Biometrics at Suvaranabhumi

[biggles 509]

We arrived sunday at 4am. Immigration almost empty, no more than 3-4 people in each line. We went thru the "old farts" queue first in line. Had no problem with the scanner, tho we have used them in KL and Singapore. I can see how first time travellers could be confused tho. 

[teelack 9,638]

It must be me but on arrival I used the priority lane (over seventy) and same on the way out. I was the only traveler who in the line on both way in and way out. The biometric info was completed on the way out in possibly 2 minutes. Ok, I realise that this is not typical but works well for me. I have no idea how the info will be used but my experience with Smart gate technology in New Zealand has been brilliant. Through in less than a minute and zero queuing. We can only hope that in the long run this will speed the process up.

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[jacko 8,814]

4 hours ago, teelack said:

Through in less than a minute and zero queuing. We can only hope that in the long run this will speed the process up.

Optimistic. Since everyone arriving or leaving will have to do this extra step I doubt it will speed things up. How is it used, it will ensure you and your passport are the same person. Getting a new passport will not hide past indiscretions. Those of dual nationality who switch between passports can be linked. Data will likely get shared around the world. 

[teelack 9,638]

6 minutes ago, jacko said:

Optimistic. Since everyone arriving or leaving will have to do this extra step I doubt it will speed things up. How is it used, it will ensure you and your passport are the same person. Getting a new passport will not hide past indiscretions. Those of dual nationality who switch between passports can be linked. Data will likely get shared around the world. 

You may be completely correct however when the Smartgate system started I doubt that anyone realised just how efficient it would become. The one  step that has been dropped for some years in NZ is the stamping of passports. I would imagine that whatever else they will still want to bang that stamp and earn their baht. In the final analysis perhaps all they will achieve is to filter out some of the people on duals such as you have mentioned. 

[Severn 109]

You may be completely correct however when the Smartgate system started I doubt that anyone realised just how efficient it would become. The one  step that has been dropped for some years in NZ is the stamping of passports. I would imagine that whatever else they will still want to bang that stamp and earn their baht. In the final analysis perhaps all they will achieve is to filter out some of the people on duals such as you have mentioned. 

The smartgates in the UK work well too, but don't require fingerprints. Last trip Emirates 380 landed at 18:36 at Birmingham and I was on the train home at 19:05.

BKK immigration fast lane was a little slower as a family with 5 small children was being processed in front of me. Smallest children were not fingerprinted but had to be coaxed for the photo.

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[awesum4 2,333]

I like smart gate. One of the main advantages is it overcomes language problems.  It took ages to get through immigration into Hawaii because a plane load of Chinese tourists landed just before us. They didnt speak English, there was only one Chinese speaking immigration officer. The immigration office doing our line was frustrated and downright rude to them, was even shouting at them which didnt help matters at all.

Presumably smartgate can give instructions in any language based on your passport. Show a Chinese passport and it gives instructions in Chinese. 

[jacko 8,814]

15 hours ago, Severn said:

The smartgates in the UK work well too, but don't require fingerprints.

My passport has never ever worked in those things and it makes me look like a dick. In LHR the immigration guy said it was  the way I held it there, I kept schtum and let him keep checking my passport, although feeling inclined to choke him with his turban. It never works in Manchester either. 

[atlas2 4,329]

57 minutes ago, jacko said:

My passport has never ever worked in those things and it makes me look like a dick. In LHR the immigration guy said it was  the way I held it there, I kept schtum and let him keep checking my passport, although feeling inclined to choke him with his turban. It never works in Manchester either. 

It's the way you hold it it there.......5555!

'Ram mai dee, tort bit, tort glorn'.........

 

' The tunes not good so the piper blames his pipe.......We'd say, 'a poor workman blames his tools'

 I know you hate and call this, 'time wasting meaningless gibberish' but  I learnt about 40 of these 'suparsits'....proverbs/idioms....I used that one only yesterday...with a smile in Tescos......With a cheeky laugh it cheered the girl up having problems and getting angry with removing the security tag on a bottle of wine. Other Thais held up in the  queue all raised their eyebrows and smiled at a falang who's not as dumb as he looks and who's who's taken the trouble to learn their 'gibberish'

 

Edited June 21, 2019 by atlas2

[jacko 8,814]

3 minutes ago, atlas2 said:

It's the way you hold it it there.......5555!

'Ram mai dee, tort bit, tort glorn'.........

 

' The tunes not good so the piper blames his pipe.......We'd say, 'a poor workman blames his tools'

 I know you hate and call this, 'time wasting meaningless gibberish' but  I learnt about 40 of these 'suparsits'....proverbs/idioms....used that one only yesterday...with a smile in Tescos......With a cheeky laugh it cheered the girl up having problems and getting angry with removing the security tag on a bottle of wine. Other Thais held up in the  queue all raised their eyebrows and smiled at a falang who's not so dumb and who's who's taken the trouble to learn their 'gibberish'

 

Well if that is the highlight of your day (making the katoey tellers smile) go for it. To me it is gibberish as I cannot determine which true Thai words you are trying to present, and it comes across as smarmy. 

I do better with Caps French. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by jacko

[atlas2 4,329]

21 minutes ago, jacko said:

Well if that is the highlight of the day go for it. To me it is gibberish as I cannot determine which true Thai words you are trying to present, and it comes across as smarmy. 

รำไม่ดีโทษปี่โทษกลอง
ramM maiF deeM tho:htF bpeeL tho:htF glaawngM
"A bad shearer never had a good sickle." — "A bad workman blames his tools."

 

If you read the Thai words...I can't......

They are harder to determine......

"To dance badly blame/incriminate/impeach the wind instrument Thai oboe drum

 

 

Anyway only a handfull more posts and you won't need to read anymore gibberish from me. Miserable git!

 

[jacko 8,814]

1 hour ago, atlas2 said:

If you read the Thai words...I can't......

Well with the Thai letters there I can determine them, I also have the ability to use my phone to help. 

It doesn't do gibberish. 

Bloody ex-school teachers! Can't put away their gown and mortarboard and condescending attitudes. 

Edited June 22, 2019 by jacko

[Barhop 197]

Arrived ~17:30 Sunday 09Jun19.  Was through in record time.  One person being processed and one ahead of me.  Finger printing took about half a minute.  Through so quickly that had to wait, at a guess, for about 15 minutes before the cases even started appearing.

Bought a litre bottle of Jim Beam duty free for 700B.  Is that cheap for Thailand?

Was in Nam taxi in no time.  Nam's daughter (or sister -  can't remember) was along as a passenger to see how the system worked before she starts driving herself.

 

 

[awesum4 2,333]

That gives me great hope for my trip in August.

2 years ago it took over 3 hours to clear immigration. But that was at arriving at midnight just after 3 plane loads of Chinese and they only had about 4 gates working. This trip I land at 4pm so should be lots of staff on. 

[cluster 14]

I arrive in August too. A Saturday night about 9.45pm. Hoping for a quick pass through customs than into a taxi and Nana. What’s BM’s thoughts on how long a taxi ride will take at say 10.30 or 11.00pm on a Saturday night into Soi 4 BKK... 45 minutes?

[yorta2 693]

Bedlam in Sukhumvit at that time. If your hotel is close to Sukhumvit Road, I advise that you get the taxi to stop on Suk. Rd. before Soi 4  (if he goes that way), or on Soi 3 before Suk., then walk to Soi 4.  It will save at least 20 mins.  Or at least that has been my experience.  Getting through that intersection can be a nightmare.

[cluster 14]

What’s the latest intel on this.... is it still a nightmare to get through in a reasonable amount of time?

[teelack 9,638]

Why do you think this? I have yet to read that it is problem! Sure, initial input is perhaps 2 minutes but I am sure that the end result will be a speed up of the immigration process.

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[jacko 8,814]

5 hours ago, teelack said:

Why do you think this? I have yet to read that it is problem! Sure, initial input is perhaps 2 minutes but I am sure that the end result will be a speed up of the immigration process.

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How do you see the addition of an extra step in the process as speeding things up?

[Bazle 1,485]

14 minutes ago, jacko said:

How do you see the addition of an extra step in the process as speeding things up?

It neither speeded up nor slowed down my processing.

However, I saw one IO have to leave his seat to assist an elderly Chinese-looking guy with it. Just need a few of those and it will slow down things. 

[teelack 9,638]

11 hours ago, jacko said:

How do you see the addition of an extra step in the process as speeding things up?

Because in future I would see it cutting down on some steps.Sorry to hark back to the Smart Gate system but now there is no queue, no stamps and its all handled by a machine that's not having a bad day, due her period or going through the menopause. Like it or not the gradual computerisation and AI is displacing people for technology. There would be no reason to spend hundreds of millions of baht on a system that has no advantages or long term savings. 

[jacko 8,814]

1 hour ago, teelack said:

There would be no reason to spend hundreds of millions of baht on a system that has no advantages or long term savings. 

I struggle to apply such logic to the usual ongoings in Thailand!

It is about security, not efficiency.

The introduction of passport readers in the UK certainly didn't speed things up for me, it never worked, so I wasted time there, then had to go back to fewer manned kiosks !

Which steps will be reduced or eliminated? At the moment I see only one added one that is a bit fiddly and sometimes takes a moment. Fingerprints will have to be supplied every time one enters. Perhaps no Tm 6?

[teelack 9,638]

I struggle to apply such logic to the usual ongoings in Thailand!
It is about security, not efficiency.
The introduction of passport readers in the UK certainly didn't speed things up for me, it never worked, so I wasted time there, then had to go back to fewer manned kiosks !
Which steps will be reduced or eliminated? At the moment I see only one added one that is a bit fiddly and sometimes takes a moment. Fingerprints will have to be supplied every time one enters. Perhaps no Tm 6?

In fairness I don't know that your Smart Gate experience is typical. Like I said, for me it is less than a minute and never yet had a queue. I have no idea what the future of Thailand airports will be and I have just read a rant (on Thai Visa I think) saying that around noon it is a nightmare. I can only judge as I find and if a backwater like New Zealand can have state of the art immigration I am sure that Thailand can as well. Things that could be dumped? Perhaps the photos can be taken automatically? I really don't know as I have no experience in the area. Surely there are some airport geeks that have the answers?


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[awesum4 2,333]

The first couple of times I used the smartgate system there were hiccups and frustrations that meant I had to go through a manned gate.  Now it works quickly and efficiently every time.

I think there will be teething problems with any new system but they will get sorted.

We waited for over 3 hours to get through in 2017. I'm hoping for a much quicker passage in 3 weeks time.