January 22, 200719 yr BANGKOK, Jan 22 (TNA) Some 1,200 immigration officers at Bangkok's Suvanarbhumi International Airport will take a training course on personality development following complaints from foreign visitors to the Immigration Bureau that they were always frowning and unfriendly, according to a senior Immigration Bureau official. National Airport Immigration Division Commissioner, Pol. Maj-Gen. Chakthip Chaijinda Monday signed a cooperation agreement with Suan Dusit Rajabhat University on a behavioural modification training course. Under the terms of the agreement, Gen. Chakthip said, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University will prepare a personality development training course for immigration officers called the "Sawasdee Project." The project was initiated after about 30 per cent of visitors at Suvarnabhumi complained that immigration officers at the airport did their duty without smiling and looked unfriendly. Moreover, both arriving and departing passengers complained about the slow immigration documentation procedures, Gen. Chakthip said. With the cooperation with Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, immigration officers will be trained to use Thai traditional culture to treat visitors, including the Thai traditional ways of greetings -- the wai, greeting visitors with the word "Sawasdee" and saying thank you after the procedure is completed. After the training, he hoped, the visitors would be impressed with the new look of the officials and it can eventually create a good image and positive attitudes among foreign visitors. However, Gen. Chakthip, stressed that the officers would strictly carry out their duties in immigration procedure. He added the the Immigration Bureau planned to expand the "Sawasdee Project" to include Thailand's international airports in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Samui, and Surat Thani province, as well as Hat Yai in Songkhla province, and expected the project would satisfy the visitors. (TNA)-E003
January 23, 200719 yr Author Will they ask, you want massage? One can always live in hope. My luck, if such an offer comes, it will be from a female . . . the worst looking one there.
January 23, 200719 yr I don't want them to smile, 'wai' me, say hello in Thai, give me a massage or even dance in the aisles! I just want them to do their job more efficiently and a damn sight quicker than they do now ! Things have improved marginally at the new airport but it still took over 40 minutes queuing at Immigration incoming last month and 25 minutes outgoing. I suppose in the context of upwards of an hours queue (and on one memorable occasion an hour and a half) at Don Muang, that is an improvement, but it is all relative.
January 23, 200719 yr Author I just want them to do their job more efficiently and a damn sight quicker than they do now ! Very good point. Every time I've needed to pass through immigration, even when there are only two or three people ahead of me, I still always end up waiting around twenty minutes for my turn. Then, when it's me, it takes them about ten seconds to stamp my passport and send me on my way. Why is that?
January 23, 200719 yr Then, when it's me, it takes them about ten seconds to stamp my passport and send me on my way. Why is that? You're either very good looking so they are giving you preferential service or you're so ugly they want to get rid of the sight of you as soon as they can - take your pick !!!!! .
January 23, 200719 yr Author You're either very good looking so they are giving you preferential service or you're so ugly they want to get rid of the sight of you as soon as they can !!!!! . I'll let you guess which one . . .
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