The detention was carried out by the Suvarnabhumi Airport Passenger Control Customs Office in cooperation with the airport’s wildlife checkpoint and other agencies before the traveller’s scheduled departure.
Inspectors discovered two monitor lizards, a ball python, five bearded dragons, eight leopard geckos, two meerkats and four sugar gliders concealed within the baggage, with the total value of the animals reported at more than 60,000 baht.
Authorities said the alleged smuggling breach violates Thailand’s Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act of 2019, the Animal Epidemics Act of 2015, the Customs Act of 2017 and other relevant legislation. The report did not disclose which specific charges have been filed or the condition of the seized animals after confiscation.
Customs officials warned that the incident reflects continued attempts to move live wildlife out of Thailand through its airports, risking the country’s reputation as a source or transit point for international wildlife trafficking.
The department announced that passenger monitoring and baggage checks on routes deemed high‑risk will be intensified. The arrest follows earlier seizures at Suvarnabhumi, including a May case where a Malaysian passenger was caught with 251 live animals such as hornbills and monitor lizards, and a February incident involving an Indian traveller carrying a langur, a gibbon and 13 turtles.