Photo by Heng On Tour

 

In an unexpected twist, a Thai couple on holiday in Japan narrowly avoided legal trouble when they mistakenly brought the wrong luggage—packed with 24 kilogrammes of cannabis—into the country. This remarkable story began when the couple, part of a tour group, flew from Surat Thani to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, intending to continue to Narita Airport in Japan.

 

The couple had been given two suitcases by their daughter, but accidentally collected a wrong black suitcase at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The mistake went unnoticed until they reached Narita Airport and found themselves unable to unlock the suitcase. Upon opening it with the help of their tour guide, the stash of cannabis was discovered.

 

This alarming discovery led to a prolonged session of questioning by Japanese customs, lasting over nine hours, as authorities worked to confirm the tourists' innocence. The couple, missing much of their planned itinerary, were finally allowed to leave after their story checked out.

 

 

 

The original owner of the suitcase, believed to be a foreign national, had attempted to contact Suvarnabhumi Airport once he realised his luggage was misplaced. However, due to travel arrangements under the daughter’s name, communication snafus arose, delaying resolution.

 

This incident has sparked discussions about the effectiveness of airport luggage checks, especially regarding drugs. In their defence, Suvarnabhumi Airport officials asserted that existing inspection technology failed to identify the cannabis within the luggage.

 

The tour guide has urged future travellers to exercise extra caution when retrieving luggage, to avoid similar catastrophes. While no charges have yet been brought against the original owner of the suitcase, who purportedly reached South Korea, questions remain over potential legal consequences, reported The Thaiger.

 

 

-- 2025-03-17

 

 

7 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

This remarkable story began when the couple, part of a tour group, flew from Surat Thani to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok,

 

Hint to Cannabis smugglers.

Fly from Suratthani, not Samui.

Unbelievable story... I think they knew perfectly

Original owner got very very lucky. South korea scans all incoming suitcases. He avoided a very lengthy jail term.

Shows great work at the screening area in Bangkok then 🙈

7 minutes ago, thanadon324 said:

South korea

???

Good thing the Japanese police take their investigations more seriously than the Aseannow internet detectives who would have pronounced the Thai tourists guilty.

We'll say it was a luggage mixup if you tell us who paid you.

Surprised that the police at the airport don’t use sniffer dogs to check the luggage as they do at many Western locations.

 

perhaps more interested in illegal imports than exports.

Thailand just doesn’t want the hassle of dealing with drug offenders, mules or traffickers at the airport. They’d rather just notify the next destination to be on the lookout out for……….  Way too many instances popping up these days. Must be going for the most lax airport to carry through drugs. But don’t be fooled, they are calling ahead of your next destination. Heaven forbid they actually do any work. 

3 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

Surprised that the police at the airport don’t use sniffer dogs to check the luggage as they do at many Western locations.

 

perhaps more interested in illegal imports than exports.

If they are Thai sniffer dogs, they'd be sleeping alongside the immigration officers as everyone just walked on past.

5 hours ago, thanadon324 said:

Original owner got very very lucky. South korea scans all incoming suitcases. He avoided a very lengthy jail term.

 

 

Good job they never went near South Korea then.

Narita is in Japan.  

 

On 3/17/2025 at 5:33 PM, snoop1130 said:

The original owner of the suitcase, believed to be a foreign national, had attempted to contact Suvarnabhumi Airport once he realised his luggage was misplaced. However, due to travel arrangements under the daughter’s name, communication snafus arose, delaying resolution.

 

You don't need to say which foreign country you mean because there's only one that behaves this way, and no other country does. Just say it directly—it's already in my head.

8 hours ago, jcmj said:

Thailand just doesn’t want the hassle of dealing with drug offenders, mules or traffickers at the airport. They’d rather just notify the next destination to be on the lookout out for……….  Way too many instances popping up these days. Must be going for the most lax airport to carry through drugs. But don’t be fooled, they are calling ahead of your next destination. Heaven forbid they actually do any work. 

Better to let another country pay for jail, etc.

8 hours ago, jcmj said:

Thailand just doesn’t want the hassle of dealing with drug offenders, mules or traffickers at the airport. They’d rather just notify the next destination to be on the lookout out for……….  Way too many instances popping up these days. Must be going for the most lax airport to carry through drugs. But don’t be fooled, they are calling ahead of your next destination. Heaven forbid they actually do any work. 

How can you possibly say this after the arrests at Samui and others before that. You couldn't be more incorrect if you tried.

11 hours ago, ronster said:

Shows great work at the screening area in Bangkok then 🙈

 

It is a kind of amazing.

That bag with heaps of cannabis wasn't picked up at BKK apt security check in the first place.

Several foreigners were busted for such cases.

Wrongly mistaken for a drug trafficker.

The worst possible risk during foreign travel, far worse than getting  own belongings  stolen.

What if someone slipped narcotics like stuff into my bag after baggage c/in?

In such a case, extremely difficult to prove own innocence; next to impossible.

That's why I always carry only in-cabin baggage; minimizing my payload.

On 3/17/2025 at 12:20 PM, ikke1959 said:

Unbelievable story... I think they knew perfectly

 

I think not.

9 hours ago, jcmj said:

Thailand just doesn’t want the hassle of dealing with drug offenders, mules or traffickers at the airport. They’d rather just notify the next destination to be on the lookout out for……….  Way too many instances popping up these days. Must be going for the most lax airport to carry through drugs. But don’t be fooled, they are calling ahead of your next destination. Heaven forbid they actually do any work. 

What a load of utterly clueless nonsense.

 

I have no clue about the machinations of drug smugglers or Thailand's interdiction thereof, but at least I don't post total rubbish while pretending that I do.

Collecting someone else's suitcase wrongly at the destination airport.

A kind of long standing travel problem from early days.

 

Not every traveler is careful enough to check the name on the Claim Tag tied to the handle of the bag.

 

Some people attach a lot of stickers to their c/in baggage.

For easier identification of own bag,  in case several others might be carrying the same kind.

 

10 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

Surprised that the police at the airport don’t use sniffer dogs to check the luggage as they do at many Western locations.

 

perhaps more interested in illegal imports than exports.

 

The dogs don't check as much luggage as you would think. Even in Western countries.