Ranking Airport Immigration by Strictness/Friendliness

[White Christmas13]

8 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Yes, and you're not Teenie either.

 

Are you watching my avatar yet?

no need to watch it I use it on Facebook for all the people I reject

Edited May 15, 2019 by White Christmas13

[White Christmas13]

14 minutes ago, VBF said:

Couldn't have put it better ????????

Perth to UPT 16 hours, price 1032b $ return

Perth to Bangkok suvarnabhumi 669 $  7 hours flight 

take you pick

[VBF]

1 minute ago, White Christmas13 said:

Perth to UPT 16 hours, price 1032b $ return

Perth to Bangkok suvarnabhumi 669 $  7 hours flight 

take you pick

THAT'S THE POINT - we have the choice. Same for me from the UK but SOME PEOPLE would find UTP cheaper and more convenient.

EG...The Russian Charters fly in there not Suvarnabhumi

You really are being rather obtuse WC.  I think i'm inclined to agree with @NanLaew ????

[White Christmas13]

4 minutes ago, VBF said:

THAT'S THE POINT - we have the choice. Same for me from the UK but SOME PEOPLE would find UTP cheaper and more convenient.

EG...The Russian Charters fly in there not Suvarnabhumi

You really are being rather obtuse WC.  I think i'm inclined to agree with @NanLaew ????

it's your choice

[gk10002000]

zootopia DMV clip.  Although honestly, in my 14 or so trips I never had such a slow down.  And by luck or coincidence the line at Suvi only once extended down to the hallway and that still did not take long to get through.  But I was always arriving on simple Visa Exempt without lots of extensions, or other visas, etc.  So immigration never paid much attention to me

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0woPde7OE1k

 

[Traubert]

Anyway, all squabbling and point scoring aside, here's my take on the Thai airports I've been through.

 

Utapao maybe 5 times, never exchanged a word with anyone, just get stamped in and out. Maybe 7 times.

 

Krabi once, no issues at all.

 

Chiang Mai once, no problems.

 

Don Meung once, again no problems.

 

Phuket once, no problems.

 

Suvarnabhumi twice, one good experience one bad. Security is awful now.

 

Going back to Utapao, flights into there are from China, India and Russia, they have opened a new terminal this year. Last time I was there Terminal 2 is domestic, the old Terminal 1 is international. Very polite staff at security and check in.

 

The problem is lack of transport. Its private taxi or minibus and they strip you bare. 1200bht for a taxi and 250 for a minibus where you wait an hour for it to fill up. Mouthy ladyboys on the desks.

 

All of the above have been on tourist waivers, no visa in passport, never answered a question, never showed any money, return flight or hotel. Just filled in the arrival/departure card.

 

 

[Letseng]

I have no complaint about Suvarnabhumi. I always got treated in a professional way. On a recent departure with my new p.port I had my visa details transferred to new p.port organized by a friendly IO and handled by a very pleasant lady IO. 

 

When I arrived at  my home airport in Europe I had my p.port thrown back at me with by a miserable looking IO. 

 

[BritTim]

For Western expats, U-Tapao might be of interest for visa runs to places like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, and not wanting either the hassle of entering Thailand by land nor the risk of flying into BKK or DMK. Speculative. Flying from most distant locations (the Russian charters notwithstanding) is likely too much of a pain.

[arithai12]

4 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

Perth to UPT 16 hours, price 1032b $ return

Perth to Bangkok suvarnabhumi 669 $  7 hours flight 

take you pick

is that billion dollars? via Mars maybe?

[arithai12]

re: Suvarnabhumi. Let's not forget that many do immigration in BKK at the counters for domestic transfer flights near terminal A/B. I have done it dozens of times, never had any questions or issues.

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

Perth to UPT 16 hours, price 1032b $ return

Perth to Bangkok suvarnabhumi 669 $  7 hours flight 

take you pick

Yes, fly to Swampy and then get a limo to UTP, save both time and money!

(Cynicism aside, surely Air Asia via KL  would cover Perth to UTP quite well as far as cost). 

[JackThompson]

20 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Suvarnabhumi for the 1st time ever asked a number of questions a few weeks ago when I arrived with a visa. 1st commented if it was a new passport which I said yes (old one expired). 2nd commented "tourist visa" and I said yes again. Then said wow you stay here very long based on based on the 60 days I put on the departure card. Then asked where I will fly to next and I told him. Then he finally stamped me in. Never ever been questioned before in the past or had any comments.

Yes, the immigration at the bad airports thinks the 60-day stay which is authorized by a Tourist Visa is "excessive."  IOs have been reported to call this "impossible" and say "only a week or two."  Given IOs at good entry points don't give it a 2nd thought, I can only assume this is due to the training by the supervisors that control those entry-points.

 

 

[NanLaew]

22 hours ago, arithai12 said:

re: Suvarnabhumi. Let's not forget that many do immigration in BKK at the counters for domestic transfer flights near terminal A/B. I have done it dozens of times, never had any questions or issues.

That's interesting. It suggests that those re-entering Thailand at Suvarnabhumi with Bangkok as their terminus are more likely to get the immigration hassle whereas those re-entering Thailand there but ultimately headed onward domestically for another terminus in Thailand (there's only Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Samui, Phuket and Krabi) can expect a free pass.

 

Since Don Mueang is the LCC terminal, I assume there's no similar 'air-side' immigration clearance-to-domestic like they have at BKK.

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

That's interesting. It suggests that those re-entering Thailand at Suvarnabhumi with Bangkok as their terminus are more likely to get the immigration hassle whereas those re-entering Thailand there but ultimately headed onward domestically for another terminus in Thailand (there's only Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Samui, Phuket and Krabi) can expect a free pass.

Interesting, but surprising. One would think the immigration officials, and their supervisors, would still be the same as for the regular immigration counters. Anyone any suggestions for why there would be a difference?