Thailand’s main gateway, Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, has launched the newly installed automatic queue-card kiosks that aim to improve travellers’ access to taxi services, a move praised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand as helping to enhance the image of the kingdom as a welcoming tourist destination.
Thawatchai Arunyik, Governor of the TAT said: “The launch of these automatic queue-card taxi kiosks will facilitate passengers using the taxi services at the airport, to ensure that all taxis are acting in a welcoming manner to all tourists and travellers, and that their vehicles are safe and up to international standards.”
The 10 new kiosks, to be found outside Gates 4 and 7 on the first floor of Suvarnabhumi Airport’s terminal building, are designed to cut waiting times to as little as five seconds by managing the queues and directing passengers to numbered taxi ranks, at the press of a button. Passengers in groups or with many bags will be able to opt for one of the larger taxis to ensure they have enough space. These methods will reduce the processing time to allocate the taxi.
Khun Thawatchai added: “In the initial state, there are staff on standby these taxi kiosks to help obtain the queue cards for passengers. They help to expedite the queues and, in a country well-known for great hospitality as Thailand, these well-groomed and hospitable staff act as one of the first hosts that are ready to greet welcome to all tourists and travellers arriving at our country’s first doorstep.”
Under the new computerised system, taxi drivers will have to take passengers on a first-come-first-served basis to any destination, either to Bangkok downtown or to other destinations, such as Pattaya. Passengers are required to pay the fee by the meter system, and are subject to a 50-Baht Airport taxi surcharge. In addition, the slip printed automatically by the new system will record all details of the taxi drivers and their vehicles, allowing officials to locate them instantly in case of a lost item.
