BANGKOK, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Thailand is set to extend automated passport gates to travelers with 31 more nationalities at Suvarnabhumi Airport by the end of August as part of measures to ease congestion at the country's main international gateway, a government spokesperson said on Monday.
The Thai Immigration Bureau has approved the expansion in principle, with nationalities selected on the basis of entry-refusal statistics, the Henley Passport Index, and legal and security considerations, said deputy government spokesperson Lalida Periswiwatana.
In a statement, Lalida said the change would make roughly 6.5 million additional travelers eligible for the automated lanes annually, alongside about 900,000 holders of certain long-term visas. At full capacity, an estimated 53 percent of arriving passengers would clear immigration through auto gates, with the remaining processed by officers.
Rollout will be phased according to the readiness of equipment, security systems, and biometric records. Travelers who have entered Thailand before and are already in the system may be able to use the automated lanes first, while first-time arrivals will still need to have biometric data collected, she noted.
According to airport data, Suvarnabhumi handles up to 190,000 passengers a day during high season, and the numbers drop to between 140,000 and 150,000 daily during off-peak months. International arrivals average roughly 70,000 passengers per day. However, processing capacity is severely tested between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., when 5,000 to 6,000 passengers enter the immigration hall per hour.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suphajee Suthumpun, who led a site visit with tourism and transport ministers, said immediate issues would be addressed by relevant agencies, while those requiring legislation or long-term investment would be escalated to the government level.
Lalida said the airport and the Immigration Bureau will make full use of all three immigration zones, redirecting passengers to less congested areas and using central concourse space to increase throughput, while matching staffing to flight schedules.
Officials also discussed expanding waiting areas and facilities for passengers arriving early at the airport, dedicated space for transit passengers, and longer-term development of airport space to accommodate growth in passenger numbers and aviation-related business.
Authorities said some tourists searching online for the Thailand Digital Arrival Card are landing on unofficial sites that charge fees or risk fraud. Filing through the official system is free, the spokeswoman said, urging travelers to check the channel before entering personal information or making any payment.
