Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is disappointed with the ongoing issues of long queues and lengthy waiting times at Suvarnabhumi International Airport’s immigration checkpoints, leading him to direct officials to enhance their efforts to solve the problems.
Srettha made an unexpected visit to the airport again on a Saturday night, following his initial surprise visit on February 5. He noted that passengers were still facing excessive delays for essential services.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister shared on X, stating, “I made an unannounced visit to Suvarnabhumi Airport in the evening. The previous visit was in the morning.”
“This time, I encountered numerous passengers. I began to measure the time it takes for passengers from the moment they exit their vehicles, through check-in and security, until they reach the terminal and wait to board their planes.”
“For arrivals, I measured the time it takes for them to disembark and go through immigration. I found it to be excessively long,” Mr. Srettha wrote.
“I inquired with officials about the possibility of setting a time limit for processing each passenger at immigration. They indicated that it is uncertain. This is an aspect that urgently needs improvement.”
“I urge Airports of Thailand (AoT) and immigration officials to collaborate and inspect the system during peak hours to identify the problems and devise solutions. I plan to make another visit for a detailed inspection.”
“We are striving to position Thailand as an aviation hub in the region, now that the country is fully open to foreign visitors.”
“I expect officials to adopt a service-minded attitude and pay close attention to visitors to make a positive impression the moment they disembark. Every interaction should be viewed as an opportunity to enhance Thailand’s tourism,” he added.
Following his visit on February 5th, he stated on X that passengers should not spend more than 30 minutes passing through immigration and should not experience delays in retrieving their luggage.
These unexpected visits to the airport precede the commencement of scheduled improvements to airports and the aviation sector across the country, set to start next month.
Mr. Srettha unveiled plans for a new runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport during a forum hosted by TNN Channel 16 last month.
AoT has revealed its plans to invest 44 billion baht in the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport and the third phase of development at Don Mueang International Airport.
AoT President Kerati Kijmanawat recently announced that improvements to service and security at Suvarnabhumi Airport are underway, with an anticipation of 65 million passengers this year.
