Slapped airport security worker praised for showing restraint

A female airport security officer, who was slapped by a South Korean woman after she asked if the tourist would submit to a routine pat-down at a security post at Suvarnabhumi Airport, has been praised by an airport executive for not retaliating or responding negatively.

The incident took place on Saturday night at Suvarnabhumi Airport while the Thai worker was checking passengers at the security checkpoint in the departure area.

The officer asked if she could carry out a pat-down body check of the woman, who was accompanied by a Korean man, but the tourist refused to allow the officer to carry out the check.

The woman then slapped the Thai worker on the face, whereupon the Korean man and a male security worker had to quickly pull her away from the security agent.

The man then gave a “wai” to the agent as an apology before leaving Thailand.

But, police fined the South Korean woman 1,000 baht before she could depart the country.

Kittipong Kittikachorn, executive vice president and deputy general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, says that the female officer had been assaulted despite correctly following the procedures of security as per her training.

But he said that the security officer had decided not to take any legal action against the tourist.

“I admire her for being patient.”

Although she was attacked, she neither acted against (the attacker) nor pursued a case, because the offender was a foreign tourist and the Thai agent was afraid that any form of retaliation might affect the service image of the airport,” Kittipong said.

SOURCE: The Nation