RickyBobby wrote:Not sure how the selfies could distract the pilots, but a kid was located and shaken down a few years ago for using a laser pointer on a plane.

As Phuket moves slowly into low season, a story published in the international media by the US-based Fox News about how tourists could face the death penalty over taking photos at the island’s airport is a highly flaw piece of sensationalist fake news.

Clearly there is no likelihood that the Thai authorities will apply a legal maximum penalty under the Air Navigation Act for tourists posing for selfies as airplanes land. More likely would be a charge of trespassing and a fine.

Clicking into Google this morning the story is now running with the New York Post, MSN and other news outlets abroad.

What is distressing is to see how news providers sensationalize Thailand and Phuket with little regard as to the consequences of the economic impact of such a story.

For most readers, what they will remember when reading such a piece is only the headline about Phuket, Mai Khao Beach and the death penalty.

What a sorry state of affairs mainstream news has become.

PHUKET: Thanee Chuangchoo, General Manager of Phuket International Airport, today (Apr 11) dismissed reports circulating in the international media that taking selfies on Mai Khao Beach near the runway will incur the death penalty.

Mr Thanee called the spurious reports “incomplete”, noting that they focused on the most serious of punishments available under the law reserved for those who endanger lives.

“Taking selfies or pictures of aircraft while standing on Mai Khao Beach will not incur the death penalty,” Mr Thanee said.

“But if people take any action which is harmful or disturbs the piloting of any aircraft, such as distracting pilots by pointing laser pens at them or flying drones in the area, such behaviour will see the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) invoke the law,” he added.

“In my opinion taking a selfie is okay,” Mr Thanee said, but noted that he is not directly involved in the particulars of expanding the “safety zone” at the end of the runway.

Mr Thanee explained that the reports of death penalty were considered so ridiculous that he was initially asked to not even respond to them.

He also pointed out that attempts to have the beach area at the end of the runway sealed off in years past were headed off by provincial officials who said they wanted to keep the area open to the public as it was a very popular tourist attraction.
ions and Maintenance Group), announced that the “safety zone” around the airport will be expanded.