BANGKOK, THAILAND – A popular Thai backpacker influencer triggered a broad debate with a social media post criticizing allegedly unfriendly security staff at Suvarnabhumi Airport, prompting management to order more polite behavior at hand luggage checks.
Influencer sparks debate at the airport
At Suvarnabhumi International Airport in the province of Samut Prakan, a post by the influencer Backpaeger led to criticism of the demeanor of staff responsible for X‑raying carry-on baggage.
The Thai solo backpacker, who reached more than 446,000 followers on Facebook and around 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube, complained about what he saw as the sullen appearance of the security personnel.
Complaint about “long faces”
In his post, the influencer asked why, in his view, the security forces at the hand luggage check always worked with “long faces” and called for improvements.
He therefore demanded targeted training both for professional interaction with passengers and for better self-control in stressful situations.
Mixed experiences from travelers
The criticism spread quickly, with many users agreeing with the influencer in the comments and describing similar experiences at Suvarnabhumi Airport and at other international airports.
At the same time, other travelers reported very friendly experiences specifically at Thai airports and expressed understanding for the security staff working under pressure.
Airport orders more politeness
The management of Suvarnabhumi Airport took up the debate and stated in a Facebook announcement published on Tuesday that the affected employees should improve their behavior toward passengers in future.
They were instructed to appear more polite and communicate more clearly in order to avoid misunderstandings and make interactions between staff and travelers generally more pleasant.
Private company runs security checks
According to the information provided, the airport operator did not use its own staff for baggage checks but relied on a contracted private security company.
The new politeness requirements were therefore directed not at direct airport employees, but at the staff of this external security service.