Prime Minister Anutin Chanvirakul declared that smuggling drugs to Australia is impossible to succeed. He is preparing to call a major meeting tomorrow to tighten and seal every point of vulnerability, affirming that Thailand is not a transit route for drugs. He emphasized that the government has been strict in its crackdown, imposing life imprisonment without any amnesty for drug offenses.
On 2 July 2026, at the Thai Koo Fah Building, Government House, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Chanvirakul commented on the case of a Thai Airways flight attendant arrested by Australian police for drug smuggling. He said he has received reports, and at 1:30 p.m. today, the Secretary-General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) provided a situation update. Tomorrow, a major meeting will be held to discuss and issue directives following the meeting.
Regarding how much the incident would affect the country's confidence, the prime minister said that drug smuggling is obviously unacceptable and must be strictly controlled. However, current screening equipment mainly focuses on metal detection, and inspecting crew baggage thoroughly could cause other issues. Since this case involves crew members, new methods and regulations need to be established.
When asked about the possibility of employing technology to assist, the prime minister said he has asked the ONCB secretary. He reaffirmed that Thailand is not a drug transit point because of rigorous enforcement. He questioned why the media rarely ask about successful crackdowns, noting that large quantities of drugs have been seized and that he is preparing to preside over a drug incineration event. The government fully supports drug detection equipment and enforcement.
"If people continue to engage in this, they have chosen the wrong path. Even if this flight attendant returns to Thailand, the penalty will not be reduced. I have said before that possession of even a small amount of drugs results in life imprisonment, with no chance of amnesty. If someone chooses this path, we will keep arresting our nationals. There is no need to worry about reputation because we maintain high standards in tracking, enforcement, and prosecution. We cannot stop people from breaking the law; if they think they can escape our severe legal consequences, that is their choice," he said.
The prime minister also said that the large drug meeting tomorrow (3 July 2026) will include the Governor of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) and the Director of the Civil Aviation Training Center (CATC) to set airline-related regulations. When asked if Australian Federal Police (AFP) would be invited, Anutin said no, as the meeting concerns only domestic matters.
Asked if this meeting was routine, the prime minister said it was not scheduled regularly but was called specifically to address this issue. Regarding the meeting's goal, Anutin said it is to tighten controls and seal every loophole where smuggling might occur. He described smuggling drugs by plane as "not smart" because Australia has very strict measures, including sniffer dogs, making it impossible to succeed. He expressed bewilderment at why someone would attempt such an act, calling it a very short-sighted decision.