Surat Thani Airport incidents raise security questions

News was shared through social media about a Thai travelling from Surat Thani Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport and then onward to Japan, who upon arrival at an airport in Japan, discovered that the suitcase was not their own. 

The passenger found cannabis inside and reported it to the customs authorities at the Japanese airport, which led to complications in the passenger's entry process into Japan.

Regarding this case, Suvarnabhumi Airport has reviewed the information and outlined the following facts:

“The passenger travelled domestically from Surat Thani Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the passenger retrieved baggage from the domestic baggage claim. The passenger then checked in and had this baggage loaded for the flight to Japan.

“Upon inspecting the baggage, it was found that the owner’s name on the baggage tag belonged to a foreign passenger. This foreign passenger has since identified themselves and followed up on the baggage with the airline that travelled from Surat Thani.

“The inspection results based on the baggage security procedures showed that the baggage status was ‘Clear’, meaning no explosives were found. Therefore, the baggage passed the inspection and was loaded on to the aircraft.

“The inspection of baggage carried on to the aircraft or checked luggage is carried out in accordance with the laws, regulations, and standards of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to prevent the transport of weapons, explosives, or items that may pose a threat to the security of the aircraft.

“Suvarnabhumi Airport has installed explosive detection systems (EDS) in the hold-baggage screening system, which is designed according to the standards of the United States’ Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) of the European Union. The system has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and has passed inspections by both domestic and international agencies.

“Suvarnabhumi Airport has also [made announcements] at the check-in counters, advising passengers to check the laws of their destination countries regarding the transportation of cannabis. This is because many countries still consider cannabis illegal, which may result in legal prosecution under the laws of each country.

“However, throughout this period, Suvarnabhumi Airport has cooperated with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) under the Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) programme. This collaboration involves intelligence-sharing, supporting joint inspections, as well as monitoring and tracking suspected individuals together.

“In addition, the programme also includes the Customs Department and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, which play crucial roles in supporting the initiative."

Suvarnabhumi Airport says it conducts security measures and baggage inspections according to established guidelines, emphasising adherence to international standards to ensure the safety of passengers and aircraft, which is of utmost importance.

Earlier, Facebook user “Heng On Tour” posted about this incident, stating that a couple who had never travelled abroad before had their daughter handle everything for them. The daughter purchased domestic-flight tickets with VietJet Air from Surat Thani Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport, where they checked in two pieces of luggage.

It turned out that the tour guests accidentally picked up the wrong black suitcase. The real owner of the black suitcase, a foreigner, realised their mistake and reported it to the airline. Meanwhile, the airline tried to contact the daughter, but she did not respond.

After receiving their luggage, the mother and father waited at Suvarnabhumi Airport for nearly four hours. At 7.30pm, they boarded a Thai Airways flight bound for Narita, Tokyo, Japan.

Upon arriving at Narita Airport, they cleared immigration. The tour guide collected the luggage and asked the customers to open their bags to freshen up, brush their teeth, and change clothes. However, both were unable to open the bag, so they called their daughter, which led to the discovery that the black suitcase was not theirs.

The tour guide then decided to unlock the suitcase, having the customers record a video as evidence. It was found that the suitcase contained 24 kilograms of dried cannabis tightly sealed in plastic bags.

The tour guide quickly contacted Narita Airport customs officials to demonstrate their innocence and tried to explain that the tourists had mistakenly picked up the wrong suitcase at Surat Thani Airport.

The tour guide and the two tourists were interrogated extensively from 8am to 5.30pm. However, in the end, thanks to their honesty in declaring the items, the customs officials believed that the customers and the tour guide were not involved or intending to bring illegal items into Japan.

The poster added that carelessness and a lack of attention could lead to situations that could have escalated further. Fortunately, the issue was resolved without major complications, and the remaining members of the group were able to continue their travels as planned.

They also left a question regarding Thai law and airport security: “How could 24 kilograms of cannabis pass through Surat Thani Airport and arrive at Suvarnabhumi without being detected? Is this really the standard in Thailand?"