Thailand’s deputy transport minister yesterday, August 5, ordered disciplinary action after a Suvarnabhumi Airport security guard was criticised for making a racist gesture towards Chinese tourists during an altercation.
The incident involved 22 fans of a Chinese artist who were denied boarding after pursuing the performer through restricted areas of Suvarnabhumi Airport ahead of a Thai Airways flight to Beijing. The airport later apologised after a video appeared to show a security officer making a racist gesture.
Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said security personnel had been deployed to maintain order during the disruption. However, he said the conduct captured in videos shared online was unacceptable and did not meet the standards expected of airport staff.
Siripong stressed that the security guard’s behaviour was inappropriate and aggressive.
He has instructed the Airports of Thailand (AOT) and other relevant agencies to conduct a full investigation into the incident and take the strongest disciplinary action permitted under the applicable regulations against those responsible.
Siripong also apologised to the affected passengers, tourists and the Thai public over the incident. He said the ministry would accelerate efforts to improve service standards and staff performance to help prevent similar incidents from happening again.
According to Suvarnabhumi Airport, the incident began at 11pm on July 29 when 22 fans followed a Chinese artist through restricted areas before a Thai Airways flight to Beijing. The group entered an airline lounge without authorisation before pursuing the performer towards the boarding gate.
The airport said the fans refused to cooperate with boarding pass inspections and repeatedly attempted to board the aircraft alongside the artist. Thai Airways later denied boarding to all 22 passengers, citing breaches of aviation security procedures.
Passengers protested the boarding decision, and the altercation was captured on video. Suvarnabhumi Airport later acknowledged that some security officers behaved inappropriately during the incident and ordered disciplinary action.
The story Airport security’s racist gesture ‘unacceptable’, minister says as seen on Thaiger News.
