Siripong reveals that the Ministry of Transport has ordered tighter measures to inspect passenger and crew luggage, banning crew members from carrying items for others, increasing K9 dog inspections, and elevating intelligence operations.
On 5 Jul 2026, Siripong Angkasukolkit, Deputy Minister of Transport, spoke about implementing stricter controls on passenger and crew luggage at airports, following his participation in a Narcotics Control Board meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on 3 Jul 2026.
Siripong stated that he attended the meeting on behalf of Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, who was occupied with provincial duties. The Ministry of Transport has adopted the Board’s recommended measures for additional implementation.
He affirmed that before the arrest of a flight attendant in Australia, security inspections were already conducted rigorously according to international standards. There have been ongoing drug smuggling arrests at airports, detecting attempts both on inbound and outbound flights.
Nevertheless, going forward, inspections will be further tightened, as it is believed that smugglers may be aware of current security procedures and are continuously trying to evade detection.
When asked about tightening controls on crew members carrying items for others, the Deputy Minister explained that airports already screen crew through scanning procedures. However, upon discovering that crew are carrying items for others, stricter measures will be implemented. For example, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has issued additional rules to all airlines prohibiting crew from carrying items for others due to associated risks. Additional training will be provided to X-ray machine operators, intelligence efforts will be enhanced, and over 60 K9 dogs from the Royal Thai Police will join Customs Department dogs in search operations. The Ministry of Transport will continue to issue further policy directives.