The beach beside the airport in Phuket, Thailand is a great spot for taking selfies but the military junta isn’t a fan.
Planes arriving over the water landing on runway 9 cross Mai Khao beach and it’s become popular to take selfies as aircraft approach.
In April local reports exaggerated the Thai government’s response to concerns that tourists on the beach could be endangering their own safety and the safety of aircraft, suggesting that the death penalty could be on the table. Now they’re clarifying that really referred to drones although the government refers to a ‘grey area’ where perfectly legal photography could be “intended to harm airport security” and therefore punishable.
The Air Navigation Act does provide penalties up to and including death. However at the time I wrote that “Jail time and fines are also possible — and strike me as far more likely.”
Nonetheless at least 259 people have died worldwide since 2011 while taking selfies. So whether or not you’re executed by the Thai government, you may not be completely safe.
I’m down with dead to selfies itself.
While I’m ok with people choosing to take stupid risks and dying as a result, I’m not good with actually executing people for just taking a selfie. The whole selfie culture is disturbing, between people waving their selfie sticks in your face, the casual disregard of other people, and the whole narcissism thing, but actually killing people for taking selfies seems a bit much.
On one level it’s quite funny, but on the other hand people are unwise to continue to regard Thailand as a safe , albeit quirky, place. The release yesterday of the latest video on the high murder rate on Koh Tao ( aka death island), a case in point. 16 foreign tourists murdered.
@ Gary — Wow, what a relief. I really miss your old blog.
Underrated: National Car Rental Emerald Club. Car rental done right. It’s a shame that they’re practically discouraging non-corporate clients these days.
Overrated: Flying in first/business class. It’s usually remarkably mediocre. And vastly overpriced.
Yeah somebody high up in the military must’ve said phuket we’re not gonna demand the death penalty for this
@chopsticks To each his/her own(I’m woke). I’m 6’5 and using business class with points has opened up the world to me.