Auto checkout at Suvarnabhumi for foreigners

[Leo_Bia]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2703086/auto-checkout-at-suvarnabhumi-for-foreigners-from-friday

Automatic channels for passport checks for out-bound foreign passengers at Suvarnabhumi airport will be available from Dec 15, to speed up boarding of departure flights, Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Itthipol Itthisanronnachai said on Monday.

He said Suvarnabhumi airport started using 16 automatic channels for passport checks for out-bound travellers from 2012, but only for Thai nationals. It takes only about 20 seconds to scan the face and fingerprints of each passenger. A channel manned by an immigration officer normally takes about 45 seconds.

At present Suvarnabhumi airport handles 50,000-60,000 out-bound passengers per day. Congestion is high when there are more than 20 departure flights per hour. If the immigration and security screening process is slow, passengers can miss their flights.

The Immigration Police Bureau was improving the process so passengers could be processed more quickly, he said. This was in line with government policy to promote tourism.

Pol Lt Gen Itthipol said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin spoke to him at the airport before leaving for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in mid-November.

The prime minister expressed concern over the slow outflow of passengers and asked him to look into installing automatic channels to check the passports of out-bound foreigners.

Action had been taken.

New automatic channels for checking the passports of departing foreigners had been installed at Suvarnabhumi airport and would be open for use from Dec 15.

Immigration Police Division 2 (international airports) commander Pol Gen Choengron Rimphadee said the new automatic channels were for passengers carrying e-passports, and complied with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Foreigners with ordinary passports, and children and the disabled, although holding e-passports, would stil be required to go through the ordinary channels manned by officials.

Outflow of passengers at Suvarnabhumi airport was expected to improve from about 5,000 to 12,000 per hour. Despite the faster immigration process, the machines could still detect people wanted under arrest warrants, those banned from traveling abroad, and those who had overstayed their visas, he said.

Arriving passengers would still have to be checked by immigration officers, for security reasons. As more automatic channels were installed for departures, more immigration staff could be moved to the arrival channels to more effectively cope with the inflow of passengers during peak times, Pol Maj Gen Choengron said.

[jaynewcastle]

Leaving the country has started taking longer than entering it in recent years

Last trip, it took a hour to get through security & passport control, which is ridiculous at 1am in the morning

The cause of the problem was not the amount of people, but the fact that over half the passport control desks were not being manned 

The airport officials know how many flights are leaving each hour, can estimate how many passengers there are & should put enough staff in place at the right times to stop there being a problem

 

 

 

 

[Krane]

First I thought this would be great for us upon leaving the country.  Then I read that passengers with ordinary passports still have to go through the normal check out process.  However looking at the U.S. state site, it says that after 2021 e-passports were replaced by the new Next Gen Passport with RFID chip, which I possess so sounds like I should be able to use this new process.  My U.S. passport was issued 2023.

The only negative part at Suvarnabhoumi Airport  would be my vacay is over and I'm leaving Thailand.

[tlcwaterfall]

10 hours ago, jaynewcastle said:

Leaving the country has started taking longer than entering it in recent years

Last trip, it took a hour to get through security & passport control, which is ridiculous at 1am in the morning

The cause of the problem was not the amount of people, but the fact that over half the passport control desks were not being manned 

The airport officials know how many flights are leaving each hour, can estimate how many passengers there are & should put enough staff in place at the right times to stop there being a problem

 

 

 

 

Agree with you. However common sense and intelligence are severely lacking from airport officials.

This has been an ongoing problem for decades and still remains a big headache for passengers arriving and departing.

[petehoax]

18 hours ago, jaynewcastle said:

Leaving the country has started taking longer than entering it in recent years

hasn't been my experience. (which of course doesn't mean you're wrong. just adding another anecdote).

for me: arrival was normally painless; but so was leaving... in 80% of cases both took under 10 minutes and in 95% of cases it took less than 20 minutes. you normally go down the escalator, wait maybe 5min in the queue and then you're in the final "specific" queue and have 3-4 people in front of you and unless you're very unlucky, you're done in another 3-5 min. 

but having the automatic machines will hopefully speed it up even more. 

Edited December 12, 2023 by petehoax

[Harry Brown]

5 minutes ago, petehoax said:

hasn't been my experience. (which of course doesn't mean you're wrong. just adding another anecdote).

for me: arrival was normally painless; but so was leaving... in 80% of cases both took under 10 minutes and in 95% of cases it took less than 20 minutes. you normally go down the escalator, wait maybe 5min in the queue and then you're in the final "specific" queue and have 3-4 people in front of you and unless you're very unlucky, you're done in another 3-5 min. 

but having the automatic machines will hopefully speed it up even more. 

Much the same for me, but on leaving the queue is banked up to the escalator, probably only 15- 20 minutes

[biggles]

Being over 70 I use the 'priority,' entry gate at Swampy. Has its own security and immig desk and can save a lot of time. My partner is much younger, but still allowed through with me. 

[KyleReading]

assume there must be a manual desk if people have got minor overstays to pay

I will be few hours over when I leave

[BeijaFlor]

On 12/12/2023 at 05:24, biggles said:

Being over 70 I use the 'priority,' entry gate at Swampy. Has its own security and immig desk and can save a lot of time. My partner is much younger, but still allowed through with me. 

I just turned 70, so I'm newly eligible, and I'd like to know where's the 'priority' entry gate

[Bonkabit]

1 hour ago, BeijaFlor said:

I just turned 70, so I'm newly eligible, and I'd like to know where's the 'priority' entry gate

 

Fast Track Lanes and Locations

Fast track lanes are available for passengers who have priority status or who have purchased access to the service. These lanes are located at each concourse and the main terminal and are marked with signage indicating "Fast Track". 

As you enter Immigration, there is a sign on your right-hand side pointing to the desk. Usually there is an official there who will help if you fail to see it.

On departing there is fast track Emigration about 20m to right of the main escalator entry.

Arrival is usually very quick. Departing not so fast, but OK. 

Check Bangkok/ Suvarnabhumi airport map on the web.

[biggles]

Used priority departure this week, first time since July. They have changed the 'route' after the entry point. A b.... y long walk, especially for the elderly.

Still have their own security and immig checks, no waiting, but now  you exit into the main area way down by gates F, G Etc As our gate was C09 we needed a lot of time to walk there. 

Edited December 25, 2023 by biggles

[Leo_Bia]

6 hours ago, KyleReading said:

assume there must be a manual desk if people have got minor overstays to pay

I will be few hours over when I leave

You still queue and use the immigration desks as normal, and if you are overstay you are directed to another desk.

You will get a stamp, but no fine.

[KyleReading]

On 25/12/2023 at 08:59, Leo_Bia said:

You still queue and use the immigration desks as normal, and if you are overstay you are directed to another desk.

You will get a stamp, but no fine.

Yep exactly what happened

immigration guy opened his gate and called guy who directed me to another desk.....

Something written in thai which former wife translated as basically "one days grace no issue no fine"

[Jarrod2518]

On 11/12/2023 at 21:49, jaynewcastle said:

Leaving the country has started taking longer than entering it in recent years

That was certainly my experience on 1st Dec. In fact the departure was delayed due to passengers being delayed at Immigration!   

[sulu]

On 11/12/2023 at 04:04, Leo_Bia said:

Immigration Police Division 2 (international airports) commander Pol Gen Choengron Rimphadee said the new automatic channels were for passengers carrying e-passports, and complied with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Foreigners with ordinary passports, and children and the disabled, although holding e-passports, would stil be required to go through the ordinary channels manned by officials.

Just found out about the auto-outbound immigration channels. Few years ago I came "this close" to missing my flight home. Apparently, I wasn't the only one.

Unfortunately, it requires an e-passport.

Don't know about other than the U.S. but our passports go for 10 years. My normal-type passport expires in 2027 and I don't see myself getting another PP before then just to have an e-passport so it'll be (still) a looooong time before I can use the automated outbound immigration.

Guess as time goes by normal passports will expire and e-passports become normalized BKK will have more of these automated channels added.

A good idea. 👍

 

[stevole]

1 hour ago, sulu said:

Just found out about the auto-outbound immigration channels. Few years ago I came "this close" to missing my flight home. Apparently, I wasn't the only one.

Unfortunately, it requires an e-passport.

Don't know about other than the U.S. but our passports go for 10 years. My normal-type passport expires in 2027 and I don't see myself getting another PP before then just to have an e-passport so it'll be (still) a looooong time before I can use the automated outbound immigration.

Guess as time goes by normal passports will expire and e-passports become normalized BKK will have more of these automated channels added.

A good idea. 👍

 

The US started issuing e-passports in 2006.  I have an old passport issued in 2007 that is an e-passport.

[sulu]

12 minutes ago, stevole said:

The US started issuing e-passports in 2006.  I have an old passport issued in 2007 that is an e-passport.

Well, I'll be hornswaggled !!! (& if you've ever BEEN hornswaggled you know how much it hurts ).

I just took a look and OMG, I DO have that little chip/emblem on the front. Never noticed it before and never knew whether or not anybody cared about it. 👍