Thai police officers raised concerns over safety measures on Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain system after being barred from carrying firearms while using the service.
According to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) regulations, passengers are prohibited from bringing any weapons onto the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), except for government officials legally authorised to do so.
The BTS website reiterates this rule under Regulation No. 55, Section 5, which states that firearms, explosives, and other dangerous objects or substances are banned within the BTS area for anyone not officially authorised.
In principle, police officers and other authorised personnel are expected to carry firearms while on duty. However, several Thai officers have reported being denied access to BTS trains because they were carrying guns.
The issue came to public attention after it was shared on social media by a Thai national serving with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Worraphop “Mark” Yunkiat.
On July 14, Mark posted on his official Facebook page, Mark ตำรวจแอลเอ (meaning Mark LA Police), recounting a conversation with a Thai police officer who said he was denied entry to a BTS station despite being on duty.
The officer claimed that BTS security guards and staff demanded to see his firearm possession and usage licences, even though he was in full uniform. He was also asked to conceal his weapon in a bag to avoid alarming other passengers.
Mark expressed his shock, noting that in the United States, public transport systems and train stations are considered critical infrastructure and potential terrorist targets. He pointed out that American officers stationed in such areas are fully armed in preparation for any emergency.
He called on the BTS board to reconsider its policies regarding on-duty officers, arguing that allowing police to carry firearms would enhance passenger safety.
One Thai officer commented on Mark’s post, sharing that he was once en route to an event during the Songkran Festival and opted to use the BTS. Despite being in full uniform and showing his police ID, he was denied entry because he could not provide a firearm licence.
Another officer reported being removed from a train after failing to show such a licence, describing the experience as embarrassing, given that he was in uniform.
The story Bangkok BTS policy under question after armed police denied entry as seen on Thaiger News.
