Integrity Legal - Law Firm in Bangkok | Bangkok Lawyer | Legal Services Thailand Back to
Integrity Legal

Legal Services & Resources 

Up to date legal information pertaining to Thai, American, & International Law.

Contact us: +66 2-266 3698

info@integrity-legal.com

ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawVisa NewsBangkok Immigration Chief Notes Stretched Resources

Bangkok Immigration Chief Notes Stretched Resources

Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing yet again Thai Immigration matters and in a recent article from Khaosod English, it was: Immigration Says TM30 Fix Underway: Pleads for Understanding, that is khaosodenglish.com.

There was interesting information in the article. Quoting directly: "Major General Phatiphat Suban na Ayudhaya, the Major General in charge of Bangkok Immigration Division 1, believes there is a jarring disparity between the Government's priority of bringing in more tourists and the resources that it allots to the people responsible for those visitors. For instance, Airport Authorities have not expanded the Immigration Channels in Suvarnabhumi Airport for years despite a recent boom in arrivals. More people are using the airport but they don't give us more booths so of course there are longer lines and who gets the blame? Immigration, Patiphat said with emotion. He added that the new Suvarnabhumi terminal being built will likely befall similar problems.”

So it is interesting to note that Thai Immigration officials especially Thai Immigration officials that really understand how the system works, understand that resources are stretched thinner than they might otherwise ought to be in association with being able to keep track of the number of foreigners that are coming into the Kingdom. It should be noted that it is my understanding in fiscal year 2018, Thailand saw over 30 million visitors to the Kingdom. That is a staggering number of people, especially when you consider that Thailand I don't even believe has population over 70 million, so nearly 50% of the overall population of Thailand there were visitors of that number coming into the Kingdom. 

So again, it is interesting to note that I think that the folks in the Immigration apparatus are aware that certain aspects of the situation are not optimal and I think that they are earnest folks who are trying their best to put people through this system, get people through this system as effortlessly and as seamlessly as possible but at the same time they are sort of they are sort of stuck with the situation that they have got; they are stuck with the resource allocation that they have. 

So the thing to keep in mind with respect to Thai Immigration is, they are aware of some of the shortfalls with respect to how the system operates and in my opinion, and not to sound like an apologist, just someone who has been around the system, dealing with them both in very frustrating situations as well as very, very smooth situations, I do think that they are working in earnest and I do believe that they are trying their best to play the hand that they were dealt as best as they can and try to get people through the system without causing any more consternation than is absolutely necessary.