Thailand’s Immigration Bureau will begin using auto-gates at Suvarnabhumi Airport for Thai passengers around the end of March.
Immigration Division II commander, Pol Maj Gen Natthathorn Prohsunthorn, told travel trade mag TTR Weekly that around the end of March the Immigration Bureau will switch to auto-gates to speed up the clearance of Thai passengers.
“Passengers will pass through a gate to verify the passport whether it is authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then they will move on to the next machine to verify identity, whether they are the same person in the passport by finger scan, check criminal records and related information,” he said.
The commander claims a processing time of just 16 seconds. Eight gates will be deployed at departure and arrival zones (two each at zones B and C).
In 2010 Immigration Division II tested the system at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s arrival checkpoints using machines borrowed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pol Maj Gen Natthathorn also said that Immigration Division II would tackle staff shortage with a new recruitment drive, but it is a long term plan over three to five years.
“Passengers increase by 10% annually and that means we need 355 officers for all checkpoints,” he explained.
The division has 1,148 officers on the payroll, 164 short of the required workforce.
It lost 98 officers, this month, who were promoted to commissioned officers and transferred to other departments. Another 127 officers will be away on training later this month for a month and return to the division afterwards.
“To temporarily solve this shortage, we have asked for more officers to be transferred from overland immigration checkpoints, but there are language issues that need to be considered,” he said.
Suvarnabhumi Airport has 124 counters at the arrivals area and 80 in the departures hall. Around 60% of the counters are operational.
Last year, Suvarnabhumi Airport received 35 million passengers according to TTR Weekly.
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