PHUKET International Airport is about to become even more efficient.

Immigration officers will increase the number of manned counters from nine to 14 during the coming high season, making it faster for the 15,000 tourists who pass through the airport every day.

With between 30 and 40 flights a day landing and departing from the airport, the immigration queues have been growing, along with the number of complaints about slow service.

The extra immigration counters will make the process much faster, an Immigration spokesman said.

There will also be extra counters for children and pregnant women.

At the moment, it takes an average of between 20 and 38 minutes to pass through the immigration counters.

There are currently only 50 Immigration officers stationed at the airport, including nine commissioned officers and 41 non-commissioned officers.

Deputy superintendent of the Songkla Immigration Office, Khun Krit Sangpol said immigration staff at the airport were doing a good job.

“But I will do my best to improve the system even more,” he said.