Can I refuse body scanner at airport?

[rnalswls2]

Hi, 

 

As I'm planning to be pregnant every month, I'm worrying about passing through a body scanner every time I fly. (I'm a frequent flyer, 2-3 times per month)  

 

Is there any possibility to request a pat down or do I must go through body scanne in BKK? Does Thailand has any law not to go through it?

 

Also, I normally use a priority line. So it's less busier, means they are calling all people to a body scanner line instead of a metal detector.

[puukao]

It is your right to REFUSE this, YES!!!!!

 

If you want, YES...REFUSE!!!!!  Just say NO!!!!!!  Will NOT!!!!

 

cannot guarantee what will happen next............

[georgemandm]

Pregnancy and Security Screening

I have a concern about the full-body scanners that are popping up at airports everywhere. I'm concerned about the kind where you plant your feet and raise your arms above your body for about five seconds. 

I'm newly pregnant with my first child and am trying to find some solid research on these things. I can find a decent amount of literature in terms of general health safety, but hardly anything trustworthy about the potential effects on a pregnancy (at any stage). 

I admit to being hormonal right now, but I started to cry today when I realized I went through a full-body scanner at an airport early this month without even a second thought. Pregnancy message boards online are filled with paranoid women, I realize, but reading through them made me scared that I might have unknowingly/unnecessarily caused harm to my unborn child. 

Should I have opted for a pat-down? Or should I opt for pat-downs in the future? I would love to see some information on your site about these new machines with regard to pregnancy, especially since I will be flying quite a few more times before giving birth. The technology seems relatively new, which makes me even more uncertain about which advice to follow. Has there even been time to do significant studies on the effects to a fetus during pregnancy?

There are two kinds of scanners. The radiofrequency scanner does not use ionizing radiation, so neither you nor your unborn child would be exposed to any radiation that is hazardous. 

The "full-body" x-ray scanner uses a very low-energy and low-intensity radiation, so that the unborn child is not exposed to any radiation that could possibly increase the developmental risks of radiation to the embryo. 

The energy of the x-ray beam is so low that it does not penetrate the skin and just makes a picture of the outline of your external torso. Your internal organs receive almost no dose. 

For more information on these devices, see "Safety for Security Screening Using Devices That Expose Individuals to Ionizing Radiation." 

Remember that radiation is all around us. These very low exposures represent no increased risk to the unborn child. If you are healthy and have no personal or family history of reproductive or developmental problems, then you began your pregnancy with a 3 percent risk for birth defects and a 15 percent risk for miscarriage. These are background risks that all pregnant women face.

hop this help you I would use google if you need to know about things like that

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by Scott

[OJAS]

You might well find yourself an exceedingly infrequent flyer for the next 9 months if you refuse!

[A1Str8]

You can refuse it. They can refuse you boarding the plane. 

[dbrenn]

Just tell them that you are pregnant and want a pat down instead.

[ukrules]

Do they have 'body scanners' at airports in Thailand ?

[Crossy]

6 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Do they have 'body scanners' at airports in Thailand ?

 

Yes, certainly at Swampy, can't speak for the others.

 

[NanLaew]

9 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Do they have 'body scanners' at airports in Thailand ?

I've seen them at BKK but usually they are unused as most travelers seem to like the old-fashioned conga-line, x-ray conveyor belt and walk-through metal detector. Maybe this is an operational choice when passenger volumes are lower and they do use them at peak times or if certain US-destined carriers insist on them.

 

A colleague of mine recently had a pacemaker fitted and after an initial 3-months flight ban while it was 'run-in', he was allowed to fly but has a card to present to airport security saying that he cannot use conventional scanners and can only have a physical pat down examination. Not sure if there's a similar card option for pregnant mums but doubt it.

Edited November 23, 2016 by NanLaew

[Oxx]

6 hours ago, georgemandm said:

Pregnancy and Security Screening

The energy of the x-ray beam is so low that it does not penetrate the skin and just makes a picture of the outline of your external torso. Your internal organs receive almost no dose. 
 

 

This statement is extremely unhelpful.  The machines do not use X-rays - they use a non-ionising form of radiation, similar to radio waves which pass through our body all the time.  (It's the ionising aspect of X-rays that makes them dangerous.)  As such there is no "dose" to receive.  The machines pose no health risk.

[RBOP]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

Do they have 'body scanners' at airports in Thailand ?

Ive not seen any body scanners at Suvarnabhumi airport. Only the walk through metal detectors. 

[gk10002000]

They had a big "scam" a few years back with the new scanners didn't they?  Some kick back, bribery, few worked or few worked shortly after installation.  As far as being safe, well, I believe that is very unproven.  yes they are not supposed to use x-rays, but I recall an article stating that they were NOT required to be UL approved.  So there is little oversight on how they should be set up, used, maintained and monitored, etc.  Basically there are no safety checks or reviews. 

[samsensam]

 

if you're pregnant and worried about body scanners get a letter from a doctor, show it politely and calmly to a member of immigration staff, female if possible.

[maoro2013]

11 minutes ago, RBOP said:

Ive not seen any body scanners at Suvarnabhumi airport. Only the walk through metal detectors. 

There is at least one at Swampy, I have been through it.

 

In my experience people are picked at random out of the queue for the baggage scan, metal detector line.

 

 

I was also a frequent flyer, in and out a couple of times a month.

[georgemandm]

1 hour ago, Oxx said:

 

This statement is extremely unhelpful.  The machines do not use X-rays - they use a non-ionising form of radiation, similar to radio waves which pass through our body all the time.  (It's the ionising aspect of X-rays that makes them dangerous.)  As such there is no "dose" to receive.  The machines pose no health risk.

Ok you most be a  expert good then google must have got it wrong then 

[cracker1]

If you refuse you may expect to strip all your cloths off and have extensive internal and external physical examination ?

Perhaps you should first discuss your concerns with you physician.

[daveAustin]

As I'm planning to be pregnant every month

 

Is that a typo? Even if it says you can refuse in the Thai airport security regs, in reality you'll likely be met with a blank stare when you say you don't want to be wanded or scanned. Guaranteed that if you then tell them you are pregnant and wary, they'll come back with mai pen rai, no prompem or similar.

[BKKBrit]

These scanners are in all the Fast Track Immigration & Security Check areas at Suvarnabhumi. Not sure about economy

Edited November 24, 2016 by BKKBrit

[Pungdo]

I have no idea how the new full body scanners at Swampy work, but while reading through the other replies something occurred to me.

When you go for an Xray, the technician leaves the room and goes behind a protective wall, the scanners at the airport have people standing all around and up close to them, assumably for hours on end, that would suggest that it is not the normal radiation being emitted from them that you get from medical Xray's, wouldn't you think ???

[Crossy]

52 minutes ago, BKKBrit said:

These scanners are in all the Fast Track Immigration & Security Check areas at Suvarnabhumi. Not sure about economy

 

There's one in each of the cattle-class security areas, easily avoidable by going to the other lines.

 

[Time Traveller]

Personally I prefer to be molested by the airport security than be subjected to the Radiation cancer ray boxes that the other sheeple prefer. 

Never had a problem with refusing, although probably means that they will make the radiation doses compulsory for all travellers soon......

Ridiculous, that we have let our soceity come to this, but we can all thank the Islamers for that.

[ChrisKC]

9 hours ago, georgemandm said:

Pregnancy and Security Screening

I have a concern about the full-body scanners that are popping up at airports everywhere. I'm concerned about the kind where you plant your feet and raise your arms above your body for about five seconds. 

I'm newly pregnant with my first child and am trying to find some solid research on these things. I can find a decent amount of literature in terms of general health safety, but hardly anything trustworthy about the potential effects on a pregnancy (at any stage). 

I admit to being hormonal right now, but I started to cry today when I realized I went through a full-body scanner at an airport early this month without even a second thought. Pregnancy message boards online are filled with paranoid women, I realize, but reading through them made me scared that I might have unknowingly/unnecessarily caused harm to my unborn child. 

Should I have opted for a pat-down? Or should I opt for pat-downs in the future? I would love to see some information on your site about these new machines with regard to pregnancy, especially since I will be flying quite a few more times before giving birth. The technology seems relatively new, which makes me even more uncertain about which advice to follow. Has there even been time to do significant studies on the effects to a fetus during pregnancy?

 

 

There are two kinds of scanners. The radiofrequency scanner does not use ionizing radiation, so neither you nor your unborn child would be exposed to any radiation that is hazardous. 

The "full-body" x-ray scanner uses a very low-energy and low-intensity radiation, so that the unborn child is not exposed to any radiation that could possibly increase the developmental risks of radiation to the embryo. 

The energy of the x-ray beam is so low that it does not penetrate the skin and just makes a picture of the outline of your external torso. Your internal organs receive almost no dose. 

For more information on these devices, see "Safety for Security Screening Using Devices That Expose Individuals to Ionizing Radiation." 

Remember that radiation is all around us. These very low exposures represent no increased risk to the unborn child. If you are healthy and have no personal or family history of reproductive or developmental problems, then you began your pregnancy with a 3 percent risk for birth defects and a 15 percent risk for miscarriage. These are background risks that all pregnant women face.

 

 

hop this help you I would use google if you need to know about things like that

 

 

There are millions of pregnant women flying around the world. Surely, if there were problems with scanners there would be a notice to this effect??

 

 

 

 

 

[Eagleizer]

If you are concerned about radiation, the flight itself exposes you to thousands

of times more radiation from cosmic rays than the radiation from the scanner...

You would be better off demanding that your plane start descending 1 minute earlier... 

[Oxx]

1 hour ago, georgemandm said:

Ok you most be a  expert good then google must have got it wrong then 

 

Not an expert, just not ignorant.

 

As for Google, how about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_body_scanner ?

 

I'll repeat it:  these machines do not use X-rays and are perfectly safe.

 

(They'd still not be able to produce X-rays or other ionising radiation, even if they weren't properly maintained.  The worse thing that could happen is perhaps that you could get an electric shock off one.)

[Mitker]

1 hour ago, gk10002000 said:

They had a big "scam" a few years back with the new scanners didn't they?  Some kick back, bribery, few worked or few worked shortly after installation.  As far as being safe, well, I believe that is very unproven.  yes they are not supposed to use x-rays, but I recall an article stating that they were NOT required to be UL approved.  So there is little oversight on how they should be set up, used, maintained and monitored, etc.  Basically there are no safety checks or reviews. 

If I'm right, the scandal was about bomb detectors (luggage screening) and not passengers scanners

[georgemandm]

1 minute ago, Oxx said:

 

Not an expert, just not ignorant.

 

As for Google, how about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_body_scanner ?

 

I'll repeat it:  these machines do not use X-rays and are perfectly safe.

 

(They'd still not be able to produce X-rays or other ionising radiation, even if they weren't properly maintained.  The worse thing that could happen is perhaps that you could get an electric shock off one.)

Who are you calling ignorant if you are saying that to me I am telling you don't say it to my face ok or you will see who is ignoring  , how can you say that to me

i am just posting from Google get a life you so and so 

 

 

[roo860]

Who are you calling ignorant if you are saying that to me I am telling you don't say it to my face ok or you will see who is ignoring  , how can you say that to me
i am just posting from Google get a life you so and so 
 
 

George he's not calling you ignorant in an abusive way.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[georgemandm]

4 minutes ago, roo860 said:

 

 

George he's not calling you ignorant in an abusive way.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

 

I know that 

[geronimo]

" As I'm planning to be pregnant every month, I'm worrying about passing through a body scanner every time I fly. (I'm a frequent flyer, 2-3 times per month) "

 

If you are planning to get pregnant every month, you won't have time for flying.

[georgemandm]

13 minutes ago, georgemandm said:

I know that 

But still no need to say it like that