According to Thai media news, recently, Cheng Long, director and spokesman of the second branch of the Thai Immigration Bureau, was interviewed by reporters, and revealed the preparations for welcoming tourists during the New Year, saying that there will be a large number of people entering and exiting the airport, especially Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is expected to increase from the original 120,000 people a day to more than 150,000 people.
In this regard, in order to avoid passenger congestion and the impact on passengers during peak flight periods, the following 6 important measures will be implemented for the immigration checkpoints of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Don Mueang Airport, Phuket Airport, Chiang Mai Airport and Hat Yai Airport under the responsibility of the Second Immigration Department:
1. Increase the number of staff on duty, 3-4 hours in advance of normal shift time to solve the problem of manpower shortage, including requesting the cooperation of immigration staff to avoid absences and leave during this period, so as to provide convenience for inbound and outbound passengers to the greatest extent;
2. Use the same method, i.e., ensure that the number of inbound passengers in the three areas of Suvarnabhumi Airport is balanced, and if there are more people stranded in any area, there will be immigration officers to lead passengers to the next area with fewer people to ensure the efficiency of passport control;
3. Passengers with young children, the elderly, and the disabled will be assigned to the priority lane;
4. Thai passengers will cancel the entry-exit fingerprint scanning, because it has been entered in the system;
5. Coordinate with airlines, if passengers are at risk of missing their flight when leaving the country, they can coordinate with the immigration bureau to facilitate timely boarding;
6. From December 15, 2023, Suvarnabhumi Airport will launch the Exit Automated Lane system to support the screening of foreigners using E-passports in more than 70 countries/regions around the world, which is also a New Year's gift from the Immigration Department to the people of Thailand in accordance with the instructions of Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Saita of Thailand.