AOT to investigate how handgun sneaked through security check at Suvarnabhumi airport

[webfact]

AOT to investigate how handgun sneaked through security check at airport



BANGKOK: -- The Airports Authority of Thailand (AOT) today set up a committee to investigate how the former metropolitan police commissioner managed to get through security check system at the Suvarnabhumi airport with a handgun and rounds of ammunitions on board a Thai Airways International flight to Narita airport in Japan.

Pol Lt Gen Kamronvit Thoopkrachang was arrested by Japanese immigration officials where he was found to have in possession a revolver and rounds of ammunition while he was about to board a THAI flight back to Bangkok on Monday.

He is now being questioned by Japanese police on the handgun.

But AOT board chairman Prasong Poontanet insisted today that initial investigation showed that the former commissioner did not bring his gun in carry-on handbag or load it in luggage to the plane.

Primary investigation showed he did not bring the handgun out of the country on plane, he said.

Earlier AOT vice president Capt Kunpat Mangklasuri said he has ordered investigation into how he could manage to bring the handgun on board.

He said there is only one exception that gun could be permitted on board only by security guard giving protection to important person.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/aot-to-investigate-how-handgun-sneaked-through-security-check-at-airport


-- Thai PBS 2015-06-24

[halloween]

Ahhh, question answered! Due to police cutbacks he was acting as his own security guard. After all, he is an important person, just ask him.

[ratcatcher]

"He said there is only one exception that gun could be permitted on board only by security guard giving protection to important person."

Well then, there it is.

[Soutpeel]

Primary investigation showed he did not bring the handgun out of the country on plane, he said.

Must be those pesky Japanese who gave it to him then, maybe his contacts in the Yakuza

[uty6543]

Primary investigation showed he did not bring the handgun out of the country on plane, he said.

So he couldn't have taken it.
He said there is only one exception that gun could be permitted on board only by security guard giving protection to important person.

So he could have taken it.

Glad that's clear

[DLock]

The "acting dumb" routine in Thailand is getting pretty old.

"Primary investigation showed he did not bring the handgun out of the country on plane, he said."

Yet, the General himself admitted "I admit to my mistake but I did not intend to bring it to Japan or hide it from detection,".

So, we know he "accidentally" took it on a plane from Thailand to Japan.

So, Khun Poontanet (great name, by the way), you are lying through your pursed lips. You know exactly how he managed to avoid security checks despite being a "former" police commissioner. He had sycophant escorts and played the "do you know who I am/was card" at every checkpoint despite the beepers and lights.

​Personally, I hope all your fake smiling, groveling and begging at the "misunderstanding" to your Japanese counterparts fails and General spends a few years behind bars...just like any normal person would.

[NongKhaiKid]

Nice little headache for AOT as they can't or won't admit security was lax or that his VIP status was a little too special so they have to deny he carried the gun out of Thailand but if he admits it was his and he took it with him in his bout of forgetfulness ... ?

[Robby nz]

Nice little headache for AOT as they can't or won't admit security was lax or that his VIP status was a little too special so they have to deny he carried the gun out of Thailand but if he admits it was his and he took it with him in his bout of forgetfulness ... ?

Don't you think that if he did have it with him when he went to Japan that the Japanese would also have to admit that their security was lax for allowing it into Japan ?

It would seem that the Japanese police have the weapon so if it is a legal weapon from Thailand it shouldn't be to difficult to check the serial numbers.

If it is not legal then who knows where it came from.

Edited June 24, 2015 by Robby nz

[Tatsujin]

He should have left the handgun at home (or not bought it in Japan), along with his "the rules don't apply to me and I can do what the < deleted > I want" attitude

[Skywalker69]

Is it possible that he bought the gun in Japan?

[NongKhaiKid]

Nice little headache for AOT as they can't or won't admit security was lax or that his VIP status was a little too special so they have to deny he carried the gun out of Thailand but if he admits it was his and he took it with him in his bout of forgetfulness ... ?

Don't you think that if he did have it with him when he went to Japan that the Japanese would also have to admit that their security was lax for allowing it into Japan ?

It would seem that the Japanese police have the weapon so if it is a legal weapon from Thailand it shouldn't be to difficult to check the serial numbers.

If it is not legal then who knows where it came from.

I haven't flown internationally for a long time so have no idea how arrivals' luggage is treated at airports and i'm presuming it may vary.

You are presuming the Japanese must inspect every item including carry on if he had it in there.

[thequietman]

Is it possible that he bought the gun in Japan?

He produced a licence for it, didn't he? So how the hell did he buy it in Japan if he has a Thai licence to carry it?

Am I wrong? am I as confused as all the others on here?

[Katipo]

There is no clearing the egg off the face in this one. Both the AOT and the General are smeared good and proper. Japan is unlikely to accept the bullshit, although I expect in the end behind the doors grovelling will prevail and the General will be released. The damage to Thailand's reputation has been done however, and as per usual it's due to corrupt/incompetent officials.

[steelepulse]

I read this in an online local paper that can't be quoted here, seems pretty obvious to me.

>>A source at Suvarnabhumi said Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit could leave Thailand through a VIP process that spared him any body or luggage checks.

[SABloke]

Nice little headache for AOT as they can't or won't admit security was lax or that his VIP status was a little too special so they have to deny he carried the gun out of Thailand but if he admits it was his and he took it with him in his bout of forgetfulness ... ?

Don't you think that if he did have it with him when he went to Japan that the Japanese would also have to admit that their security was lax for allowing it into Japan ?

It would seem that the Japanese police have the weapon so if it is a legal weapon from Thailand it shouldn't be to difficult to check the serial numbers.

If it is not legal then who knows where it came from.

When's the last time you went through a metal detector AFTER disembarking a plane? When you do a transfer, yes, but not when you enter a country.

[halloween]

Nice little headache for AOT as they can't or won't admit security was lax or that his VIP status was a little too special so they have to deny he carried the gun out of Thailand but if he admits it was his and he took it with him in his bout of forgetfulness ... ?

Don't you think that if he did have it with him when he went to Japan that the Japanese would also have to admit that their security was lax for allowing it into Japan ?

It would seem that the Japanese police have the weapon so if it is a legal weapon from Thailand it shouldn't be to difficult to check the serial numbers.

If it is not legal then who knows where it came from.

When's the last time you went through a metal detector AFTER disembarking a plane? When you do a transfer, yes, but not when you enter a country.

No metal detector, but my luggage, including carry-on, is regularly X-rayed when traveling from a golden triangle country. Even at Gold Coast, a relatively minor airport.

[bamnutsak]

Nice little headache for AOT as they can't or won't admit security was lax or that his VIP status was a little too special so they have to deny he carried the gun out of Thailand but if he admits it was his and he took it with him in his bout of forgetfulness ... ?

Don't you think that if he did have it with him when he went to Japan that the Japanese would also have to admit that their security was lax for allowing it into Japan ?

It would seem that the Japanese police have the weapon so if it is a legal weapon from Thailand it shouldn't be to difficult to check the serial numbers.

If it is not legal then who knows where it came from.

No.

While there is a mid-field security check at NRT for connecting pax, there is no security, at least that I've ever seen in many, many arrivals, if your destination is NRT.

Obviously if he was caught departing NRT then the security there seems OK.

[smedly]

he was on a covert mission

[ExPratt]

Nice little headache for AOT as they can't or won't admit security was lax or that his VIP status was a little too special so they have to deny he carried the gun out of Thailand but if he admits it was his and he took it with him in his bout of forgetfulness ... ?

Don't you think that if he did have it with him when he went to Japan that the Japanese would also have to admit that their security was lax for allowing it into Japan ?

It would seem that the Japanese police have the weapon so if it is a legal weapon from Thailand it shouldn't be to difficult to check the serial numbers.

If it is not legal then who knows where it came from.

When's the last time you went through a metal detector AFTER disembarking a plane? When you do a transfer, yes, but not when you enter a country.

Funnily enough they were doing exactly that at Changi on Friday afternoon

[Skywalker69]

Is it possible that he bought the gun in Japan?

He produced a licence for it, didn't he? So how the hell did he buy it in Japan if he has a Thai licence to carry it?

Am I wrong? am I as confused as all the others on here?

I missed that part that he showed a licence for the gun, it could even be a fake licence.

[ezzra]

Sneaked? what sneaked? it was in full knowledge of the personal there.

if he wanted to pass a howitzer he could, he's a general.. if they can detect

my nipple rings they have no problem in detecting a gun and emmo...

Edited June 24, 2015 by ezzra

[Just1Voice]

Sneaked? what sneaked? it was in full knowledge of the personal there. if they can detect

my nipple rings they have no problem in detecting a gun and emmo...

Your "nipple rings"??? I'm sorry, but that's just way to much personal information.

[brucegoniners]

I didn't realize the TSA had set up shop in Thailand!

[mmh8]

he is police, public police figure, probably carries for protection, easy to forget I imagine. how is this such big news.

[ezzra]

Sneaked? what sneaked? it was in full knowledge of the personal there. if they can detect

my nipple rings they have no problem in detecting a gun and emmo...

Your "nipple rings"??? I'm sorry, but that's just way to much personal information.

I have got nothing to hide.... :-)

[DLock]

Sneaked? what sneaked? it was in full knowledge of the personal there. if they can detect

my nipple rings they have no problem in detecting a gun and emmo...

Your "nipple rings"??? I'm sorry, but that's just way to much personal information.

I have got nothing to hide.... :-)

Could have been worse I guess...Prince Albert.

[Jay Sata]

Is it possible that he bought the gun in Japan?

He produced a licence for it, didn't he? So how the hell did he buy it in Japan if he has a Thai licence to carry it?

Am I wrong? am I as confused as all the others on here?

And why carry a licence for a gun you dont have?

plus of course the loaded question...why were there bullets in the chamber?

[Muhendis]

In an earlier report the top ex-policeman was said to have used his police ID card to identify himself. He probably thought that his elevated ex-position in Thailand would get him off the hook.

All the more reason to strip ex-policemen of their rank and remove their police ID when they are no longer serving officers.

[Robby nz]

Is it possible that he bought the gun in Japan?

He produced a licence for it, didn't he? So how the hell did he buy it in Japan if he has a Thai licence to carry it?

Am I wrong? am I as confused as all the others on here?

I missed that part that he showed a licence for the gun, it could even be a fake licence.

Said in the BKK Post that he admitted to owning the weapon and showed his ID card and documents for the gun.

Didn't say whether they were Thai or Japanese documents or what the documents were, neither has the type of weapon been stated.

Would have thought in an international situation a passport would be the thing to show rather than an ID.

But it could have been a police ID "Don't you know who I am"

[mark131v]

he is police, public police figure, probably carries for protection, easy to forget I imagine. how is this such big news.

'how is this big news' are you for real???

He has blatantly disregarded international air safety law's not once but twice, he admitted that he took his sidearm from Thailand and then was also arrogant and naïve enough to try and get it back through Japanese customs, I gotta say I reckon he must be pretty stupid to try this but tbh I am not at all surprised as in my limited experience with these people their contempt for rules that the rest of us have to follow is staggering

He is the ex head of the police an organization that in much of the world is employed purely for the enforcing of laws. I realize he is Thai and that the RTP are not exactly regarded as top crimefighters and are actually more often regarded by many as the biggest crime gang in town but even they have to go through the pretense of enforcing the law every now and then

I hope he gets a painful lesson that you &lt;deleted&gt; with the law outside LOS you pay the price, he has without doubt done the crime now time to do the time!! the other good thing to come out of this is Swampies lack of security especially when they are kow towing to hi-so scumbags they too need to learn that law's are for everyone, I wont hold my breath but eventually something might begin to seep in....