The warning was published by the Phuket Info Center on Saturday (Oct 14), aiming to inform tourists and local residents about the ban on pork imports. Supporting the thesis, the page shared images of the most recent ’sausage bust’ by ’Inspector Beagle’ at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok and corresponding posters by the Department of Livestock Development (DLD).
Details of the bust were not disclosed by the Phuket Info Center but can be found on the DLD Quarantine and Inspection K9 Unit (D-QIK 9) page on Facebook.
According to the DLD’s K9 Unit, one of ’Inspectors Beagles’ found approximately 31kg of undeclared pork sausages in the baggage of a passenger who arrived in Thailand from the Philippines on Oct 13 via a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight. The passenger’s flight, 5J 929 from Manila, landed in Bangkok at 11.05 am. The potentially dangerous pork products were confiscated.
This was not the only incident reported by the DLD’s K9 Unit this week. Another report mentioned the seizure of an unspecified quantity of assorted meat products from a passenger arriving from Manila on an undisclosed day via PR 730 flight performed by Philippines Airlines. Photos show several kilograms of sausages, bacon, and beef being seized.
All DLD’s reports show inspectors standing next to a banner warning about the prohibition of uncontrolled pork imports into Thailand, even for personal consumption. Phuket Info Center shared a copy of this banner in five languages, namely Thai, English, Chinese, Lao, and Vietnamese.
“Attention. Do not carry pork! ASF – African Swine Fever. Do not carry pork, sausages, bacon, or any other meat products into Thailand without permission from the DLD. Violators who bring these products into Thailand without permission could face prosecution,” says the English version of the poster.
The posters mention that violators can be charged with a breach of the Animal Epidemic Act B.E. 2558 (2015), although they do not specify the penalties or other consequences for tourists found guilty.
The ban on pork imports was introduced four years ago in response to an ASF outbreak abroad, with Phuket playing a significant role in justifying the prohibition on unregulated pork imports into Thailand.
In late 2019, the World Organisation for Animal Health reported an ASF outbreak in 15 countries across Europe and Africa as well as Russia and China.
As a response, on Dec 25, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Thailand issued an advisory to quarantine all pork imported from the listed countries.
Three weeks later, the implementation of this measure led to the confiscation of pork sausages from a Chinese tourist at Phuket International Airport on Jan 16. The sausages were confirmed to contain a viral strain of ASF in laboratory tests.
“Strict inspections of processed pork products from overseas are now in place to prevent an outbreak. If left unchecked, ASF could severely impact our swine farming industry,” said Sorawit Thaneto, Director-General of the DLD at that time.
The ban on undeclared imports of pork products, including any salamis and sausages for personal consumption, has been in effect since then. At Suvarnabhumi International Airport, sniffer dogs, collectively known as ’Inspector Beagle’, routinely check the luggage of international passengers. Specific information about the intensity and methods of inspections at Phuket International Airport is not publicly available.