Quick summary
A Chinese national, identified as Zheng Liwei, was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport on May 13, 2026 after kicking and destroying two automated passport control e-gates in the departure immigration zone. Thai authorities have charged him with destruction of government property and insulting a public official, with combined penalties reaching up to three years’ imprisonment and 80,000 baht in fines. Officials estimate equipment damage at 450,000 baht. His visa has been revoked, and he has been placed on a permanent blacklist barring re-entry to Thailand.
Both damaged e-gates remain out of service pending repair, with passengers redirected to staffed counters. Travelers departing BKK this week face longer, less predictable exit-immigration queues.
Two automated passport control gates at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport are out of service this week after a passenger kicked them apart in the departure immigration hall — in full view of multiple officers, on camera, at approximately 2:00 p.m. on May 13.
Zheng Liwei, a Chinese national aged around 30, attempted to use an e-gate that failed to read his passport. Rather than stepping to a staffed counter — an option that was available and clearly signed — he kicked the glass barrier twice, forced his way through without completing exit procedures, and then verbally abused the officers who intervened. His wife helped restrain him. Immigration police arrested him on the spot.
The consequences are severe. Zheng now faces criminal charges for property damage and insulting a public official while on duty. His visa has been revoked. Thai immigration authorities have placed him on a permanent blacklist, and he will be deported to China once legal proceedings conclude. Officials put the repair bill at 450,000 baht — roughly USD 12,500 — for equipment that was, by every account, functioning correctly.
For travelers departing Bangkok this week, the operational fallout is real. Two fewer e-gates in departure zone 2 means longer queues at staffed booths, particularly during peak China-Thailand departure windows. Anyone with a tight connection should adjust their airport arrival time now.
What happened at the e-gate — and what it means for the departure hall
The incident unfolded in Suvarnabhumi‘s departure immigration area, where the Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau has installed a new generation of automated border-control gates designed to let passengers exit Thailand without a manual stamp. The system is intended to speed up processing — not to replace staffed counters entirely.
According to Thai immigration officials, Zheng failed to follow the gate’s instructions, causing the system to malfunction. When the barrier didn’t open, he kicked it. He then attempted to use the gate again incorrectly and kicked it a second time before forcing through. Officers confirmed he had not completed exit-immigration procedures at the point he breached the gate — a separate legal problem on top of the property damage.
Video reviewed by Thai media shows the sequence clearly. There was no ambiguity about what happened, and no ambiguity about who was responsible.
Thai immigration authorities confirmed to Khaosod English that both damaged gates are currently isolated and out of service pending assessment and repair. All passengers in departure zone 2 are being processed through staffed immigration booths in the interim. Airports of Thailand (AOT) has previously stated that manned counters remain fully operational whenever e-gates are unavailable — flight operations are not affected. Queue times, however, are a different matter.
| Element | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger identified | Zheng Liwei, Chinese national, approx. 30 years old | In custody |
| E-gates damaged | Two automated passport control gates, departure zone 2 | Out of service |
| Estimated damage | 450,000 baht (approx. USD 12,500) | Under assessment |
| Charge 1: property damage | Up to 3 years’ imprisonment and/or 60,000 baht fine | Charges filed |
| Charge 2: insulting a public official | Up to 1 year’s imprisonment and/or 20,000 baht fine | Charges filed |
| Immigration status | Visa revoked; permanent blacklist; deportation pending | Confirmed |
| Case referral | Samut Prakan provincial court | Pending hearing |
This is not the first time passenger misconduct has disrupted operations at a Thai airport this year. A false bomb claim on a Thai AirAsia flight at Krabi in late April triggered a full evacuation and a four-hour delay affecting more than 100 passengers — a reminder that individual behavior in secure zones carries consequences well beyond the person responsible.
Flight deals
most people never see
Our AI monitors 150+ airlines for pricing anomalies that traditional search engines miss. Air Traveler Club members save $650 per trip per person on average: see how it works.
Each deal saves 40–80% vs. regular fares:
Why passenger rights won’t save you here — but your credit card might
One thing worth understanding clearly: standard passenger-rights frameworks do not apply to this situation. EU261/2004, UK261, the US DOT’s tarmac delay rules, and Canada’s APPR all cover disruptions caused by airlines — mechanical faults, crew issues, overbooking. A missed flight because immigration queues ran long due to damaged e-gates falls entirely outside these regimes. There is no statutory cash compensation available, regardless of where you hold citizenship or which passport you carry.
What can help is your credit card’s trip-delay benefit. The Chase Sapphire Reserve covers reasonable expenses after a six-hour delay or overnight stay when the disrupted flight was charged to the card. The American Express Platinum offers trip-delay insurance with its own minimum threshold. If you miss a connection because of extended immigration queues, get a written disruption note from your airline desk immediately — that document is what card issuers require when you file a claim.
Through-ticketed itineraries matter here too. On a single PNR with carriers like Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, or Emirates, a missed connection caused by immigration delays becomes the airline’s operational problem to solve. On separate tickets, it’s yours alone.
Steps to protect your departure from BKK right now
Exit-immigration queues at Suvarnabhumi are running longer than normal while two e-gates remain offline — here is the priority order for protecting your trip.
- Add buffer time immediately. Aim for the airport at least three hours before departure. The staffed counters are processing everyone normally, but volume is higher and queue times are less predictable than usual.
- Skip the e-gate line if it looks congested. Using a staffed immigration booth is not a downgrade — it is the designed fallback. Officers will stamp you out in the same way. Do not wait for an e-gate lane to reopen if the queue is building.
- Get documentation if you miss a flight. If extended queues cause you to miss your departure, obtain a written disruption note from your airline’s check-in or service desk before leaving the airport. This is the required evidence for any credit card trip-delay or trip-cancellation claim.
- Call your card issuer the same day. Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum trip-delay benefits have time-sensitive filing windows. Contact the number on the back of your card as soon as the disruption occurs — not after you’ve returned home.
- Check your ticket type before you travel. If your onward connection is on a separate ticket, you carry the rebooking risk. Contact your airline now to understand your options if you arrive late to the gate.
Watch: A formal update from Airports of Thailand or the Thai Immigration Bureau on e-gate repair and reinstatement — expected within the coming days. Restoration of both lanes signals a return to normal automated processing. A prolonged silence means manned-booth queues remain the default, and travelers should plan accordingly.
Questions? Answers.
Are the e-gates at Suvarnabhumi Airport mandatory to use?
No. Automated passport control gates at Suvarnabhumi are optional. Any passenger can proceed directly to a staffed immigration counter to be processed and stamped out by an officer. The e-gates are designed to speed up processing, not to replace the manned system.
Can I claim compensation if I miss my flight because of long immigration queues at BKK?
No statutory compensation applies. EU261/2004, UK261, US DOT rules, and Canada’s APPR cover airline-caused disruptions only — not immigration-control delays. Your best recourse is a credit card trip-delay benefit (such as Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Platinum), provided the disrupted flight was charged to the card and you obtain written documentation from your airline.
What charges does the passenger face, and what is the maximum penalty?
Zheng Liwei faces two criminal charges in Thailand. The property damage charge carries up to three years’ imprisonment and a 60,000 baht fine. The charge of insulting a public official on duty carries up to one year’s imprisonment and a 20,000 baht fine. Both charges can be applied simultaneously. He has also had his visa revoked and been placed on a permanent blacklist, with deportation to follow once proceedings conclude.
How long will the damaged e-gates be out of service?
Thai Immigration Bureau procedures require that any damaged gate be isolated, inspected, and cleared before returning to service. No official reinstatement date has been announced. Based on standard AOT maintenance protocols, repairs of this nature typically take several days. Travelers should monitor the Suvarnabhumi Airport official site for updates and assume manned counters will be the primary processing method through the coming week.
Does this incident affect flight operations or departures from BKK?
Flight operations are not affected. Airports of Thailand has confirmed that staffed immigration counters remain fully operational whenever e-gates are unavailable, and no flights have been delayed or cancelled as a direct result of the incident. The impact is limited to longer and less predictable exit-immigration queue times, which increases the risk of missed connections for travelers who arrive at the airport with insufficient time before departure.
