillaRickaDickay]

I passed through a week ago, maybe old news but fingerprints now scanned, not so last December, l joined the queue at the top of the slope, 45 minutes wait.

[Brian Davis]

And, in spite of the supposed clampdown on exorbitant prices, a visiting relative says 175 baht for Phat kaphrao

[Lone Star]

Fond memories of returning twice a year before I finally retired here a decade ago.

Happily, I don't have to do deal with that anymore unless by choice.

[Stantheman]

Just passed through Swampy outbound early June, no lines like shown in picture, but I try to always book outbound flight for late evening check in so lines not to bad.

[Laan Yaa Mo]

I don't like the look of that line. I will be flying on KLM from Toronto tonight (28 June) and arriving around 10 in the morning at Bangkok on the 30th. Should be in Khon Kaen and Burma for 9 weeks in the early afternoon.

[gghh]

You got that pic from TAT, showing the increase of foreign tourists? ?

I was at airport at 13, 26 and 27. Easy moving inside the building, few people.
Markets, restaurants and hotels are quite empty too.

[mak]

According to Andrew Biggs it's not getting any better.

In its defence, a spokesperson for immigration sought to explain why there were such long midweek queues at Suvarnabhumi saying officers have EIGHT things to do in 50 seconds.

Pol Col Cherngron Rimphadee said that Mr Biggs had arrived at a very busy time on Wednesday between 12 and 2 pm with 4,500 people on 44 flights needing to be processed.

[mak]

Thai Immigration should buy a thousand of these kiosks.

[FrazeeDK]

I like how they do it Stateside now. When we arrived in Atlanta this last March I was disheartened to see a queue with about 200 American citizens in it with only 3 immigration booths open. I looked over at the Global Traveler kiosks, kind of like the Passport Express shown in the picture above. I hollered at one of the wandering Immigration officers about them and he said, "don't use em' anymore, it is all facial recognition now..." Much to my amazement, the 200 person queue shrank to almost nothing and it took us less than 10 minutes to get up to an immigration booth. The IO took my passport, said, "look at the camera" blip! facial recognition OK. Asked me, "importing anything?" Nope.. "Have a nice day.. Less than 30 seconds with no secondary for Customs after baggage pickup..

[Giggle]

Why bother screening people at airports if half the nitwit Americans are demanding open borders and welcoming illegal MS-13 gangbangers with gift baskets and hugs?

[the-monk]

What i don not understand is WHY they need so many fingerprints ? ( right hand 4 fingers, left hand 4 fingers and 2 thumbs ) What s wrong with the 2-finger method ? Of course in addition to the picture and the arrival card.

[pipoz4444]

No time/date on the pictures.

In all my trips I have never seen it like this, but then again, most times I arrive bewteen 3.00am 7.00am, early morning

You only need several planes to arrive later than scheduled, and you may then get a build up like this.

My view, this is not "A Typical" of Swampy, certanly not for early morning arrival period. Can't comment on what it might look like after 7.00am or at midday

pipoz4444

[Stantheman]

No time/date on the pictures.

In all my trips I have never seen it like this, but then again, most times I arrive bewteen 3.00am 7.00am, early morning

You only need several planes to arrive later than scheduled, and you may then get a build up like this.

My view, this is not "A Typical" of Swampy, certanly not for early morning arrival period. Can't comment on what it might look like after 7.00am or at midday

pipoz4444

Based on the pictures think the lines were for departure, not arrival. I agree that late night/early morning arrival and depatures are best

[pipoz4444]

I thought the first picture post, looked like going up that ramp at Arrivals?

pipoz4444

[Barney]

Last 2 recent trips in have been on a jumbo full of Koreans. And I mean chockers. Then this last few days on airchina. The Chinese do my head in. They really have no idea of traveling on planes etiquette.
As pippoz hinted his arrival I had near midnight landings.
On the Koreanair arrival I just walk up the fast track lane. The hundreds of Koreans took ages to start clearing immigration. In fact the baggage carousel was full, no more bags could be conveyed on and it was stopped. Unfortunately my bag had not appeared. Standing a full half hour with a dormant carousel. You think I wasn’t pi’s.sed.
This last time straight up the fast track again, The immigration officer cleared me before I even had my thumbs scanned. He didn’t care.
Stayed in the boxtel rooms in the airport at the train area, 1100 bht for a 4 hour sleep.
There are now 4 new Space age cubes adjacent. 250 bht an hour.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[vlad]

I understand where your coming from Barney normally im on a Arabic flight full of Pakistani or Arabs who will gather in gangs blocking anyone who wants to go through towards immigration. Its worse if you travel from Phuket or Samui try going through departure hall with the Chinese and Korean gangs hanging around waiting.

[samster]

Been flying in and out 3 or 4 times a year for over 10 years and never been kept waiting longer than 30 mins. I must be lucky! This week, there were 2 people ahead of me in the queue at 6PM , collected my bags and was on the airport link to Central BKK within 40 minutes of the plane landing.

As far as the comments about Arabic flights go, I have always used Etihad and found most of my fellow passengers courteous and friendly. My heart sinks however when someone wearing a wife beater and football shorts sits next to me. Spending 8 hours in close proximity to some overweight guys sweaty pits is not my idea of heaven. Funnily enough, they never appear to be Pakistani or Arabic who dress in this way....

[rick]

The finger print recognition is only all 10 digits the first time you use it - unfortunately currently that is most people. When i came back 2 weeks ago just scanned 4 fingers and only took about 10 seconds. It was busy, but not that busy at immigration, Took about 25-30 minutes. For some reason my bags are ALWAYS the last to appear on the carousel - i assume that luggage routed at intermediate airports is always put right at the back. So immigration wait of 30 minutes is doable, but looking forward to claiming priority in a couple of years.