Thai Airports To Simplify Process, Added More Personnel

With the start of the high season since the Covid-19 pandemic, Airports in Thailand are now working on simplifying processes and adding more airport personnel. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob visited Suvarnabhumi Airport to assess the airport’s readiness for the expected increase in tourist arrivals.

The influx of tourists in immigration lanes remains a concern when preparing an airport for an expected increase in the number of tourists. Saksayam said that with more personnel and a simplified passport control system, waiting times at immigration lanes for incoming foreign travelers should be reduced to 15 minutes or less.

Immigration officials are trained to check each passport submitted. The current average wait time at the immigration counter is one minute. With more airport personnel and expedited processes, immigration should be able to process 3,000 tourists in 20 minutes.

The Minister of Transport also emphasized baggage recovery at airports. After easily passing through customs, he instructed personnel that tourists don’t need to wait too long for their bags to arrive at the baggage carousels. He added that luggage needs to be unloaded and made accessible to tourists in less than 30 minutes.

Saksayam said that there’s an increase in the number of foreign arrivals in the country this month.  He expects in December, more tourists will arrive in the country. Suvarnabhumi Airport currently serves an average of 115,000 travelers every day. Officials expect that this figure climb to at least 130,000 every day next month..

Authorities also anticipate that the number of tourist arrivals in Thailand will continue to increase in 2023. They expect that China will relax its travel restrictions in the first 3 months of 2023 which will allow Chinese tourists to travel to the Land of Smiles. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese tourists comprise a significant proportion of foreign arrivals in Thailand and most of Southeast Asia.

SOURCE: Thaiger

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