Manual checking at Suvarnabhumi after auto channel breakdown

Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit told reporters that AOT and the Immigration Bureau had been told to deploy extra number of officials to handle arriving and departing passengers at the airport by manually checking their travel documents following the breakdown of the automatic system.

AOT director Kirati Kijmanawat said the AOT was rushing to fix the automatic channels.

He said he rushed to inspect the Suvarnabhumi airport after learning the auto channel kiosks could not be used and he detected long lines of passengers at the immigration counters.

He said he had instructed airport officials to assist the waiting passengers and also deployed more immigration officials at the counters.

Immigration officials at the counters were told to use the online database of the airport to screen arriving and departing passengers who might be wanted on arrest warrants or who might have overstayed, Kirati added.

“The checking process did not take a long time as the AOT deployed more officials to assist passengers and more immigration officials were deployed at all counters ,” Kirati said.

He said the breakdown of the automatic channels had not led to any flight delays so far.