New Improvements To Be Implemented To Speed Up Check-Ins At Don Mueang

The recent fiasco at Don Mueang Airport, which saw people standing for hours at immigration security desks, has brought about investigations as to how things could be improved.

A number of suggestions have been proposed for consideration, such as outsourcing the work to third parties and increasing the number of immigration checkpoints.

Another idea that could see a reduction in queues, would be to make Thai nationals, exempt from having to fill out the TM6 form, which at present, everyone has to complete and hand in with their passports when they approach the desk.

This would alleviate the problem should their be a large number of Thai people travelling through the airport but it is unlikely to have much effect on Bangkok's busiest airport Suvarnabhumi, where it tends to be foreign passengers who are arriving and departing.

The immigration authorities however, want the proposals approved and implemented promptly and are seeking to accelerate the recommendations.

If Thai people are made exempt from the TM6 form, there is little threat to national security as the powers that be, already have a database of Thai passengers. So based on that, it does appear to be a good idea and will reduce the workload on immigration officers. The big question is this however. Is the TM6 for needed at all? What real purpose does it serve?

Another means of moving passengers through check-ins more efficiently would be to open up the automated passport control desks, currently reserved for Thai nationals. This idea has already been suggested by the Immigration Bureau.

It was announced that the number of officials working at Don Mueang would be increased by more than double from tomorrow. At present there are 42 staff but there will be up to 100 people on duty, to reduce waiting times.

More check-in desks will be installed within two weeks, providing an additional 14 checkpoints.

News agency, The Nation was at Don Mueang Airport to inspect operations but they witnessed long queues at arrivals.

Don Mueang is Bangkok's secondary airport but it has saw a huge increase in passengers over the last few years. Since 2012 for instance, traffic through the airport has increased by over 400%. It is believed to handle over 40,000 passengers per day.

But it appears that despite this growth, the airport's facilities are sadly lacking behind but hopefully that is all about to change with the new plans.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was so concerned that he intervened, ordering the relevant agencies to deliver a suitable solution as soon as possible.

Have you experienced long delays at Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi Airports?

Let us know.

Source: The Nation

Content: TPVS