Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Thailand News and Discussion Forum | ASEANNOW

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Thai Recipient Traced in Australia in Air Hostess Case

Featured Replies

Thai authorities have identified the intended recipient of a heroin shipment linked to the Australian detention of Thai air hostess Mina, with officials confirming the woman is a Thai national known as “Dear” who has lived in Australia for more than 10 years. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) said Australia’s Melbourne Magistrates’ Court is scheduled to decide the next stage of Mina’s case on 14 September 2026.

Get today's headlines by email image.png

ONCB spokeswoman Areepak Ngernbamrung said investigators had confirmed Dear is a real person and had repeatedly appeared as the named recipient in previous parcels sent to Australia. Thai authorities have shared evidence with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which is continuing to investigate the wider Australian network believed to be connected to the shipments.

The investigation forms part of a broader crackdown on a transnational drug trafficking organisation. Thai authorities have split responsibilities between several agencies, with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) handling organised crime aspects after separate Bangkok cases involving around 26 kilogrammes of drugs and evidence suggesting foreign nationals directed a courier network. Officials said parcels were delivered either through postal services or hand-to-hand exchanges.

Investigators also questioned Mina’s boyfriend, who said the couple opened the delivered bags after they arrived at their condominium on 22 June but found nothing suspicious before packing the luggage for her scheduled flight. Authorities added that airport X-ray screening in Thailand showed only normal orange-coloured blocks and detected no obvious irregularities.

The ONCB said Dear is believed to be only one of several intended recipients in Australia. Officials confirmed she has lived there for more than a decade and has stable employment, although it remains unclear whether she is also now an Australian citizen.

Officials said earlier reports suggesting Mina would receive 8,800 baht for delivering the parcel originated from information recovered by Australian investigators from her mobile phone. Thai investigators said they have instead identified two planned payments of 1,700 baht each but have not confirmed the final agreed amount. They also noted that only a few thousand baht were found in Mina’s bank account.

Authorities believe the parcel’s original sender may have been from Laos, although they stressed the drugs ultimately originated from the Golden Triangle and were transported through northern and northeastern Thailand before distribution. Investigators are also examining the role of the Facebook avatar account “Rose Rose”, which they believe may be linked to a scam operation recruiting airline crew and frequent international travellers to unknowingly transport narcotics.

Matichon reported that the ONCB stressed that Mina has not yet been convicted in Australia’s cross-border drug trafficking case. Officials said they are continuing to gather evidence to assist the Thai embassy and Australian authorities, with the aim of supporting her legal defence if investigators conclude she had no knowledge of the heroin concealed in the luggage.

image.png

Picture courtesy of Matichon

Related stories

Myanmar-heroin-linked-to-Thai-Airways-hostesss-arrest

Man-arrested-in-Phitsanulok-over-Australian-heroin-case

Thai-flight-attendant-held-over-heroin-at-Melbourne-airport

Join the discussion? image.png

image.png Adapted by ASEAN Now Matichon 7 July 2026


View full article

22 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

Investigators also questioned Mina’s boyfriend, who said the couple opened the delivered bags after they arrived at their condominium on 22 June but found nothing suspicious before packing the luggage for her scheduled flight

Reports are that only 2 of the 12 tote bags in the shipment contained heroin.

Mina is guilty there is no doubt. She is an air hostess shen knows that she can't take parcels or whatever from anybody to take with her. Where the drugs come from is not important and who is the recipient also. Convenient to track them down and end this drugsline, but the air hostess is not a victim but a drugs smuggler. I keep on thinking that there was a person who was annoyed that he was not in the current Government and promised that he could make problems. Is this what was the intention to pull Thailand down??? Anyway Mina has high ranked friends as never for common people there is such a big investigation and involvement of departments for common people. But the real people behind it must be protected, as that is what Thailand seems to do..protect the criminals

21 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Mina has high ranked friends as never for common people there is such a big investigation and involvement of departments for common people. But the real people behind it must be protected, as that is what Thailand seems to do..protect the criminals

I was thinking similar. Earlier reports said the Thai originator or enabler had a Tik Tok or similar social media account called 'powder powder'. So I too wondered about him, since he claimed 'it was just powder' when he was arrested in Australia. Now the authorities quoted in this report try to further fuzzy the origin of the drugs, deflecting away from Thailand - suggesting Laos and Golden Triangle. As you say, why is Mina (Meena) getting such protection? The flight attendant's full name and photo - and former beauty queen title - are easily found on the internet (Japanese father, Thai mother from Phayao), yet the Thai authorities continue to try to conceal her identity. Why?

"Thai authorities have identified the intended recipient of a heroin shipment linked to the Australian detention of Thai air hostess Mina," but no mention in the Australian media.....is this bull<deleted>, or are Thai authorities giving "Dear" a heads up.. which would be extreme bull<deleted>, and poor professionalism.

So now they have the "boyfriend" come up with a "story," I doubt the Aussie cops will give it much credibility, they are not so stupid, or gullible, to believe, or trust, the RTP, or the Thai government...

Personally, I hope it becomes clear that Mina is an unwitting courier. She's 23, naive.

Huge waste of resources!

2 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Personally, I hope it becomes clear that Mina is an unwitting courier. She's 23, naive.

Huge waste of resources!

If Ms. Mina is an unwitting courier, it would only make sense if there was a genuine market for the bags in Australia. I don't know but when I used to travel back to US I brought empty large canvas wheeled duffel bags. To fill them up I would stuff them with these:

download.jpg

And people went nuts over them -- even once a Japan Air stewardess bunch when I used one for carry-on.

Create an account or sign in to comment

Recently Browsing 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.