Despite widespread reports and photos to the contrary, Chief of Immigration Natthorn Prosunthorn refuted claims that 13 people missed flights on Sunday morning because immigration counters were understaffed and service was far slower than usual at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The widespread reports on Facebook and other social media were delivered alongside still photos and video that stated only 6 of 18 counters were open and that the queues were backed up onto the stairs.
READ: Crazy queue at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s immigration causes travelers to miss flights
However, Natthorn claimed that all 18 counters were staffed and that agents were processing one passport every 45 seconds, reported Sanook.
No matter how many people missed their flights, the lines shown in the pictures were unprecedented and, since it can be assumed that a normal number of flights were scheduled, the counter was likely understaffed.
Natthorn did admit that four Cambodian nationals missed flights, but it was not because of the horrendous line at the immigration checkpoint. He blamed the passengers for wasting their time “shopping, eating or just getting lost in the airport.”
Coconuts offers that it was Sunday morning and maybe the immigration officers partied too hard on Saturday night and didn’t show up for work.
Either way, we’ve never seen a line like that at Suvarnabhumi immigration. And we’ve been through that line more times than we’d like to count.
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