A new aviation security regulation due to take effect in October, allowing airport staff to inspect suspicious checked luggage without the owner being present and to break locks if necessary, has drawn mixed reactions, with critics expressing concerns about property damage and accountability.
Issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), the regulation empowers security screening officers at public airports to open checked baggage immediately if they have reasonable grounds to suspect the presence of prohibited items, including explosives, dangerous goods or other objects prohibited from carriage on an aircraft.
The regulation requires airport operators to record every baggage inspection with photographs or video and place a notice inside the luggage informing the owner that it was opened for security screening. The recordings will serve as evidence of the inspection process.
If prohibited or dangerous items are found, security officers are authorised to confiscate them and proceed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
CAAT recommends that passengers use internationally recognised TSA-approved locks, which can be opened with standard security master keys, to minimise damage during inspections.
If officers are unable to open a bag because of its locking system, they are authorised to cut or destroy the lock to gain access.
The regulation also states that passengers will not be compensated for any damage caused to locks or other security devices during an inspection.
The authority urges passengers to check the list of prohibited and dangerous goods before checking in their luggage and avoid placing items such as power banks, flammable materials and other banned articles in checked baggage to reduce the likelihood of invasive inspections, confiscation of items or travel delays.
CAAT says the new procedures are in line with international aviation security standards and reflect practices already used at many major airports worldwide.
Similar protocols are already in place at international airports in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Singapore.
Following publication of the regulation, many people expressed concerns on social media, questioning who would be responsible if officers destroyed a lock but found no prohibited items, or if valuables were damaged during the inspection process.
Some online influencers have posted TikTok videos and Instagram Reels criticising the new rules, saying they are concerned about transparency and public confidence in the screening process.
Many commenters say they remain unconvinced that mandatory photo or video recording would adequately protect passengers.
Referring to past reports of theft from checked baggage during airport handling, they question how travellers can be expected to trust the inspection process and call for clearer accountability if valuables are lost or damaged.
They also call for stronger safeguards to protect passengers against property damage or loss.
Others, however, say the procedures reflect long-established international aviation security practices and are necessary to ensure flight safety.
