Phuket airport rules out Sept 17 rollout of automated passport gates

Phuket Airport Immigration has ruled out a Sept 17, 2026, launch of expanded Automated Border Control (ABC) gates for international arrivals, saying installation and required approvals are not complete.

Acting Phuket Airport Immigration Superintendent Pol Col Rassarin Teerapatthanakool said only three machines were currently usable, for travellers from Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong. The remaining biometric data installation was still under way, she said, after Immigration reconfirmed the status with Airports of Thailand on Sept 10.

“There will be no opening on the 17th,” Pol Col Rassarin said, rejecting reports that the system would be expanded to travellers from 33 countries and economic zones on that date. She said the machines had been upgraded and were being prepared for testing, but the work needed for a wider rollout was unfinished.

The reported Sept 17 launch had circulated through local news and information channels, including an earlier Facebook post by an aide to the Phuket Airport Immigration chief. The post said the ABC arrivals system would initially be available to travellers from Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong before expanding to the wider group. Its later version removed the references to Sept 17 and the 33-country rollout.

Pol Col Rassarin said the wider launch could not proceed until administrative and legal procedures were completed. Official regulations and a Royal Gazette announcement are required before new passport-control measures are introduced, she said. The proposal has been submitted to Immigration headquarters, but approval has not yet been returned, and there is no confirmed opening date.