Some 2,500 passengers from 46 flights arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on the first day of the resumption of the Test & Go scheme on Tuesday.

Kittipong Kittikachorn, the airport’s general manager, said arrivals under the scheme came mostly from nearby countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, as well as Europe.

Their registrations were already approved, Mr Kittipong said.

The Customs Department has set up a special lane for passengers arriving in groups with goods to declare, in addition to a lane for general passengers, he noted.

Hotels that have received bookings under the Test & Go scheme have been asked to send vehicles to the airport at least one hour before the tourists arrive to reduce overcrowding, he added.

The airport’s fast-track international passenger checkpoint was moved on Tuesday from Zone 2 to Zone 1, located behind the Row A ticket checking counters to improve service efficiency.

Following a makeover, the Zone 1 fast-track checkpoint lane will provide services for first-class and business-class departure passengers and those eligible for fast-track services.

This group includes crew members, holders of diplomatic passports, passengers requiring special assistance (wheelchairs), elderly travellers and pregnant passengers.

New renovations include the expansion of the security checkpoint area and an increase of X-ray machines from two to five.

The number of passport inspection counters has been increased from three to seven to serve 780 people an hour instead of 232, Mr Kittipong said.

The fast-track checkpoint at Zone 2 will be transformed into a passport inspection area for economy class passengers, with more counters added.

This will cater to rising passenger numbers and tackle overcrowding at the international departure passport checkpoint, Mr Kittipong said.

Read more at Bangkok Post