Can I and my friend use the eGates when arriving in Thailand as visa-exempt travelers?

The ability to use eGates in Thailand depends on your nationality and previous entries. If you are from one of the 33 approved countries and have entered Thailand before with the same passport, you can use the eGates. However, your friend, who has never been to Thailand, will need to go through biometric data collection on their first entry and cannot use the eGates.