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Don Mueang Looking for Ways to Ease Overcrowding
8th Feb 2016
The days of overcrowding, especially during rush hours, could soon become history at the Don Mueang Airport. That is, if the Airports of Thailand (AoT) approves the plan to increase the space for the immigration service.
This area of the airport receives the biggest surge of passengers during rush hours, between 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM, as well as in the afternoon between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
According to Phet Chan-charoen, General Manager of Don Mueang Airport, the space limitations do not allow much room for managing this area efficiently. According to him, the problem is exacerbated by the fact that many Thai passengers are queued at counters set for foreigners, while the situation is the same the other way around as well.
Mr. Phet said that the Immigration Bureau is informed about the issue and the passengers are encouraged to prepare their visas and other travel documents before they get to the counter in order to speed up the process and get on their plane faster.
The immigration service area, Mr. Phet said, will be expanded once the domestic flight zones and the shops from there are relocated to the newly-built Terminal 2.
Of course, the expansion will first have to be okayed by the AoT. Previously, another request, one that would adjust flight schedules at Don Mueang, was overruled by airlines.
The relocation of shops to Terminal 2 and the extra room this will leave should improve the situation, said Pol Col Nathee.
He also explained that there are 30 outbound immigration counters at the Don Mueang Airport. Four are assigned for Thai's 2 for children, elderly, pregnant travelers and for diplomats, one for the cabin crew and the airport staff, while the rest are reserved for foreign passengers.
Typically, each queue can work about 20 people. However, the problem appears during rush hours when more travellers arrive and the entire area becomes overcrowded. That is when the queues become chaotic almost.
One solution, said Nathee, and most passengers would agree with him, would be to assign several officers to assist passengers at the queues.
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