Singaporeans became the first foreign nationals allowed to use the Automated Gate (Auto Gate) to clear immigration at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, as a move to speed up the airport’s immigration clearance.
In an announcement on Facebook yesterday, the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore declared: “Singapore is the first country to be allowed to use this Auto Gate at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The Immigration Bureau of Thailand will consider adding other countries to the list for the Auto Gate in the near future.”
“Singaporean travelers who wish to use the Auto Gate do not need to do preliminary register with the Thai immigration office. At the Auto Gate, the system will record passenger information and fingerprints for identification on subsequent trips. It can also be linked to airlines’ check-in systems to verify passengers’ identities,” the embassy added.
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The Auto Gate passport scanners, which were available for Thai nationals since 2012, can only be used by travelers in the country for tourism purposes. Singaporeans who visit Thailand for other purposes would still have to apply for visas and get in line for the regular immigration checking process.
The Immigration Bureau of Thailand said that the decision to make the Auto Gate available to foreign visitors was based on “an analysis of security and on a reciprocal agreement”, as Singapore is currently considering allowing Thai nationals to use its automatic gates.
The bureau will consider using the system at other airports — including Don Mueang, U-tapao and Phuket — in the future.
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