The Consulate General in Phuket of the Chinese Embassy in Songka reminds departing Chinese tourists to arrange their itinerary properly.

Recently, there has been serious congestion and long queues at the departure customs clearance at Phuket International Airport. Some people have even reported that they can "cut the queue" by paying extra fees, and this situation quickly spread on the internet. The Thai Immigration Bureau announced that the congestion was caused by a malfunction in the immigration information system during peak travel times for international passengers leaving the country. The airport immigration office has opened additional manual channels and is processing the clearance offline until the system malfunction is resolved and normal operations resume. The Immigration Bureau denies the existence of a fee-based clearance service at Phuket Airport, and encourages people to report any such cases by calling 1178. The Consular Office of the Consulate General in Songkhla reminds Chinese tourists departing from Phuket to plan their trip properly and to arrive at the airport at least three to four hours in advance to check in. In case of overcrowding or other issues, they should remain calm, follow the instructions of staff, and if they have not completed check-in or clearance procedures close to boarding time, they should immediately inform the staff.