Step into the glistening halls of Suvarnabhumi Airport, and you’ll witness a symphony of bustling travelers, each choreographing their own dance to the beat of wanderlust. But as the melodies of adventure play, a particular chord struck by Pol Lt Gen Itthipol Itthisarnronnachai, the maestro of immigration, harmonizes the experience for globe-trotters far and wide. His latest concerto? An upgraded automatic departure service that waltzes in tune with the vision of our very own Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
Picture this: It’s a brisk November afternoon, and PM Srettha is navigating the throes of departure for the prestigious Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in the United States. His eyes sweep across the serpentine queues of international guests, a kaleidoscope of colors and cultures, yet all sharing a common note – the delay of anticipation.
The scene plucks at Srettha’s resolve for seamless travel. His directive? A crescendo of convenience for our foreign friends! He envisages a realm where the humdrum of manual passport checks gives way to the whir of automation. And why? To amplify Thailand’s siren song for globetrotters, to boost tourism with the allure of efficiency.
Since 2012, sixteen stalwart sentinels – the automatic passport machines – have stood guard at Suvarnabhumi Airport, diligently serving Thai nationals. These mechanical maestros finesse the art of identification in a swift twenty-second serenade, a stark contrast to the forty-five seconds a human counterpart might take.
Dawn until dusk, the airport pulsates with the heartbeats of 50,000 to 60,000 passengers, all eager to embark on an odyssey outside the kingdom’s embrace. Such numbers conjure visions of lengthy queues, and worse, the distressing possibility of travelers, with tickets clutched in hopeful hands, watching their flights depart without them.
Srettha’s concerns crescendo, urging the Immigration Bureau to set a brisker tempo. It’s time the orchestra played faster, smarter. Itthipol rises to the baton’s call and orchestrates a gathering of minds. The Airports of Thailand Plc, Immigration Police, technology gurus, and a private firm collaborate to compose a future where foreign passports are swept through with the grace of an automated system, beginning this Friday.
Their magnum opus? A service that serenades passengers with e-passports, those harmonious with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. With this upgrade, Suvarnabhumi Airport’s capacity swells from serving 5,000 passengers to a grand ensemble of 12,000 per hour.
The opus isn’t over. The crescendo builds as Itthipol reveals an encore – a complete revamp of the passport machines by July next year, not just for parting sojourns but also for those seeking Thailand’s embrace. The number of these automatic gateways at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports will bound gracefully from four to eight at each concourse, ensuring all travelers can join in the dance, be it upon arrival or departure.
And so, the curtain falls on this act, yet the performance of progress continues. Thailand, a land where the future of travel doesn’t just promise faster departures but orchestrates an entire experience that’s swift, secure, and most importantly, harmonious with the traveler’s journey.
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