Airport workers in Thailand have voiced their concerns regarding upcoming changes to passenger screening procedures announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). Scheduled to be fully implemented by October 2026 and to phase out the use of handheld metal detectors (HHMD) by January 2027, the new rules will emphasize manual searches of passengers and their belongings, including searches of suspicious bags without prior notice.
The new regulations follow recommendations from the United States of Aviation (USAP) to improve aviation safety standards in Thailand. Under the revised procedures, manual searches will be performed by officers of the same gender as the passenger, and airport authorities will have the authority to search any bags deemed suspicious without warning. Passengers will have the right to request that search records be shown to them if needed.
Airport staff have expressed concerns that these measures could lead to delays and discomfort due to physical contact during searches. They fear the lack of sufficient communication about the new procedures may cause passenger complaints, particularly if valuables are lost or mishandled during searches. They also worry that searches of bags without prior notification could create further issues, impacting overall passenger experience and airport efficiency.
In a separate development, Airports of Thailand (AOT) has announced an increase in the passenger service charge (PSC) from 730 to 1,120 baht per international passenger, effective June 20 at six international airports across Thailand. The fee hike has sparked a debate about travel costs and service quality, with critics arguing that tangible improvements are necessary to justify the higher fare.
