CnnGo article about Bangkok airport immigration lines

[short]

http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/visit/trouble-bkk-critics-take-aim-bangkoks-crowded-international-airport-060746

[Bazle]

I came into Swampy last evening on an Air Asia flight. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that there was a "snake queue" system now in place, and it took me no more than 10 minutes to get through.

 

Now the negative. The ribbon used to guide people along the "snake" needs to be re-inforced with barbed wire for the Russians.

[Evil Penevil]

 

Now the negative. The ribbon used to guide people along the "snake" needs to be re-inforced with barbed wire for the Russians.

 

Very true. The Chinese are pretty good at queue-jumping, but Russians take the prize. I don't why they feel that if one Russian in their group is standing in line, all the others who come after that one have the right to cut into the queue. The security people at Swampy need to get a lot more serious with those who try to cut in line. Anyone who attempts it should be sent to the end of the line.

 

Evil

[tomcat76]

'Same thing happens at LAX. ('not usually many Russians there though....)

[jacko]

Very true. The Chinese are pretty good at queue-jumping, but Russians take the prize. I don't why they feel that if one Russian in their group is standing in line, all the others who come after that one have the right to cut into the queue. The security people at Swampy need to get a lot more serious with those who try to cut in line. Anyone who attempts it should be sent to the end of the line.

 

Evil

Obviously if a Russian who arrives at the queue just after you, goes to join a 'comrade' ahead of you, then you have a right to move ahead of him in the queue.

Personally I think I would pay Fast Track!

[tomcat76]

I see couples, and sometimes groups traveling together, play this game all the time, and not just at BKK. Husband/group member gets in one line, wife/other grp_mbr gets in another, (and so on), and when it becomes obvious who's going to hit the counter first, the one(s) in the slower line move(s) to the fast line. Good news for anyone in the line being "left"; bad news if you thought you were only 1 or 2 people away from the counter when suddenly... Snake lines kind of eliminate this though. (LAX uses multiple snake lines, but they're few, large & relatively far apart, so the scheme doesn't work.)

[Evil Penevil]

Personally I think I would pay Fast Track!

 

That's what I mostly do these days. There don't appear to be too many Russians queuing at Immigration at the times I usually arrive on flights that originated in the U.S., so sometimes I just chance it. It was in the morning and afternoon departure queues that the Russian cut-in effect was most noticeable and I always use Fast Track for those flights, with the exception of the 6.00 a.m. United flight to Narita. At 3.15 or 3.30 a.m., the departure queues are usually minimal. But even then, if you had been unlucky, passengers on a Russian charter flight would flood the Immigration check-point and engage in mad queue jumping.

 

Evil

Edited March 24, 2012 by Evil Penevil

[LBJ]

I wonder if they would consider improving Utapao (if airlines could fill planes to handle the Pattaya crowd) as a way to ease some traffic.

[aussiechic]

Photo of line up when leaving on the 2nd of March went right back around to the doors it took about an hour and 40 minutes to get throught immigration.

 

[MM]

Photo of line up when leaving on the 2nd of March went right back around to the doors it took about an hour and 40 minutes to get throught immigration.

 

 

That's the worst I have seen it. That line is before you get into the immigration area too. What a total mess.

[bigmick]

I wonder if they would consider improving Utapao (if airlines could fill planes to handle the Pattaya crowd) as a way to ease some traffic.

 

I was under the impression that Utapao was used during high season with "some" airlines like Korean Air and Fin Air are using this airport.

[Fireman Sam]

Reports from the last few days are a lot more encouraging, looks like they have nearly sorted the mess out, hope so, I am passing through again on Monday evening.

 

 

Regards

[Guest Fatboyfat]

 

 

That's the worst I have seen it. That line is before you get into the immigration area too. What a total mess.

I went through on 5th March and was even worse with reports of 2.5 hours wait. Luckily I was whisked off to a much smaller hall somewhere nearer the centre of departure check in hall with only about 4 desks in, and went through in about 30 minutes. I was told that the delays were due to building modifications, which were due to be completed by around about today's date though.

[harro1]

I went through today, took about 5 minutes at 3 pm. Then the bags took about 40 mins to come out.

[yogi100]

Photo of line up when leaving on the 2nd of March went right back around to the doors it took about an hour and 40 minutes to get throught immigration.

 

 

Jesus Christ! That's horrendous. Mind you we once waited 3 hours at Miami in Florida and encountered what must be the rudest, most officious, ignorant, aggressive, and jobsworthy bastard immigration 'officers' on the planet. The sullen Cuban desk wallahs were saints in comparison when we went there for a holiday.

 

I came through Swampy on the 21st March at 15.55 with Thai Air TG917 and it was about 7minutes and 10 minutes for the cases.

Edited March 26, 2012 by yogi100

[Fireman Sam]

Arrived this evening 26th March from Doha with Qatar Airways at about 19.30 hrs, about 30 mins late. Although I had a Premium lane pass from travelling business class I used the normal halls as they were virtually empty, save my premium lane card for busier times in the future. Only one person in front of me when I reached the immigration counters, maybe took about five minutes maximum to get through. They have the female police at the start of the new all in one line queueing system to make sure your arrival/departure card are correctly filled in. Just travelling with hand luggage so was one my way pretty quickly.

 

Departing Swampy again tomorrow afternoon, so will report on the departing situation then. Although they have certainly made huge progress to sorting this mess out, only hope they can keep this up as they have tendency to let everything to return to same as before.

 

 

Regards

[chatkeow]

Photo of line up when leaving on the 2nd of March went right back around to the doors it took about an hour and 40 minutes to get throught immigration.

 

 

There were a couple of passenger reports that they had checked in right at the opening of their check in desks but missed the flight because of this situation. Who sorts takes the blame for relisting or ticketing the passenger God only knows.

Edited March 26, 2012 by chatkeow

[jimmac]

Evil, what Fast Track do you use? Do your have a price, contact, etc? Do you use them for both entry and departure?

[Fireman Sam]

Evil, what Fast Track do you use? Do your have a price, contact, etc? Do you use them for both entry and departure?

 

 

Up to you jimmac, your money, all the delays missed flights etc etc which were common a few weeks back are mostly gone now. No need to pay for fast track if it''s not included in your ticket pricing. Things are probably the best they have ever been regarding delays and getting through immigration etc etc

 

When are you travelling ?

 

I will b back through Swampy in another eight hours or so. Will update again then.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Fireman Sam

[jimmac]

I'm arriving about 7 p.m. from Australia at the end of April. Flying in premium economy so the airline won't help. I leave a couple of weeks later at about 9 p.m. for Australia. I just hate line-ups so I don;t want to take much of a risk that I will encounter endless queues.

[nus01]

I went through on 5th March and was even worse with reports of 2.5 hours wait. Luckily I was whisked off to a much smaller hall somewhere nearer the centre of departure check in hall with only about 4 desks in, and went through in about 30 minutes. I was told that the delays were due to building modifications, which were due to be completed by around about today's date though.

I was lucky i went through departure on the 4th, took about 1 Hour, on arrival took about 90 minutes and got into an arguemnt with some dirtbags pushing in line.

[tomcat76]

I was lucky i went through departure on the 4th, took about 1 Hour, on arrival took about 90 minutes and got into an arguemnt with some dirtbags pushing in line.

 

All it would take is one imm. official, just ONE (and maybe even just a trainee at that), and that probably not even full-time, to send line-crashers to the back of the line (with maybe some "special" attention to their arrival cards...) to nip that in the bud, esp. now with the snake-lines.

Edited March 26, 2012 by tomcat76

[ronrat]

Came in on the 3rd and took less than 30 minutes to get to taxi. Came back home Sunday and went through in about the same.

[nus01]

All it would take is one imm. official, just ONE (and maybe even just a trainee at that), and that probably not even full-time, to send line-crashers to the back of the line (with maybe some "special" attention to their arrival cards...) to nip that in the bud, esp. now with the snake-lines.

these were aussie guys, pushed in front of a group Chinese/koreans, i told the guys they were a disgrace and wait in line like every one else. Typical tattoed on the neck f*ckwits , the guy pushed in line in front a 4ft 10" chinese girl. Wouldnt look at me when i was telling him off.

 

Certainly is a recipe for trouble people pushing in especially when the waits are horrendous.

[Kev]

We arrived in BKK on that same day at about 3:30 PM and the arrivals hall was much the same took about 1:45 hours to get through.

 

Photo of line up when leaving on the 2nd of March went right back around to the doors it took about an hour and 40 minutes to get throught immigration.