Waiting Time at Passport Control in Thailand: Chaos at Bangkok Airport
Waiting times at passport control in Thailand have repeatedly reached critical levels, according to numerous reports from UK tourists. Growing congestion at the country’s entry points — especially at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok — is causing delays of several hours, leading to missed connecting flights and disrupted vacations.
Bangkok airport passport wait
In recent weeks, several readers have reported that problems at passport control in Thailand are no longer isolated incidents but are occurring more frequently, particularly during peak air traffic hours. Queues stretch for hundreds of meters, and waiting times at immigration often reach two to three hours.
Many Romanian tourists arrive in Bangkok after long-haul flights of 10–12 hours, with onward domestic connections to popular destinations such as Phuket, Krabi, or Chiang Mai. Due to delays at passport control, these connections are often missed.
Immigration Delays in Thailand: What Tourists Need to Know
“I waited for hours. I missed my flight.”
The testimonies received describe the same situation: a lack of information, too few immigration counters open, and no assistance available — even for passengers in transit.
“The waiting time at passport control in Thailand was almost two hours. I missed my domestic flight and had to buy another ticket,” one UK tourist told us.
Such experiences are confirmed by multiple readers, who say that airport staff appear overwhelmed by the situation, while entry procedures into the country are extremely slow.
