Thailand expands automated passport gate access to 33 nationalities

Thailand has expanded access to its automated passport control gates to travellers from 33 countries and territories, allowing more foreign visitors to clear immigration without using staffed counters.

The Immigration Bureau announced on November 4 that use of the automated system had risen by 185.6% since the expanded service began on September 18, helping airports handle growing passenger numbers and reduce queues.

Immigration Bureau commissioner Noppasilp Poonsawat said the Automated Border Control (ABC) system was being expanded in cooperation with Airports of Thailand (AOT) to make immigration checks more convenient.

Suvarnabhumi Airport currently has 39 automated gates for arriving passengers and 67 for departing passengers. The Immigration Bureau is also expanding the service to Don Mueang and Phuket airports.

An Immigration Bureau order issued on August 24 expanded access to automated passport gates for arriving passengers from just two countries and territories to 33.

The new arrangement applies to eligible passport holders who qualify for visa exemption or have received an electronic visa, subject to the relevant conditions.

The list includes South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia in Asia, along with the United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Travellers from 24 European countries are also eligible: Greece, Belgium, Malta, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Czechia, Portugal, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Denmark, Poland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway, France, Latvia, Sweden, Hungary, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain and Austria.

Passengers who register through the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system will receive an email indicating whether they are eligible to use the automated passport gates.

According to the Immigration Bureau, average daily usage rose from 744 passengers before the expansion to 2,125 afterwards, an increase of 185.6%.

Between September 18 and October 31, 94,760 foreign travellers used the automated gates.

Singaporean travellers accounted for the largest number, with 21,684 users, followed by Hong Kong with 14,259 and South Korea with 9,615.

Japan ranked fourth with 9,538 users, while Malaysia recorded 6,943.

When the expansion was announced in August, officials expected the gates eventually to handle 53% of arriving passengers, with the rest using staffed counters. Suvarnabhumi handles around 190,000 passengers a day during peak season, while international arrivals average roughly 70,000 a day.

The Immigration Bureau said the expansion was intended to accommodate rising passenger traffic, ease congestion at immigration checkpoints, and improve the efficiency of passport inspections.