Travellers holding Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish passports can now use Thailand’s automated passport control gates, following an expansion that has made the system available to citizens of 33 countries and territories.
The expanded access allows eligible foreign travellers to clear immigration through automated gates rather than staffed passport counters at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The Immigration Bureau announced the expansion on 4 November, reporting that daily use of the system had increased by 185.6 per cent since the new arrangement began on 18 September.
The four Nordic countries are among 24 European countries included in the expanded list. Iceland is not currently included.
Other eligible nationalities include travellers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
According to the Immigration Bureau, 94,760 foreign travellers used the automated gates between 18 September and 31 October. Average daily usage increased from 744 passengers before the expansion to 2,125 afterwards.
To determine whether they are eligible, travellers must register through Thailand’s Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system. The confirmation email indicates whether they can use the automated gates.
Suvarnabhumi Airport currently has 39 automated gates for arriving passengers and 67 for departing passengers.
The Immigration Bureau is also working with Airports of Thailand to expand the service to Don Mueang and Phuket airports.
The expansion is intended to reduce immigration queues and improve passenger processing as Thailand prepares for increasing international passenger traffic.
