There was an interesting article in the Bangkok Post on Valentines day about Bangkok‘s Suvarnabhumi International Airport entitled “First Impressions Suffer as Airport Immigration Queues Grow Longer“. Even more interesting is the flurry of letters to the Bangkok Post editor stating the same issue.
Suvarnabhumi Bangkok International Airport
Since I have retired in Khon Kaen, I have only used Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok for a handful of domestic flights and haven’t had to deal with Thai Immigration. But, in the past 10 years, I have flown in and out of both Don Muang and at Suvarnabhumi numerous times.
I have entered on a tourist passport and also on an official passport as a US Government employee on official travel. Really nice head of the line privilege when using the Official Passport.
Long lines were always a problem for me at Don Muang, as most of the time I arrived at around midnight, along with a bunch of other flights, and the amount of people was enormous. We always made it a point to beat feet to Immigration, not stopping for anything and it would still take anywhere for 30-60 minutes to get through. The only consolation was that our bags were always waiting for us on the carousel.
China Airlines started and has since ended a better flight time for those in Hawaii that had a great arrival time of 1600. The lines were never long arriving at that time. My last flight from Hawaii to Bangkok was on the final China Air great departure time flight (March 25, 2010) – they needed to use the long haul planes on a Taipei – England route.
Now, I did notice the last 4-5 times flying back to Hawaii from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, that the departure Immigration lines were a total zoo. The entire Immigration area was packed and there were hundreds of people in line outside the official Immigration area. It took close to an hour to get through and then a long, long walk to my gate.
Granted, this was early in the morning for an 0825 flight, so I kind of expected long lines and planned for it allowing plenty of time to get through, get some breakfast at Burger King, and have a few cigarettes before flying (now no smoking in the terminal at Suvarnabhumi).
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport Long Lines
But, they have something now that was mentioned in a couple letters to the Bangkok Post editor that I had never seen before. A Fast Track System. Pay 1,200 Thai baht and go to the head of the line.
A few conspiracy theorists think this may be planned to have fewer Immigration Officers on duty, so the lines become long automatically, forcing people to fork over 1,200 baht if they have a connection to make or just don’t want to stand in a long line.
I tend to agree with them. Both Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi are notorious for scams over the years. From the taxi mafia that wants to charge you two arms and a leg to get to your hotel without using the meter, to fake Immigration Officers on the sidewalk demanding you open your duty free bags and telling you that you have to fork over thousands of baht or you will be incarcerated, to the King of Duty Free scams where the cashier slips extra merchandise in your bag and you are immediately stopped outside the shop by “Thai Police” and taken to a small room for interrogation and more money handed over.
I would not be surprised at all if this turns out to be another scam at the airport, greeting new arrivals and pissing them off when they finally arrive in Bangkok. What a great way to make a first impression.
And, with the long lines at departure, a final impression is also made at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport that is sure to leave a bad taste in a tourist’s mouth. Keep pissing off the tourists, and no one will come to Suvarnabhumi.
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