Immigration control at bangkok airport latest please ?

[marshbags]

Can anyone provide the latest updates/ experiences please. (17-08-2017)

What is it like for arrivals at 10 am please ?

Thank you

Marshbags

[Jello]

Which airport?
Came into Don Mueang a couple of weeks ago. Was at least a 30 minute wait in line at immigration.

[wazza]

RTP have added more officers to support immigration facilities at DM.

I would be allowing 4 hours transit time if your connecting to Udon , from an incoming int flight.

they were talking of 2 hour delays last week

[Galee]

I arrived at Swampy at 8.30am last Thursday.

Went to the VIP desks and waited for 1 minute to be seen.

[wazza]

Business class ticket ?

Or economy as discussed earlier and Non Imm O 12 month visas ...

[Galee]

Non O extension with re-entry stamp.

Immigration Officer very friendly. Several other Farangs waiting to be seen.

[wazza]

Just confirming Galee these VIP desks are still in the main immigration hall and not the Fast Track Lanes, down the walkway

[Galee]

Yes, to the right of the normal immigration desks.

[Airportwo]

I came in yesterday at 11am, 5 minute wait at priority, which is busy, queues for "economy" were long! with the usual hordes of Chinese.

[marshbags]

Thank you fro the replies which are much appreciated.
I have a Non O extension with a re entry stamp so this is good news for me should they keep this priviledge going until after 05-09-2017 when I arrive

Cheers everyone and good luck to all members

[MrFixer]

So is Non-O visa in passport (and economy ticket) enough to use the VIP desks?

[the-monk]

Is the same service available at Don Muang airport ? If yes where ? Thanks all.

[Aardvark]

Flew into Swampy yesterday 14.30. Got through Customs and outside for a ciggy. Went upstairs and checked in for my Smile Flight .... 45 minutes all up Not a lot of People at that time of day obviously ....

[tamada]

So is Non-O visa in passport (and economy ticket) enough to use the VIP desks?

I think the qualification is "non-Thai who are in possession of a long-term visa" can use these VIP lanes. Since most here are on some sort of extension of a Non-O (the visa expired long ago), then yes, they qualify. Anyone having a 1-year, multi entry Non-O or O-A visa also qualifies. Not sure what other types of visa has a 1-year allowance these days, maybe none?

Since TR (tourist) visas are now SETV and METV, these do not qualify since the maximum single stay is capped at 60 days at a time and even if/when extended, doesn't count as long-term.That and the whole shebang about changing the TR visa types was to stop the long-term stay abuse.

Class of travel isn't a factor.

[UdonExpat]

Came into Thailand through Don Muang immigration about 1345 hours on Monday the 21st. The visa on arrival windows had officers with no customers, so I went there. No comment from the officer when she gave me another 90 days on a retirement visa.

[pal52]

Came into Thailand through Don Muang immigration about 1345 hours on Monday the 21st. The visa on arrival windows had officers with no customers, so I went there. No comment from the officer when she gave me another 90 days on a retirement visa.

Check your passport. You should have it stamped valid until the one year retirement visa extension finishes.
The date is on your retirement visa IE 7th Feb 2018.
Some times they stamp the departure card with 90 days to remind you when to report next.

[tamada]

Came into Thailand through Don Muang immigration about 1345 hours on Monday the 21st. The visa on arrival windows had officers with no customers, so I went there. No comment from the officer when she gave me another 90 days on a retirement visa.

Check your passport. You should have it stamped valid until the one year retirement visa extension finishes.
The date is on your retirement visa IE 7th Feb 2018.
Some times they stamp the departure card with 90 days to remind you when to report next.

He didn't say he was on an extension. Maybe on a 1-year, Non-O that was issued under retired criteria so does the 90-day in-out?

[BobHelm]

Came into Swampy yesterday at 10am.
Fairly slow in the Priority Hall, longest wait I can remember in there.
The officer who saw me took an absolute age to process a multi-entry non o, but didn't say a word to me while doing so & a great smile when she completed it.
I am guessing new staff in training as per the Immigration promise. Even the sign above her desk saying it was a priority lane for Foreign Passports was hand written.
Even saying that I was still out in the concourse with my checked luggage half an hour after the plane landed.
That was 100% better than Heathrow, where Immigration took the swipe of my passport but baggage handling took an hour to even start up the belts..

[Barney]

Came into Swampy yesterday at 10am.
Fairly slow in the Priority Hall, longest wait I can remember in there.
The officer who saw me took an absolute age to process a multi-entry non o, but didn't say a word to me while doing so & a great smile when she completed it.
I am guessing new staff in training as per the Immigration promise. Even the sign above her desk saying it was a priority lane for Foreign Passports was hand written.
Even saying that I was still out in the concourse with my checked luggage half an hour after the plane landed.
That was 100% better than Heathrow, where Immigration took the swipe of my passport but baggage handling took an hour to even start up the belts..

Baggage retrieval is geeting bad every where. Hit and miss, the orange priority tag at times means last bag.

Reminded me of the old Monty Python album and song about Heathrow baggage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXlBESlGFPE

[Galee]

My quick process through immigration at BKK the other week was balanced out by waiting an eternity for some oversize luggage and then getting pulled up at customs.
I'd originally given myself 90 minutes for the connecting Udon flight. Just as well Emirates changed the flight time to land an hour earlier. It would have been touch and go with a 90 minute stopover.