‘Drive-thru’ service launched

PHUKET: The resort island province, one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations, has come up with a new approach to handling the overwhelming number of foreigners seeking services at its immigration office — an immigration drive-thru service.

Launched on Wednesday, those seeking services that only require a few minutes to complete can now get them via a drive-thru service, said Pol Col Khathathon Khamthiang, chief of Phuket’s immigration office.

Those who have applied for a one-year visa renewal online can now obtain the results through the drive-thru channel, just as foreigners who are required to report to immigration authorities if they are staying in Thailand for more than 90 days, he said.

Thai homeowners who have to notify immigration authorities of accommodating foreign guests can also do the same via the drive-thru service, he said.

This service is primarily aimed at easing the problem of an overly crowded car park at the immigration office.

The drive-thru service will help cut the number of visitors who normally have to wait in a jam-packed room for their turns for immigration services by 30%.

Each day, Phuket’s immigration office receives between 300 and 700 visitors. The office’s car park is not large enough to accommodate them all and it is impossible to expand the car park, he said.

Due to the large number of foreign visitors in Phuket, immigration is struggling to cope with a heavy workload, acting Immigration Bureau (IB) chief Surachate Hakparn said.

As the number of tourists visiting Phuket continues to rise, the province has to continue developing its immigration services to catch and keep up with growing demand, he said.