Extra security staff at Suvarnabhumi Airport

20 Feb 2012

Following a terrorist related incident in Bangkok last week, security measures at the city’s Suvarnabhumi Airport have been increased. There are more passenger checkpoints at points both in and outside the airport, and Thai authorities say they have draughted in plain-clothes security officers to monitor activities onsite.

An unnamed bomb disposal expert said that there were more of his colleagues patrolling the airport at the moment as well as a corresponding increase in bomb sniffer dogs. Another guard said people were manning CCTV centres and in the passenger terminal itself there was little change in procedures as the airport had always been vigilant when it came to security.

Retail outlet staff and locally based aircrews say that apart from an initial alert following last Tuesday’s Bangkok bombings, they had not noticed anything unusual at Suvarnabhumi. The head of the Royal Thai Police Force, Priewpan Damapong, said he had ordered officers to increase security at Suvarnabhumi and five other international airports in Thailand.

In east Bangkok last Tuesday, a series of explosions wrecked a house on Soi Pridi Banomyong. Police investigating officers say the blasts occurred when bombs being primed for attacks on Israeli diplomatic staffers detonated prematurely.

The three alleged and would-be bombers fled the scene. One of the trio, Iranian national Saied Moradi, was injured in the explosions and as he fled he threw grenades at a taxi and a police car. The grenades injured four people and unluckily for him, one of them bounced back and took his legs off.

Tags: Extra security Suvarnabhumi