First Hong Kong tourists pass through 20-second Suvarnabhumi entry

[Jonathan Fairfield]

First Hong Kong tourists pass through 20-second Suvarnabhumi entry

By The Nation

 

Image: Thairath

 

A group of Cathay Pacific passengers became the first group of Hong Kong people allowed to use the speedy new automated immigration process at Suvarnabhumi airport on Saturday morning.
 

The group arrived on the Cathay Pacific Flight CX717 at 10.50am and were allowed to use the automated channel that required each passenger to pass through the immigration process in only 20 seconds.

 

As part of the process, the system scans the barcode on each passenger’s passport and on the flight ticket as well as reading the passenger’s fingerprint and compared the information with the Advance Passenger Processing system (APPS).

 

The Hong Kong passengers had already provided all necessary immigration information when they checked in with their airline using the APPS system.

 

Immigration has been using automated system with Thai passengers for a while, using information from the online household registration of the Interior Ministry.

 

In 2017, the Cabinet instructed the Immigration Bureau to expand its use to cover foreigners to reduce queues at international airports. The bureau first used it with Singapore passport holders before expanding to those from Hong Kong.

 

The bureau plans to expand the use of automated immigration to other checkpoints around the country and to nationals from other regional countries in the near future.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30354547

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-15

[RotMahKid]

Just make this public to all the western tourists, who will be treated as second rang tourists and have to queue up for one or more hours.

[wgdanson]

And the TM6 form?

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

And the TM6 form?

We don't have them any more. For more than a month now, everything has been automated, as per Prawit's instruction on 14th February:

 

btw, I'm still being sarcastic about the bullshit we were given.

 

[wgdanson]

Has the TM6 been discarded or not, please. They only just 'designed'the new one.

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

As part of the process, the system scans the barcode on each passenger’s passport and on the flight ticket as well as reading the passenger’s fingerprint and compared the information with the Advance Passenger Processing system (APPS).

Do you have to have your fingerprints taken in your own country so they can be compared at Swampy. Fingerprints are not included on the biometric chip in UK passports.

[chickenslegs]

3 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

So has the TM6 been discarded or not, please. They only just 'designed'the new one.

Still required 2 days ago when I returned home to Thailand.

[zzaa09]

2 hours ago, RotMahKid said:

Just make this public to all the western tourists, who will be treated as second rang tourists and have to queue up for one or more hours.

At least the Thais firmly understand the real pecking order.?

Nothing special about Farang that ranks them above anyone else.?

[yellowboat]

Good for them.  The Hong Kong system takes less than 20 seconds.  Still a big leap for any country. 

[The manic]

3 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Has the TM6 been discarded or not, please. They only just 'designed'the new one.

Not as of the 21st of April when I flew into Thailand from China. A landing card was issued.

[vinegarbase]

5 hours ago, wgdanson said:

And the TM6 form?

I thought I remember this only being removed for Thai citizens?

[CGW]

20 seconds? nah! - Singapore has had this system for a while, takes a lot longer than any twenty seconds! doubt Thailand will be as efficient - ever!

[Catkiwi]

3 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Do you have to have your fingerprints taken in your own country so they can be compared at Swampy. Fingerprints are not included on the biometric chip in UK passports.

Doesn't matter, it is for the Thai system to keep your finger prints. Same deal in Malaysia and Singapore for some time now.

[Catkiwi]

4 hours ago, bluesofa said:

We don't have them any more. For more than a month now, everything has been automated, as per Prawit's instruction on 14th February:

 

btw, I'm still being sarcastic about the bullshit we were given.

 

Who is "we" as in don't have the TM6 form anymore? Or did I miss your point...sorry?

[seajae]

I flew into swampy last week tm6 was still needed, on the flight(thai airways) they were saying that permanent foreign residents living in Thailand could use the thai check point custom entry but I wasnt sure if that meant those of us married and living here(yearly extensions) or not so just went through the foreign line

[Knowsitlike]

If you are a PR in Thailand you can register to use the automated line, you fill in only departure part of TM6 on the way out and don’t need any form when you arrive. Been using this for a year or so now without any issues.

[bluesofa]

19 minutes ago, Catkiwi said:

Who is "we" as in don't have the TM6 form anymore? Or did I miss your point...sorry?

I was being sarcastic about the PR event when Prawit said it would all be completed in six months and the TM6 cancelled. We're a month past that deadline and not a single peep from them since.

 

So the TM6 is not cancelled and neither do we have fingerprint scanners at all border checkpoints either. In fact from today's article:

6 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

"The bureau plans to expand the use of automated immigration to other checkpoints around the country and to nationals from other regional countries in the near future"

That's nothing like the February 14th article, saying "six months". Prawit must have meant six months - Thai time.

 

[fforest1]

Its funny how when any government agency anywhere wants more personal data/information/bio-metrics from people fingerprints/DNA/Iris scan etc ,Its always for the peoples convenience..To make lines shorter and peoples life easier..... 

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, CGW said:

20 seconds? nah! - Singapore has had this system for a while, takes a lot longer than any twenty seconds! doubt Thailand will be as efficient - ever!

Well they probably use the same system - I am sure there are not a whole load of automatic immigration systems to choose from - therefore the efficiency would be the same.  I haven't used the Thai system as I am not eligible but on outward appearances it is the same.

 

I am eligible to use the auto channel in Singapore as I have an employment pass there.  I would say it takes pretty much exactly 20 seconds.  On exiting the country though you still have to queue after the gates for a man to manually check your passport and boarding card so this negates the benefits somewhat,  but on the inbound side it is very efficient.

 

Why would Thailand be less efficient if it is essentially the same system?

 

It would make a massive difference if they would expand it to all nationalities who have a long term visa / extension of stay  in Thailand.  I hope that eventually happens.

 

 

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

Will they be questioned for “coming too many times” and possibly detained and denied entry after 6 visa exempts? Nope, sounds a bit racist.

No passport stamp at entry or exit stamps? Works fine for me in Korea and Singapore.

[mok199]

another 1.4 billion to go

[bkk6060]

18 hours ago, RotMahKid said:

Just make this public to all the western tourists, who will be treated as second rang tourists and have to queue up for one or more hours.

Have come in over 50 times never waited more then 15 minutes.

You must be making a poor choice in picking the lines...

[CGW]

11 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

I am eligible to use the auto channel in Singapore as I have an employment pass there.  I would say it takes pretty much exactly 20 seconds.

Big difference between having an employment pass and entering as a tourist.

[seajae]

12 hours ago, Knowsitlike said:

If you are a PR in Thailand you can register to use the automated line, you fill in only departure part of TM6 on the way out and don’t need any form when you arrive. Been using this for a year or so now without any issues.

how do you register to use the automated line

[hereforgood]

12 hours ago, seajae said:

I flew into swampy last week tm6 was still needed, on the flight(thai airways) they were saying that permanent foreign residents living in Thailand could use the thai check point custom entry but I wasnt sure if that meant those of us married and living here(yearly extensions) or not so just went through the foreign line

 when I have come when I have come through on my business Visa or recently retirement Visa is I had changed it I could go through the Thailand immigration lines for Citizens no problem and a lot less wait

[HappyinNE]

I came in yesterday on the same flight the story is about.  New Card that I (US citizen) needed.  My Thai wife did not need one last month leaving or yesterday returning to Thailand.

[Torrens54]

One Giant Leap for IMMIGRATION KIND !

[DrTuner]

Nice. Now all he has to do is wait 45mins for the bags to arrive.

[Fred31]

17 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

At least the Thais firmly understand the real pecking order.?

Nothing special about Farang that ranks them above anyone else.?

Western countries are famous for their demeaning processes for Thais, so sauce for the gander..................

 

[DrTuner]

12 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

I am eligible to use the auto channel in Singapore as I have an employment pass there.  I would say it takes pretty much exactly 20 seconds.  On exiting the country though you still have to queue after the gates for a man to manually check your passport and boarding card so this negates the benefits somewhat,  but on the inbound side it is very efficient.

There are machines at the exit too, put your passport on the reader plate, gate opens, get in the middle, fingerprint, out you go. About 1min, did that a few months back. HK also has them. About time they bought the system here.