New passenger fee okayed

Airline passengers may have to pay an additional 50 baht per flight from the middle of next year to fund an improved passenger processing system. The Civil Aviation Board approved a proposal seeking to impose a 50-baht passenger fee yesterday. Transport Minister Chadchat Sittipunt, chairman of the Civil Aviation Board, said the proposed fee for the Advance Passenger Processing (APP) system will apply to passengers entering and leaving the country. The automated system will allow passengers to simply walk through without needing to stop to get their passports stamped by an immigration officer. Of the charge, 32 baht would be paid to the provider of the system. He said the Civil Aviation Department will discuss the issue with airlines and it is expected to come into effect in the middle of next year. Mr Chadchat said several countries have adopted the system at their major international airports, including Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea. He said the system will ease queues for passengers waiting for their documents to be processed. Moreover, it will allow airport authorities to thoroughly examine the backgrounds of passengers leaving and entering the country. With APP, airports can transmit the details of passengers to each other for pre-screening, he added.