General Reports

[QUOTE=Syzygies; 1258413]Well you really must be choosing to arrive at peak time. I arrive at Suwanaphuum at least 8 times per year, and mostly I manage to get through within 20 mins I would think. I do often arrive in very early morning or late at night or Sundays.

I mostly get a seat close to plane exit, and rush a little to Imm so that I at least beat 99% of passengers on my flight. This helps unless a few other flights got in just before yours.

Still would have been nice if the had automated gates for those with electronic passports. Save mucking around with paper work.[/QUOTE]Sometime you can't choose to arrive in the low peak window at BKK, sometime, as you say,""this helps unless a few other flights got in just before yours"". That was my point: arrive in a peak time and you are done!

Nice idea to sit close to an exit, but there are only some half a dozen seats meeting that requirement. What about the remaining zillion passengers sitting in a middle seat at the tail? I am not expecting 200booths, but there are ways in between.

I, personally, am not touched as I use the fast track. But it is a fact there are passengers not helping the flow, leaving passports in the bag, not filling the form, causing delays. I have noticed the vast majority of officers run the procedure pretty quickly, tho'.

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan; 1258396]This is a classic tradition of Thais in how to tackle a problem. No where in the world except Thailand can this happen? The airport is good but the problem running it is the problem! The same people who made the decision to buy a luggage system that was abandon by United in Denver. The same people who brought undergrade cement for the runways and gates, the same people who selected the wrong aircon system for the airport, the list goes on and on. Instead of tackling the problem directly go to the old airport. Has anyone thought about closing the old airport for good which was the original intent and bring the Immigration staff to the new one? K. I. S. S. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!

LBM[/QUOTE]The waiting time in the Immigration lines coming and going is just too much but you can pay your way out of the waiting lines by using the fast track service, probably the best solution for weary travelers at this point.

[QUOTE=Run Mann;1258468]The waiting time in the Immigration lines coming and going is just too much but you can pay your way out of the waiting lines by using the fast track service, probably the best solution for weary travelers at this point.[/QUOTE]Thanks, I heard that before but I have all the time in the world now just waiting to die? I wouldn't give the morons the satisfaction!

LBM

[QUOTE=Bionicman; 1258398]Immigration booths do not simply seem to pair the waves of traffic. Incoming aircrafts feeding immigration are wide bodies of 250+ pax each.

Have 5 landing at the same time and 1500 people will que up. 20 booths will clear 75 people each. 1 minute each pax, makes it that the last of the 75 in line goes through after one hour at least.

This is an extreme calculaton, but gives the feeling.[/QUOTE]Your calculation is more that correct! You should have volunteer to design and work for the Thai airport because this isn't rocket science. You want to build a world class airport and know first hand that the majority landing aircraft will be wide bodies and know exactly who is coming and when they will be landing yet you don't have the necessary staff or facility? These are the same people who design bathrooms with only two stalls in the beginning. Sometimes they do surprise me that it actually gets done but I've learned not to hold my breath?

In the last 7 years I have only used Eva and in years back 2007/2008 I arrived the same time 11:30am, and I never experience the lines like today. Always planned on taking the 12 noon Bell bus, now I wait for the 1400 bus.

LBM

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan; 1258503]Your calculation is more that correct! You should have volunteer to design and work for the Thai airport because this isn't rocket science. You want to build a world class airport and know first hand that the majority landing aircraft will be wide bodies and know exactly who is coming and when they will be landing yet you don't have the necessary staff or facility? These are the same people who design bathrooms with only two stalls in the beginning. Sometimes they do surprise me that it actually gets done but I've learned not to hold my breath?

In the last 7 years I have only used Eva and in years back 2007/2008 I arrived the same time 11:30am, and I never experience the lines like today. Always planned on taking the 12 noon Bell bus, now I wait for the 1400 bus.

LBM[/QUOTE]The examples are never ending. What I've concluded is that the design / construction team gets more focused on the kick backs and how to line their pockets than how to build a truly funtional solution. Here is a favorite example of mine. In Ranong (where I live, don't ask me why) they built a "Multi Purpose Port". This has dock space and cranes for container shipments. The big idea was to "compete with Singapore". Riiiiiiight. So they built the multi millon dollar facility and when finished it was revealed that the seaway channel into Ranong is not deep enough for container ships. Dredging would be so massive it would cost more than the port facility. BUT, everybody got paid didn't they?

C4T

[QUOTE=Crazy4Thai; 1258518]The examples are never ending. What I've concluded is that the design / construction team gets more focused on the kick backs and how to line their pockets than how to build a truly funtional solution. Here is a favorite example of mine. In Ranong (where I live, don't ask me why) they built a "Multi Purpose Port". This has dock space and cranes for container shipments. The big idea was to "compete with Singapore". Riiiiiiight. So they built the multi millon dollar facility and when finished it was revealed that the seaway channel into Ranong is not deep enough for container ships. Dredging would be so massive it would cost more than the port facility. BUT, everybody got paid didn't they?

C4T[/QUOTE]And you're still C4T? That is 100% correct this B. S. Goes around throughout Thailand but the majority of the citizen can't figure it out maybe that is why we have such a great time with the results from their mistakes over and over again. They say over 200 billion baht lost each year from the corruption so as long as they continue to screw up we will benefit from the new meat that arrives for our tasting?

LBM

[QUOTE=Daddy07; 1258462]Is there a setting in ISG which allows members to write and post forum reports that are accessible to some members but not accessible to others? Can you intentionally exclude some members from reading your reports?

If there is such a function I can't find it.

I'm not referring to the Ignore function which allows you to ignore some member's reports.[/QUOTE]The idea of a forum is to share information, not to keep them secret.

The PM function allows Private Messages between individual members, not to a group of guys.

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan; 1258503]Your calculation is more that correct! You should have volunteer to design and work for the Thai airport because this isn't rocket science. .

LBM[/QUOTE]There might be also a bit of purposely made delay. The time you spend at immigration allows them to bring your baggage at the carrousel belt. So when you are finally out of passport control, maybe 15 or 30' after you left the plane, and you reach the baggage claim area, you will see your bag on the belt. You will be impressed by the timely delivery, no boring waiting at the belt, no worrying or no wondering whether your bag will appear or not, or waiting toomlong for it makes you think it got lost. The time you have been spending at the immigration will not be accounted to the airport efficiency but at those beauraucrats of the immigration agency. : will you dispute with immigration officers? Certainly not! Will you complain with delayed baggage: absolutely yes! Problem sorted!

[QUOTE=Bionicman; 1258532]The idea of a forum is to share information, not to keep them secret.

The PM function allows Private Messages between individual members, not to a group of guys.[/QUOTE]I agree.

So why is there one poster on this board who's posts I cannot access?

When I click to view his reports, and it's only his, I'm taken to someone else's post. It's as though this guy never posted, but when someone quotes his post I can view that.

I'm not able to access any of this member's posts. That's why I asked if there is some special function which allows a poster to block other posters from accessing their posts. If there is, and this guy doesn't want me to read his reports, I'm fine with that, but I didn't believe that was possible.

Very mysterious.

[QUOTE=Daddy07; 1258542]I agree.

So why is there one poster on this board who's posts I cannot access?

When I click to view his reports, and it's only his, I'm taken to someone else's post. It's as though this guy never posted, but when someone quotes his post I can view that.

I'm not able to access any of this member's posts. That's why I asked if there is some special function which allows a poster to block other posters from accessing their posts. If there is, and this guy doesn't want me to read his reports, I'm fine with that, but I didn't believe that was possible.

Very mysterious.[/QUOTE]Might be some bug or mismatch in the ISG database?

[QUOTE=Bionicman;1258536]There might be also a bit of purposely made delay. The time you spend at immigration allows them to bring your baggage at the carrousel belt. So when you are finally out of passport control, maybe 15 or 30' after you left the plane, and you reach the baggage claim area, you will see your bag on the belt. You will be impressed by the timely delivery, no boring waiting at the belt, no worrying or no wondering whether your bag will appear or not, or waiting toomlong for it makes you think it got lost. The time you have been spending at the immigration will not be accounted to the airport efficiency but at those beauraucrats of the immigration agency. : will you dispute with immigration officers? Certainly not! Will you complain with delayed baggage: absolutely yes! Problem sorted![/QUOTE]Your reply couldn't be more wrong! The airport efficiency know exactly what is going on and if it is purposely as you said the efficiency people should be tar and feather along with their balls. Most likely a moron a family member of a higher up given the job with no experience like most position in Thailand that suppose to control flooding?

In fact each time I have come in during those hours when Eva arrived, my bags were no longer on the carrousel belt they were pull off and put in a area next to the carrousel so that they can process the next flight arriving. So the last thing I'm thinking is being impressed!

LBM

I do not think the delays at Suvarnabhumi are that bad. EVERY time I flew to the US I had much longer delays at immigration and bagage handling, not to say the much less friendliness of the immigration officers in the US.

[QUOTE=Wolvenvacht;1258614]I do not think the delays at Suvarnabhumi are that bad. EVERY time I flew to the US I had much longer delays at immigration and bagage handling, not to say the much less friendliness of the immigration officers in the US.[/QUOTE]I flew into BKK around 10 days ago at Noon.

From the time that the plane touched down it took me 1 hr 40 minutes until I got outside for a taxi.

It certainly seemed to me that immigration was more crowded than usual!

EVERY gate (Thai & Farrang) seemed to have LONG queues. Many were backed up right down the slope towards the main concourse.

However, on my departure, at around 6. 00 pm on a weekday the queues for EXIT passport control and security seemed MUCH shorter than I am used to!

Hotman.

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan; 1258600]Your reply couldn't be more wrong! The airport efficiency know exactly what is going on and if it is purposely as you said the efficiency people should be tar and feather along with their balls. Most likely a moron a family member of a higher up given the job with no experience like most position in Thailand that suppose to control flooding?

In fact each time I have come in during those hours when Eva arrived, my bags were no longer on the carrousel belt they were pull off and put in a area next to the carrousel so that they can process the next flight arriving. So the last thing I'm thinking is being impressed!

LBM[/QUOTE]I am not saying the immigration delays is scientifically done to show efficiency at the carrousel.

But if (the delay) happens, it helps.

I do agree airports are well aware of passenger flows well ahead. But it is often ignored.

When I landed last Monday at 5. 35 am there was quite some lines at immigration. At least 20 persons per booth. One hour later I was in Sukhumvit, thanks to the fast track and no checked in luggage. I will see next Monday, when I have luggage.

Of course, each one has his own impressions and judgements.

Usually only half or a third of the booths have a customs officer in them processing passports. So it doesn't seem like it's an airport design issue, but rather a staffing issue. Why are they not solving it? I have no idea. It certainly doesn't create a good impression when you enter the country. And it's strange because most everywhere else in Thailand, Thais tend to be customer-minded and provide excellent service.