Airport and Immigration Woes

[Tomcat]

I have fast track as i know the guy that runs it. It cost a 1000baht to jump the queues. The fast track room is usually empty as well but i noticed last time that they have moved it inside the near the cattle class hall.

Maybe thats being renovated as well. Last time i went in the guy was asleep at the desk

manned to full capacity as the Nation stated... bullshit, half the main desks are empty

Same in Hong Kong... what a fucking joke. I hate Commies

[rxpharm]

Thanks for sharing TC, I've read of another service that also offers quick passage through immigration at a lower cost: Bangkok Flight Services, 700 Baht meet and greet without electric cart - gets you to their special pre-arranged channel for quick entry, and they also have the same for departing passengers at 850 baht.

[Tomcat]

Thats a better option RX and the cheapest yet sans buggy and no porter.
who needs the Porter anyway .

yesterday the main immigration area was empty and more than one desk was open and no problems although i use the fast Track as stated anyway .

[TEXASMAC]

Its worse in USA. When I fly I take off my shoes along with belt and all the other BS. When I was in LOS in January it took about 25 minutes. Much faster than when I fly from Dallas to Houston.

[moe666]

Moveing the cheap domestic flights to DM will not have any impact on Immigration what so ever maybe the cheap international flights but domestic cannot see the reason there. I fly down from CM several times a trip and in and out in nothing flat. Just the Thai solution that is easy and looks good on paper but has no real affect on the actual problem.

[Rocket J. Squirrel]

(rxpharm @ Mar. 31 2012,14:50) Thanks for sharing TC, I've read of another service that also offers quick passage through immigration at a lower cost: Bangkok Flight Services, 700 Baht meet and greet without electric cart - gets you to their special pre-arranged channel for quick entry, and they also have the same for departing passengers at 850 baht.

I had an economy flight home this week.  I tried to contact Bangkok Flight Services by phone and by email and had some trouble getting through.  So instead I used bangkokfasttrack.com for Fast Track and lounge services.  Great service from Sam by phone and by email.

When my taxi arrived, a girl met me with sign at the curb and took it from there.  She was even able to get me on a shorter check-in line by walking up and asking the ticket agent in Business to take me.  Sometimes I really love Thailand.  Price was 1140 THB for Fast Track and 990 THB for 3 hour lounge privileges.  Well worth it IMHO.

[Rocket J. Squirrel]

(Tomcat @ Mar. 30 2012,22:37) I have fast track as i know the guy that runs it. It cost a 1000baht to jump the queues. The fast track room is usually empty as well but i noticed last time that they have moved it inside the near the cattle class hall.

Maybe thats being renovated as well. Last time i went in the guy was asleep at the desk

Does this mean that I can just go to Suvarnabhumi and buy my Fast Track ticket there?  Where exactly is this office?

[Tomcat]

Phone the day before is the preferrd but u can phone him at the airport and its no problem he told me..on the way out that is

on the way in you have to book as they dont have enough time

If you want his phone number ill send it. Although RX found a cheaper deal but maybe my guy will put his price down when he finds out . EVA give out the fastrack for BusClass now so i didnt use him last time

PS
there is no office that i know of. many have tried to find it but failed.. like the source of the Nile. I think the offices are all in BKK and the fast track service crew are just floating around or playing poker in some room .. or drinking tea  ..somewhere

[anicon]

..there's only one thing I can say about how Thai's run things in BKK & that's why I changed my avatar...  

[Tomcat]

ha ha

make a good T Shirt that..and not just for Thailand.

[Guest]

I recently departed (May 1st) en route to London via the EVA 12.50pm flight.

Twenty odd minutes after arriving at the terminal building from the taxi dropping me off I had checked in, cleared immigration and ordered a cup of coffee at one of the airside food outlets.
No fast track, the check in staff suggested that I use the immigration desks on the left side of the terminal building where a dozen officers sat waiting without any lines...

[katoeylover]

fly business/first to avoid the queues!

but, similarily, the lines in London and New York are exactly the same.
Land at the wrong time at JFK and expect a 2 hr wait, and if you are non-EU passenger arriving at terminal 3 at the wrong time and you are in for a similar wait.

[Tomcat]

Same in Hong Kong and that is a bummer.. no fast track to my knowledge and i have asked

[rxpharm]

Things are improving a bit - they have rearranged the inbound lines to be more efficient with the roped mazes, they will be introducing biometric scanners where you can just put your passport photo page in, scan and then a finger print. Thais will have this available first with other countries to be introduced later.

The main reason for shifting the discount carriers to Don Mueang is due to Survarnabhumi rapidly reaching its maximum capacity and the government is not willing to spend the money right now on expanding domestic terminal facilities at Suvarnabhumi.

When I arrived on April 27 at 0730 am, I was through immigration in 15 minutes. A record!

I think TC and KL have it right, it's just a matter of timing - if you happen to hit it when a couple of big flights come in, like an A380 and 777, it could be a long wait.

[rxpharm]

Another update about Don Mueang from Bangkok Post

AoT boots up Don Mueang
Published: 19/05/2012 at 04:00 AM Newspaper section: Business 0
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Don Mueang airport, now only marginally used, will be fully reactivated under a policy reversal by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) to provide relief to the crowded Suvarnabhumi airport.

The Thursday resolution by AoT's board means that three terminals at Bangkok's old airport - International Terminal II, Domestic Terminal and Cargo Terminal II - will be revitalised as "relief" facilities.

The decision effectively kills the ambitious development projects on the airport site previously mooted on assumption of Don Mueang's limited role for passenger traffic.

On AoT's drawing board before the flooding hit Don Mueang were plans for an airframe heavy maintenance and landing gear repair centre; aircraft parts and component storage; import car showrooms; a logistics centre; and a convention and exhibition facility.

AoT wants to divert some traffic, particularly that of low-cost carriers and airlines providing point-to-point flights, from Suvarnabhumi, the country's main international airport, to Don Mueang.

Only Nok Air has returned since flooded Don Mueang reopened in March with Terminal I the only one in service. AoT would like to see that terminal handle 14.5 million passengers a year, up from Nok's 4 million.

AoT is particularly keen to lure Thai AirAsia, Thailand's biggest low-cost carrier, whose passenger volume of 7 million last year would go far towards relieving the load from Suvarnabhumi.

Moving traffic to Don Mueang is a quick and easy way to reduce congestion at Suvarnabhumi, which would otherwise see passenger volume soar to 51 million this year, up from 47.2 million last year. (It was designed to handle 45 million.)

AoT plans to offer a package of incentives, including a 10-15% cut in landing and parking fees, to attract airlines to Don Mueang.

Meanwhile, AoT's board on Thursday agreed to appoint EPM Consortium as the project management consultant for Suvarnabhumi's long-awaited expansion.

Slated for six years, the 62.5-billion-baht project will increase Suvarnabhumi's annual passenger-handling capacity by 15 million, rising to a total of 60 million.

With the current Pheu Thai government spending on populist measures, the amount of money expanding the domestic services at Suvarnabhumi is not available, and probably won't be for several years.

I don't know if all the low cost carriers will shift to Don Mueang - Air Asia might not, but if you will be using the other carriers for domestic flights, be sure to give yourself PLENTY of time to transit between the two airports.