Fast track at bkk

[aot871]

Does any one know what the age requirments are to use the fast track passport lane at bkk for no business class paxs

[gerefan2]

70....but the ways Thais count age you will get through at 69. They sometimes ask but never check ages ( in my experience).

[dab69]

I've looked in the mirror after 24 hours of planes and airports without being able to sleep/shower.
Doubtful they would think twice and think I was underage.

[FarangRuMak]

I posted this before but anyway I took the fast track option once via business class and the lone bored lady officer kept me a long time and went through every entry on my passport.
Luckily there were no issues but I think she was looking for marginal overstays or something like that.
Business or not or >70 or not in the future I'm staying with the great unwashed where I belong.

[Nirish guy]

I the lone bored lady .

Or maybe it was the above and she was just glad to see someone for a wee chat and a nosey through their passport as she sat and wondered "hmmm I wonder where THAT is, I bet it's better than this bloody airport that I'm stuck in, I'd better let him get on, ahhh bugger him, he can wait, I wonder where else he's been and I can imagine myself going when on my hols next year" !?

Or she was jut being a thorough bitch in very sense of the word, definitely one of the two ! :)

[FarangRuMak]

I think by her dial more the former than the latter.

[francois]

I always use the fast track lane and always it is fast.

[scottish-guy]

...And it's always a lane

[Nirish guy]

...And it's always a lane

Na, sure A lane only works Mondays and Thursdays so no, couldn’t always be her ! :-)

[Oliver]

Immigration hall was packed this afternoon,more so than I've ever seen; there was even a queue formed at the entrance to the hall to await entry into the passport control queues. My heart sank...but as it turned out, I was through in just over fifteen minutes. No need for a Fast Track today. I should add that my luggage also awaited me. It's no use getting through passport control before most others and then having to await luggage.

[samebb]

Immigration hall was packed this afternoon,more so than I've ever seen; there was even a queue formed at the entrance to the hall to await entry into the passport control queues. My heart sank...but as it turned out, I was through in just over fifteen minutes. No need for a Fast Track today. I should add that my luggage also awaited me. It's no use getting through passport control before most others and then having to await luggage.

I would rather get through first and wait for my bag relaxed. Shuffling along in a que waiting for your private photoshoot is far worse.

[gerefan2]

“Fast” track is an oxymoron for most 70 year olds....

[Yraen]

“Fast” track is an oxymoron for most 70 year olds....

Speak for yourself gerefan. :crazy_mini:

[aot871]

My next trip will be my first time using the fast track now im 70, , before have used it as a business class pax, but business fares are getting a bit more costly now and would rather spend the money on the holiday

[billyhouston]

Fortunately, I no longer have to transit BKK. Cathay fly MAN - HKG - CNX and, even with Immigration and baggage collection, can be at the house 30 minutes after touchdown. Chiang Mai airport is great for both internal and international flights.

[jimnbkk]

My next trip will be my first time using the fast track now im 70, , before have used it as a business class pax, but business fares are getting a bit more costly now and would rather spend the money on the holiday

I'm in the same boat. Before the Business Class fare was around $4200 from Washington DC whether u went left handed via Japan or right handed via the Emirates. This time I checked and the prices were $5000+. So, I'm flying "enhanced" coach class for "only" $2900+. We'll see how that works out. (The regular coach fares were all around $1000!!)

[goji]

I prefer to get through passport control quickly, then I can grab a water & wait for the bag sat down on a seat. Although, if the wait is 15 minutes, I can cope.

As for business class, well I don't know how long you take from the US, but since it's ~24.5 hours round trip from London, lets estimate 36 hours in the air from the US (both ways). So $1000 economy to $5000 business is about +$110 per hour in the air ? A big difference.

I suppose for anyone worth a few million it's business class all the way, but some of us haven't made that much just yet. For your typical " middle class" economy, or premium economy is where it's at.

[Josan]

Where in the immigration hall is the Fast Track booth?

Where is it in the old airport? That where I have problems coming in on Air Asia!

[francois]

Here is a link with diagram of location of the fast track lane Basically you just keep walking and look for a sign saying fast track or something similar.
If you are on the moving walkway you will pass it and then must exit and walk back to it.

[Jellybean]

I passed through Fast Track, at Suvarnabhumi Airport, on Saturday evening. It is a few minutes’ walk to the right of the main immigration hall. There were 4 lanes open as I approached, in three lanes there were around 6 people queuing and in the fourth lane there were only 3 people queuing. I wrongly chose that lane. The first person was checked through fairly quickly. But when it came to the next two, an American couple, there was a problem. The passengers behind me quickly sensed something was amiss and jumped lanes before I thought to do so. But then more passengers entered and joined my lane and the other 3 lanes, so I missed the opportunity to change lanes.

The immigration officer shouted across to a colleague and she left her booth and walked down the hall and picked up a couple of forms TM6 Arrival/departure cards. OMG! The dipstick American couple had not completed the TM6 cards! And the idiot of an immigration officer instead of asking the couple to go away and return when the forms were completed allowed them to stand at the booth, slowly filling out the cards. Grrrrr . . . Meanwhile, the hall started to get busy with passengers lining up behind me and in the other lanes. So much for fast track! Normally though, it does live up to its name and I pass through quickly.

At least by the time I reached the luggage carousel, the luggage from our plane was being unloaded and I waited just a few minutes before picking up my suitcase. And once through customs, the airline complementary pick up supervisor spotted me, allocated a driver and I was quickly transported into town feeling absolutely knackered after my long journey.

[Oliver]

Those numbers would barely make it worthwhile for me. I had only one person ahead of me on my September trip and six or seven in June. As noted previously, there were vast hordes on Tuesday....but it still took only fifteen minutes. Of course, time of arrival is crucial. For the record, I'm on the EVA flight which arrives mid to late afternoon. Perhaps there are times when pressures are greater. If so, I withdraw my comment.

[arsenal]

I've rarely waited more than 20 minutes to get through immigration.

[aot871]

On my next trip in march , im coming via Singapore arriving in bkk at 11am, Passport control is always chocker at that time so will be glad of the fast track

[Jellybean]

Those numbers would barely make it worthwhile for me . . .

The fast track vouchers are handed to passengers by the flight attendants shortly before arrival. Passengers are free to use them or not. I’ve seen quite a few vouchers left on the seats. If the main immigration hall at Suvarnabhumi Airport is empty or there are few passengers lining up, then I’ll use that hall. If however there are “vast hordes” of passengers and I recall there were vast numbers queuing out in the corridors before the main walkway up to the immigration hall when I arrived in October/November 2016, then I’ll carry on walking to the Fast Track area.

But the complementary vouchers always come into their own on my return to London Heathrow Airport. My only recent experience is of Terminals 3 & 4, where, from time to time, there are an extraordinarily large number of passengers lining up in the corridors quite some distance from the border check area. Perhaps due to government cutbacks there are fewer Border Force officers on duty compared to previous years or maybe there are just a large number of heavily laden flights arriving early in the morning when I tend to arrive back in the UK.

I remember the scene vividly in April 2017, my most recent experience of arriving back at Heathrow Terminal 3. I have never seen so many passengers lining up; it was like a scene from a popular sporting event. I knew from memory that we were a long way from the main immigration area. The corridors were blocked with passengers. Then I spotted a very attractive Middle Eastern fellow passenger, whom I had taken particular notice of during our flight from Dubai. He walked past me and pushed his way through the crowds. I followed in his wake, assuming he knew exactly what he was doing. Many passengers were unhappy about us appearing to queue jump. I feared that some angry passenger or passengers would stop us and tell us to join the queue. We certainly got some very angry looks and I could hear passengers muttering about us. Then ahead of us in the jam packed corridor I saw two immigration officers eyeing us suspiciously. They stopped us and I thought, oh no, they’re going to send us back to the end of the queue. I am sure some passengers were hoping that’s exactly what they would do. The Middle Eastern guy showed them his fast rack voucher, which they inspected then allowed him to pass. I did the same and was allowed to pass. When we eventually reached the Fast Tract lane there were no more than two or three passengers at the border control booth, so we passed through very quickly. Phew! What a relief. But I rather doubt I would have had the courage to push through the crowds had it not been for the more confident Middle Eastern guy. Rather strangely, I don’t recall seeing any other passengers from my flight at the time we cleared passport control.

[Andaman!]

The problem with Fast Track on arrival into Heathrow is that it is only valid for citizens from outside the UK / EU as clearly stated on both the Heathrow Airport https://www.heathrow.com/airport-guide/terminal-facilities-and-services/fast-track and British Airways websites. If you are an EU or UK citizen they turn you back -even if you have a fast track card - and you have to go to back of queue for UK / EU passport holders or head for the electronic passport gates.

[scottish-guy]

.. or head for the electronic passport gates.

Which in my experience, across the EU, have about a 30-50% failure rate as the placement of your passport is absolutely crucial.

Placing the photo page on the glass the right way up (which some people don't even manage) is not enough : the glass area is larger than the detection area and you have to ram the edge of the photo page hard against the far edge of the glass area for your passport to be read.

Even then a considerable number of passports still fail to be read by the software. I read somewhere that the "chip" in the passport can fail and if it does it's tough titty and you'll be expected to fork out for a fresh passport.

[gerefan2]

Even then a considerable number of passports still fail to be read by the software. I read somewhere that the "chip" in the passport can fail and if it does it's tough titty and you'll be expected to fork out for a fresh passport.

Not so ...they are replaced free in those circumstances.
And before you favourite mod accuses me of publishing duff gen again, see here...
http://www.alphr.com/news/servers/104089/chips-for-10-year-passports-have-two-year-warranty

[arsenal]

Up to date and accurate information is always welcome here Getefan2.

[aot871]

Where abouts is the fast track for leaving bkk , last time in Oct I went to go where it used to be and it turned out ,and it turned out to be a new ecom gate

[goji]

Have I missed anyone posting the cost of this fast track service @ BKK ?

To be honest, my worst wait there has been about 30 minutes so far, so considering the bags will not be there for most of that, I wouldn't be prepared to pay much.

As for Heathrow, on most of the recent return trips to T2, I've had no queue and have gone through in about 30 seconds. Makes me proud to be British. At least until I get to the slow baggage handling service (where they don't even get the priority Premium Economy luggage out first).

[gerefan2]

Free for business class and over 70. Not sure if you can buy it.

[frequent]

Free for business class and over 70. Not sure if you can buy it.Fast Track passes are sometimes available online http://fasttrackcoupon.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-1.html. However if you want to spend the money there are a number of commercial services such as https://www.bangkokflightservices.com/home/bfs-services/premium-airport-services/

[sglad]

Free for business class and over 70. Not sure if you can buy it.

Business class you can buy; over 70 is something you can't even give away.:D