UTH - Interesting checked bag security
 

On my recent trip to Isan, I noticed they have remodeled the UTH (Udon Thani) check-in area a bit. Nothing dramatic, but they now have a setup for checked baggage security that I haven't seen before.

Once you hand over your checked bag at the counter, you step to the side and watch a video monitor for your bag to show on a conveyor belt. It either goes down the green channel as approved or gets diverted to the red channel. I guess if it gets diverted, they call you over for a physical inspection of the bag.

As luck would have it, mine got the red channel. However a very short time later, it then popped out the side of the divert box and continued down the green channel belt. Guess they took another quick look and decided it was OK. I hung around for a bit, but no one called my name, so I moved along. Bag showed up fine at BKK.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...891abb8a73.jpg

When I was flying to HKT from DMK they had a similar setup. You handed your bag onto the belt and checked it then stood by the TV with a security agent. My bag went through just fine so I just proceeded without issue. I found it interesting because they did not have the same setup when I flew out of HKT.

I have seen this several times around different Asian countries. Li-ion batteries are not allowed in your checked bag.

Airport Security was perceived by the ICAO as a huge problem which had to be addressed before the Red Flag could be lifted. Obviously, there were a lot of other issues as well.

This Red Flag was lifted for Thailand in October.

My guess would be that these new procedures are meant to address ICAO concerns?

Perhaps. Prior to this new setup, checked bags were screened before entering the check-in counters. After X-Ray, they applied a sticker on the bag to show it had cleared. I always thought it wasn't the most secure setup, so the new one is markedly improved.

I just had never seen the Monitor setup where you could observe the green / red channels before. It makes sense, as if your bag needs to go through some type of secondary process, the owner can be around for it.