Immigration police beef up security at airports for holidaymakers

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Bangkok – An airport safety campaign has been launched by the Immigration Bureau in response to the rising number of travelers during the year-end holidays.

The Immigration Bureau, together with Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Airports of Thailand Plc, has dispatched teams of airport staff, EOD officers, immigration police and tourist police to patrol the airport and maintain security during the New Year 2018 Festival as part of the campaign titled “Love at First Sight by Thai Immigration”.

According to Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, Pol Lt Gen Suttipong Wongpin, up to 150,000-170,000 people are expected to travel through Suvarnabhumi Airport each day during the holiday period. The Bureau has thus joined hands with other relevant agencies to show the airport’s readiness to accommodate holidaymakers.

The airport safety campaign is being introduced at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and other airports nationwide. It will be executed under two approaches, the first of which is the facilitation of arrivals, with more officials to be stationed at immigration desks and interpreters to be deployed to assist foreigners. The second approach is the interception of individuals considered a threat to national security, illegal immigrants, drug dealers and human traffickers. Biometrics and fingerprints will be collected from every individual upon arrival.

General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Sirote Duangratana, made known that there will be about 7,200 flights operated to and from the airport from December 28-January 3, increasing from the same period last year, while the number of passengers is estimated at 1.3 million. As a way of facilitating travelers, he said the airport will waive its parking fees in Zone C between December 30 and January 2.