Politicians Seek To Relax Airport Security

[churchill]

Thai politicians are pressuring Suvarnabhumi Airport's security staff to drop some pre-boarding screening procedures, even though this would breach global aviation security standards.

The move to lift the requirement for passengers to put their jackets and belts through X-ray machines before they walk through metal detectors is being spearheaded by Pichet Panwichartkul, a Democrat MP.

Mr Pichet has called the procedures an inconvenience for passengers and he is attempting to use his position as an adviser to the House standing committee on banking and finance to ease airport security, which has left security and airline managers dumbfounded.

-- Bangkok Post 28/08/09

[Scott]

And these people are running the country??!!!

[ballpoint]

...even though this would breach global aviation security standards.

So, why don't you have to remove your belt at KL, Ho Chi Minh City, Perth, Sydney, Singapore and Beijing, to name the airports I've flown out of this year? Dubai is the only one other than Bangkok that has made me do this. In KL and Ho Chi Minh I don't even have to take my laptop out of its bag, so I suspect "global aviation security standards" are a bit of a myth, or at least left up to the individual airport to interpret. Bangkok is one of the harshest I've experienced in this region. I travel through it frequently and wear and carry the same stuff each time. Sometimes the alarm goes off, despite me not having any metal on me, except for a few old fillings in my teeth, and sometimes it doesn't. One would think there would at least be consistancy in the machine settings within the same airport. I suppose it's the price we pay for a safe flight, but I'd imagine any terrorist worth his salt would find a way to get a weapon on board. I look forward to the day when we're all made to strip off and board the plane wearing bathrobes while our belongings are stored in an explosion proof box in the hold..

[geriatrickid]

Belts can stay on if they are non metallic. The reason the belts come off is because those metal buckles set of the sensor, which then slows down the line, inconveniencing everyone.

If this joker wanted to make a difference, he should come to the security line and yell at the idiot tourists and thais that are oblivious to what they are not allowed take through security. There are times I would like to grab these idiots and throw them out of the line as they try and bring through large bottles of liquids, knives, scissors etc.

[markm]

Nothing'll come of it. It's just d*ck waving by a self-important minor beancounter who doesn't know any better than to p*ss in someone elses' department and legisaltion for a few inches of newspaper columns. Give it a few days and this'll go away quietly when he realises just how stupid his attempt at creating a soundbite is.

Just like any politician (elected or otherwise) anywhere else in the world.

[Travel2003]

I think it is the baggage handlers at the air port that have lobbyed it in the government.

They need a bit more time, so they can open more luggage.

Open and search luggage for security reasons only of course.

[Thongkorn]

Personally it does not matter to me , if it makes flying safer no problem it gives me some thing to do While i wait to board the plane.

[EndofDays]

Personally it does not matter to me , if it makes flying safer no problem it gives me some thing to do While i wait to board the plane.

You know, I never thought of it that way.

[Datsun240Z]

And these people are running the country??!!!

[Plus]

These "global aviation security standards" are getting out of hand and people are starting to hit back.

Taking off some of female jackets that are worn here could qualify as undressing in public (at least paitially).

[TAWP]

Having to take off a belt is pathetic and pure annoying.

How can anyone say it speeds up the process to have several guys standing before and after the metal bars, taking off and putting on the belt again and hoping to not drop their pants?

Infact, my passing through the check at Suvanaphumi took longer when I had to take the belt off then when I didn't, from Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, in the last year...

Get this into you heads, the safety-procedures are not for our safety, they are to 1) give us the perception of safety so we will continue to travel 2) another tool to make sure they point out that they can <deleted> with you at any time, on an international basis.

[Scott]

Well, if you don't like it, you can just swim home, I guess.

Safety procedures will vary from place to place and time to time. I usually take everything metal off--belt, wrist watch, no keys or change in my pockets and waltz right through.

The one thing that a country that wants to be a 'transportation hub' doesn't need to do is relax it's security, especially with the problems going on at the airport now.

[ballpoint]

Well, if you don't like it, you can just swim home, I guess.

Safety procedures will vary from place to place and time to time. I usually take everything metal off--belt, wrist watch, no keys or change in my pockets and waltz right through.

The one thing that a country that wants to be a 'transportation hub' doesn't need to do is relax it's security, especially with the problems going on at the airport now.

So why is it I could walk through immigration, past the miles of duty free shops, all the way to the security checkpoint with a bag full of guns and grenades, if I were that way inclined? Plenty of ways I could cause mischief without needing to get on a plane. In any case, the real terrorist will find a way to get his weapons on the plane, no matter if he has to take his belt off or not.

You're correct that an airport can be judged on its level of preflight security. However, it works both ways. How many people now avoid Heathrow due to its perceived draconian security arrangements? I know I do. Your average tourist, making a couple of flights a year, probably isn't going to take it into consideration, but your frequent flying business traveller certainly may.

[puyaidon]

Hasn't Thailand had some planes hijacked before or hijacked planes came through Thailand? How would you Brits think if someone flew a plane into Big Ben or Windsor Palace? How would you French think if they did that to the Eiffel Tower? This government official seems to think that he can change things. What would he say if they flew a plane into some revered landmark here in Thailand just because some screwball did not like taking off his belt or his wife's jacket? The Brits, the Spainards, and the US as well as other countries have had their share of terrorists? Does some petty government official think he can change it? If it changes, watch all flights to the US be cancelled or diverted to places that will do the security checks. What does that mean, higher plane fares? Longer plane trips to countries that do the checks? He seems to forget that for the one of the few times in US aviation history, all planes were grounded except for military aircraft. Remember the large numbers of people who could not get home, could not go anywhere? The times are gone where we could just show up for our flights and move right onto the planes without worrying about some nut job lighting his shoe, taking over the cockpit, cutting people, or any other stupid thing just to take over the planes. This guy should be retired to an inactive post.

Edited August 31, 2009 by puyaidon

[TAWP]

Planes are very rarely hijacked...don't let the 80ies movies scare you.

[Wuffy]

Hasn't Thailand had some planes hijacked before or hijacked planes came through Thailand? How would you Brits think if someone flew a plane into Big Ben or Windsor Palace? How would you French think if they did that to the Eiffel Tower? This government official seems to think that he can change things. What would he say if they flew a plane into some revered landmark here in Thailand just because some screwball did not like taking off his belt or his wife's jacket? The Brits, the Spainards, and the US as well as other countries have had their share of terrorists? Does some petty government official think he can change it? If it changes, watch all flights to the US be cancelled or diverted to places that will do the security checks. What does that mean, higher plane fares? Longer plane trips to countries that do the checks? He seems to forget that for the one of the few times in US aviation history, all planes were grounded except for military aircraft. Remember the large numbers of people who could not get home, could not go anywhere? The times are gone where we could just show up for our flights and move right onto the planes without worrying about some nut job lighting his shoe, taking over the cockpit, cutting people, or any other stupid thing just to take over the planes. This guy should be retired to an inactive post.

I hope this post is a Joke.

The security measures currently put in place are an Utter JOKE.

It's creating extra work, excess intrusion, ridiculous amounts of frustration and inconvinience for MANY people world wide.

How many Terrorists were caught?

Last I recall We had an article in the paper when One guy was on the plane and they had to turn it aorund because someone had gotten on with a knife and was using it to cut his fruit.

He wasn't even TRYING to smuggle it he just got on with the dam_n thing.

The guy who lit his shoes? He was spotted AFTER he got on the plane.

The Chemical mixes using liquids brought onto the plane?

Look it up the required cocktail mixing effort and organisation to make something on a plane would be well detected before it made anything explosive.

And these are 3 incidents that went THROUGH security procedure, But instead of finding real thought and security they knee jerk and ban the object du jour.

Here is an excersize.

Number of flgihts Hijacked for 5 years BEFORE 9/11 and number of flights Hijacked for 5 years AFTER.

Compared with the number of flights during that time.

Anyone know how to collect those statistics?

Edit: Spelling >.<

Edited August 31, 2009 by Wuffy

[Plus]

People think that the possibility of preventing a terrorist act do not justify the inconvenience from those take off you jacket, belt and shoes rules.

Rules are not going to stop terrorism, just make it slightly more difficult or force them to look for other methods.

[noithip]

Well, if you don't like it, you can just swim home, I guess.

Safety procedures will vary from place to place and time to time. I usually take everything metal off--belt, wrist watch, no keys or change in my pockets and waltz right through.

The one thing that a country that wants to be a 'transportation hub' doesn't need to do is relax it's security, especially with the problems going on at the airport now.

Maybe as an American You could swim home, people coming from places without seafront will have difficulties.

It seems the US- (propaganda) story of the 19 guys and the 4 planes and their little cardboard-cutters took it's toll...

Maybe it's time to move on? I mean could be done the "american way" aswell, just hassle everyone with a slightly darker skin color, or muslim name...seems to work in the secure homeland after all.

[321niti123]

...even though this would breach global aviation security standards.

So, why don't you have to remove your belt at KL, Ho Chi Minh City, Perth, Sydney, Singapore and Beijing, to name the airports I've flown out of this year? Dubai is the only one other than Bangkok that has made me do this. In KL and Ho Chi Minh I don't even have to take my laptop out of its bag, so I suspect "global aviation security standards" are a bit of a myth, or at least left up to the individual airport to interpret. Bangkok is one of the harshest I've experienced in this region. I travel through it frequently and wear and carry the same stuff each time. Sometimes the alarm goes off, despite me not having any metal on me, except for a few old fillings in my teeth, and sometimes it doesn't. One would think there would at least be consistancy in the machine settings within the same airport. I suppose it's the price we pay for a safe flight, but I'd imagine any terrorist worth his salt would find a way to get a weapon on board. I look forward to the day when we're all made to strip off and board the plane wearing bathrobes while our belongings are stored in an explosion proof box in the hold..

Taking off your belt keeps the line moving because the belt would sound the metal detector and slow down the line because the security has to check your entire body for metal.

[Plus]

It was faster before we had to take the belts off.

[bigbadmamasan]

Pichet Panwichartkul, he brain no have

mamasan

[ballpoint]

Taking off your belt keeps the line moving because the belt would sound the metal detector and slow down the line because the security has to check your entire body for metal.

But I have never set the alarm off while wearing my belt in KL, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing or Singapore, despite using them fairly often, nor Sydney or Perth, which I've also flown out of this year. Yet, I have no idea if the alarm will go off or not in Bangkok, despite taking off my belt and removing every piece of metal from me that its possible to do without taking a pair of pliers to my teeth. The sensitivity of the detectors in Bangkok varies from machine to machine, and appears to be much higher than other airports in the region. Is a bit of consistancy too much to ask for?

The silliest part is the times when the alarm does go off and the attendant waves the little wand over me and can't find any metal. They either refuse to believe it, and start patting me down in a manner that would do an employee in one of the more dubious bars proud; make me take off my shoes and put them through the machine, despite them being slip ons with no metal at all in them, a fact that the wand has confirmed but face must be saved; or give an extended wand waving all over, as if trying to park a plane somewhere on my person, before letting me go. Maybe I swallowed an eating utensil when I was a baby and need to see a doctor about removing it. That would be typical, born with a silver spoon in my mouth but swallowing the dam_n thing.

As an alternative, I'd like to suggest a full body inspection, done by some trained females, (or males for the female passengers, or anyone else that way inclined), with the aid of a bottle of baby oil. It might take longer, but you wouldn't get as many complaints.

[silverhawk_usa]

I won't argue the posts re: stats. But, do a search on "belt kives" or "belt buckle knives" or some such and see what comes up.

A couple quick quotes;

The New Belt Buckle is real as pretty as it is, with a removable knife that slides in and out of the Middle of the Buckle. Only you will know that there's a knife around your waist. This belt buckle has a 4" hidden knife.

You don't need to do anything to have your belt buckle ready except to pull it from it's sheath.

I don't mind a little inconvenience.

[animatic]

Hasn't Thailand had some planes hijacked before or hijacked planes came through Thailand? How would you Brits think if someone flew a plane into Big Ben or Windsor Palace? How would you French think if they did that to the Eiffel Tower? This government official seems to think that he can change things. What would he say if they flew a plane into some revered landmark here in Thailand just because some screwball did not like taking off his belt or his wife's jacket? The Brits, the Spainards, and the US as well as other countries have had their share of terrorists? Does some petty government official think he can change it? If it changes, watch all flights to the US be cancelled or diverted to places that will do the security checks. What does that mean, higher plane fares? Longer plane trips to countries that do the checks? He seems to forget that for the one of the few times in US aviation history, all planes were grounded except for military aircraft. Remember the large numbers of people who could not get home, could not go anywhere? The times are gone where we could just show up for our flights and move right onto the planes without worrying about some nut job lighting his shoe, taking over the cockpit, cutting people, or any other stupid thing just to take over the planes. This guy should be retired to an inactive post.

I hope this post is a Joke.

The security measures currently put in place are an Utter JOKE.

It's creating extra work, excess intrusion, ridiculous amounts of frustration and inconvinience for MANY people world wide.

How many Terrorists were caught?

Last I recall We had an article in the paper when One guy was on the plane and they had to turn it aorund because someone had gotten on with a knife and was using it to cut his fruit.

He wasn't even TRYING to smuggle it he just got on with the dam_n thing.

The guy who lit his shoes? He was spotted AFTER he got on the plane.

The Chemical mixes using liquids brought onto the plane?

Look it up the required cocktail mixing effort and organisation to make something on a plane would be well detected before it made anything explosive.

And these are 3 incidents that went THROUGH security procedure, But instead of finding real thought and security they knee jerk and ban the object du jour.

Here is an excersize.

Number of flgihts Hijacked for 5 years BEFORE 9/11 and number of flights Hijacked for 5 years AFTER.

Compared with the number of flights during that time.

Anyone know how to collect those statistics?

Edit: Spelling >.<

Binary explosives can be mixed in the restrooms and set off.

Richard Ross with the attempt to light off his shoes.

I was supposed to be on that VERY plane.

I got no problem with increased security,

just not increased stupidity at boarding gates.

I had some instinct not to fly direct to New York and went via London,

and 2 days of theaters and art during layovers each way.

I arrived only to see that this NUTTER was close to blowing up 3 rows from my seat.

I never regretted the 100€ I lost changing itineraries.

The belt thing is a bit difficult to fathom, except maybe a garrote in the belt or something.

I susopose a good leather belt could hold a long ribbon of C4, but the scandale on payoffs

prevented the sniffing scanners from being installed... all a waste.

[ballpoint]

I won't argue the posts re: stats. But, do a search on "belt kives" or "belt buckle knives" or some such and see what comes up.

A couple quick quotes;

The New Belt Buckle is real as pretty as it is, with a removable knife that slides in and out of the Middle of the Buckle. Only you will know that there's a knife around your waist. This belt buckle has a 4" hidden knife.

You don't need to do anything to have your belt buckle ready except to pull it from it's sheath.

I don't mind a little inconvenience.

That's a serious belt buckle, but I'd hope it would set off any detector at any level of sensitivity. I doubt any serious terrorist would risk wearing it through preflight security, whether he knew he'd have to remove it or not. Besides which, you could do an equal amount of damage with a broken bottle of something purchased at duty free. If the 2001 hijackers were able to take over four planes armed with box cutters and pepper spray, think what could be done by a group of people armed with broken bottles that they legally carried through security while taking off their belts and removing all metallic items.

[Datsun240Z]

Do you really bother, if there's a beautiful Thai lady saying, to take your belt of? Please!!!!

[Richard W]

If the 2001 hijackers were able to take over four planes armed with box cutters and pepper spray, think what could be done by a group of people armed with broken bottles that they legally carried through security while taking off their belts and removing all metallic items.

Except that now they wouldn't be allowed acces to the cockpit.

[chetumaire]

Planes are very rarely hijacked...don't let the 80ies movies scare you.

I was actually thinking about a September 11, 2001 reality show.

[TAWP]

Planes are very rarely hijacked...don't let the 80ies movies scare you.

I was actually thinking about a September 11, 2001 reality show.

Expecting a re-run?

Don't be naive, the increased security measure hasn't prevented any terrorist-attacks on a global scale. It was put in place to make you, the traveler, feel safe.

Now if you really want to feel afraid, I could bring out some classified documents from an cooperation organization for airline safety and we can talk about risk vs cost-assessments and why some security measures on the airplane itself for example isn't done...but I digress...

George Carlin: "Besides, an airplane ride shouldn't be completely safe. You need a little danger in your life! What are you gonna do, play with your prick for another 30 years? Read People magazine and eat at Wendy's til the end of time? Take a fuc_kin' chance! And besides, if we made airplanes completely safe, the terrorists would simply start bombing other places that are crowded. Porn shops, crack houses, titty bars, and gangbangs. You know, entertainment venues."

[bangon04]

Don't be naive, the increased security measure hasn't prevented any terrorist-attacks on a global scale. It was put in place to make you, the traveler, feel safe.

George Carlin: "Besides, an airplane ride shouldn't be completely safe. You need a little danger in your life! What are you gonna do, play with your prick for another 30 years? Read People magazine and eat at Wendy's til the end of time? Take a fuc_kin' chance! And besides, if we made airplanes completely safe, the terrorists would simply start bombing other places that are crowded. Porn shops, crack houses, titty bars, and gangbangs. You know, entertainment venues."

You mean like in Bali or somewhere?