Thai Aviation Safety Bill proposes death penalty for causing airport closure

[webfact]

NLA
Bill proposes death for causing airport closure
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Legislative Assembly yesterday passed the first reading of the new Aviation Safety Bill, which could result in the death penalty for anyone who causes the closure of an airport.

The government proposed the bill for the National Legislative Assembly's consideration to replace the 1978 and 1995 laws.

The draft states that a person will face execution or life imprisonment if they destroy an aircraft in service, damage an aircraft so that it is no longer operational or put any material in an aircraft that causes it damage.

Forcing the closure of an airport, damaging airport facilities or aircraft at an airport plus any action that maims or kills someone in an airport would result in the death penalty or a life sentence, according to Article 19 of the proposed bill.

A person would also face the death penalty or life imprisonment for murdering someone in an airport.

NLA member Somchai Sawangkarn said putting someone to death for causing an airport's closure might be too harsh.

No death penalty elsewhere

Many countries no longer had the death penalty, he said.

"Personally, I don't support the closure of airports. But in some cases an airport operation needs to be shut down for other reasons such as what happened in 2008 when protesters shut the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports," he said, adding that "the law should give the operators some room for decisions".

Klanarong Chantik, an NLA member and a graft buster, said some articles in the proposed bill were not realistic and might affect the aviation industry.

Klanarong said Article 12 stated that alcohol- or drug-affected passengers who caused a disturbance on a flight face five years' imprisonment or a Bt500,000 fine or both.

"This article means serving alcohol on board is prohibited," he said.

Klanarong said Article 8 of the bill was also problematic and impractical as it resulted in a fine of only Bt20,000 - the same fine for people caught smoking in a restricted area - for any passenger who brought a prohibited substance aboard a plane, including explosives.

These articles should be amended, he said.

Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong said the government would take all the concerns of lawmakers into consideration and would amend the bill during meetings of an ad-hoc committee.

The goal of the legislation is to protect passengers and people involved in the aviation industry, he said.

Also in the aviation bill:

Three years' imprisonment or a Bt120,000 fine for:

- sexual harassment or any sexual offence

- indecency

Five years' imprisonment or a Bt200,000 fine for:

- using force to hurt someone

- damaging the property of someone

- drinking alcohol or using narcotics

- causing chaos on board a flight

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Bill-proposes-death-for-causing-airport-closure-30243639.html

-- The Nation 2014-09-19

[JohnThailandJohn]

I wonder how many people are actually deterred by the death penalty vs. 25-years in prison and actually formulate in their head that they'll go ahead and do a crime and risk 25 years of living a hellish existence rather than being put out of their misery. Would think most people just simply don't believe they will be caught /convicted or are acting on an impulse in other capital crimes where they are not even thinking about crime or punishment but just satisfying an impulse.

[Tokay]

What about if a taxi driver attacks a foreigner who he picked up at the airport, but commits the crime elsewhere? Death, or the usual 500b fine?

[rkidlad]

Jesus! How ridiculous

How about punishing the people accordingly who shut down the airport before and go from there.

[otherstuff1957]

5 Years imprisonment for drinking alcohol.

I guess I won't order a glass of wine on my next flight.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Five years' imprisonment or a Bt200,000 fine for: - drinking alcohol

Is this only at the airport or on all flight to and from Thai airports? Sounds like the final nail in the coffin to me.

[Loles]

I guess this is not a yellow color bill.

[madmitch]

Five years' imprisonment or a Bt200,000 fine for: - drinking alcohol

Is this only at the airport or on all flight to and from Thai airports? Sounds like the final nail in the coffin to me.

Hopefully this is just for pilots and crew but TIT! Who knows?

[tbthailand]

what is it with this country and the death penalty?

[chooka]

Five years' imprisonment or a Bt200,000 fine for: - drinking alcohol

Good reason to avoid Thai airports, fly Singapore airlines.

[newcomer71]

What if instead to announce a crackdown a day, and put death penalty for littering the current "government" would speed up a REAL Police reform, so that Police can enforce current laws?

[seajae]

they do have exceptions: if you are from a wealthy thai family you are always innocent and will not be charged. Instead someone else will be blamed in your place, ideally a foreigner

[kimamey]

what is it with this country and the death penalty?

What is it with this Buddhist country and the death penalty?

[pookiki]

Why not just make it simple and ban all protests and or demonstrations at the airport as a matter of national security? As is, the bill is unclear as to what exactly its trying to accomplish.

[tifino]

does it include incidents resulting from incompetent maintenance crews? or Air Traffic Control?

[AGareth2]

retrospective?

[VINCENT2012]

time to go.....anyone who would like to buy my house?

thanks

[Ulic]

Way over the top but just goes to show how the government views the importance of the tourism industry

and the inconveniencing of tourists. If other changes progress in the same direction it will be good for both

ex-pats as well as tourists.

[kamahele]

What? Certainly some information must be missing like "as an act of terrorism". What if there is an accident? The one at fault is put to death?

[spidermike007]

The simple fact that they did not have army roadblocks on the way to the airport, when they knew the seizure of Suvarnabhumi was imminent is a boil on the face of Thai law enforcement, and the rule of law and order. It was a catastrophic event, that many of us will never forget. It continues to say so much about the weak government of Somchai, and the general incompetence of Thai politicians in general. They never should have let this happen. It was a travesty. No country, that claims to have the rule of law and order, should ever allow anything like this to happen. It is essentially an admission that you have lost control over your country. Period. So, in the future all precautions should be taken to make sure this never happens again. As far as the harsh penalties, maybe they will work, and maybe they will not work. Thailand is one of the most famous countries in the world, for not enforcing the penalties and laws that it already has on it's books. Do they need more laws? With the famously weak and ineffective judiciary, and prosecutors? How much cash does the defendant have?

[MikeOboe57]

The simple fact that they did not have army roadblocks on the way to the airport, when they knew the seizure of Suvarnabhumi was imminent is a boil on the face of Thai law enforcement, and the rule of law and order. It was a catastrophic event, that many of us will never forget. It continues to say so much about the weak government of Somchai, and the general incompetence of Thai politicians in general. They never should have let this happen. It was a travesty. No country, that claims to have the rule of law and order, should ever allow anything like this to happen. It is essentially an admission that you have lost control over your country. Period. So, in the future all precautions should be taken to make sure this never happens again. As far as the harsh penalties, maybe they will work, and maybe they will not work. Thailand is one of the most famous countries in the world, for not enforcing the penalties and laws that it already has on it's books. Do they need more laws? With the famously weak and ineffective judiciary, and prosecutors? How much cash does the defendant have?

l didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition.

[fab4]

Just remember, these people are the "great and the good", that were specifically chosen.

Edited September 19, 2014 by fab4

[jonclark]

Five years' imprisonment or a Bt200,000 fine for: - drinking alcohol

Is this only at the airport or on all flight to and from Thai airports? Sounds like the final nail in the coffin to me.

It can only apply to Thai Aiports. Once out of Thai Airspace I sure that it can't apply - Illegal to have a drink on a BA flight from Bangkok to London. Nuttier than a squirrels balls!!

[zydeco]

Just one penalty for everything, death. Easy to apply and easy for everyone to understand. You murder a few hundred people in a terrorist attack: death. You step off the pavement and walk on the grass: death.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Five years' imprisonment or a Bt200,000 fine for: - drinking alcohol

Is this only at the airport or on all flight to and from Thai airports? Sounds like the final nail in the coffin to me.

It can only apply to Thai Aiports. Once out of Thai Airspace I sure that it can't apply - Illegal to have a drink on a BA flight from Bangkok to London. Nuttier than a squirrels balls!!

Maybe its only inside Thai airspace, who knows? crazy idea anyway.

[Stradavarius37]

The simple fact that they did not have army roadblocks on the way to the airport, when they knew the seizure of Suvarnabhumi was imminent is a boil on the face of Thai law enforcement, and the rule of law and order. It was a catastrophic event, that many of us will never forget. It continues to say so much about the weak government of Somchai, and the general incompetence of Thai politicians in general. They never should have let this happen. It was a travesty. No country, that claims to have the rule of law and order, should ever allow anything like this to happen. It is essentially an admission that you have lost control over your country. Period. So, in the future all precautions should be taken to make sure this never happens again. As far as the harsh penalties, maybe they will work, and maybe they will not work. Thailand is one of the most famous countries in the world, for not enforcing the penalties and laws that it already has on it's books. Do they need more laws? With the famously weak and ineffective judiciary, and prosecutors? How much cash does the defendant have?

I know they I for one still bear the scars of that "catastrophic" event. Even now, I wake up, reliving the moments when the old grannies sat in front of the doors waving their yellow foot clappers. My wife comforts me as the terror of that incident forces my muscles into convulsive knots. Oh the humanity...

l

[klauskunkel]

Thai Aviation Safety Bill proposes death penalty for causing airport closure

What's so special about airports? Let's do the same for sea ports, train stations, BTS, MRT and taxi cab zones! Don't discriminate!

[atyclb]

Tons of mismanagement at thai airways that has caused many a plane to not function/ go out of service. the proposed law brings new meaning to the term "heads will roll"

[grantbkk]

It could be airline flights under Thai control like the flag carrier and flights within the Kingdom. The NLA also wants to place high ranking officers on each flight as procters to record infractions. Crazy stuff that these people must come up with to stay relevant and keep their jobs. Seems a bit over the top. Maybe this will only apply in economy class?

[EnglishJohn]

Thailand proves to us once again that the people it produces have zero common sense. How many times do we see stories like this then an abrupt U-turn when they tell the world and they all laugh ?.

This is why 'face' makes me laugh. The ones who think they have the most are usually the biggest idiots of the lot ....