The Director of Suvarnabhumi Airport explained the baggage x-ray screening issue involving a flight attendant concealing heroin, affirming that the airport maintains strict screening standards in line with ICAO and is coordinating with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) to intensify inspections.
Following reports that a Thai Airways crew member was caught smuggling heroin on a flight from Thailand to Australia after a sniffer dog detected anomalies in the baggage, Thai Airways has now ordered the formation of a fact-finding and disciplinary committee to conclude its investigation within seven days, as previously reported.Read more: Flight attendant caught hiding heroin suspended; seven-day deadline set for investigation.)
On 29 June 2026, Mr. Kittipong Kittikajorn, Director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, confirmed that Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited enforces strict screening measures for passengers traveling through Suvarnabhumi Airport, following international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to ensure global safety compliance.
Regarding concerns about screening for illegal items or foreign objects that could threaten the safety of aircraft or passengers on each flight, he clarified that outbound passenger screening at Suvarnabhumi Airport meets global standards from both ICAO and CAAT. Upon check-in, x-ray machines scan for foreign objects made of metal or hazardous liquids that might compromise flight safety.
Therefore, x-ray screening might not detect drugs like heroin if they are packaged in a dispersed manner. However, if there is coordination from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), special inspections will be conducted.
Inbound screening at all airports follows different standards than outbound, as each country may impose restrictions on food, plants, or animals, resulting in varied screening procedures. In Thailand, Suvarnabhumi Airport maintains strict screening consistent with ICAO standards, using both x-ray and sniffer dogs, as well as acting on information from origin points about passengers suspected of irregularities.