The reason for limiting the quantity of Liquids, Gels, and Aerosols (LAGs) that can be brought into restricted areas or carried on board aircraft is due to an incident in 2006 when UK police arrested terrorists who were planning to use liquids (in water bottles) that they would carry on board aircraft as components of explosives to blow up aircraft on flights from the UK to the United States (the explosives used in the terrorist plot were made from Triacetone Triperoxide, a high-explosive peroxide-based explosive that does not contain "explosive material" as a component, but is an explosive that results from a chemical reaction by mixing 4 readily available chemicals in everyday life (chemical names withheld) including chemicals found in nail polish remover, wound cleaner, vegetable wash, and hydrochloric acid).

According to the announcement of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on the Criteria for Screening Liquids, Gels and Aerosols (LAGs) to be Carried on Board Aircraft or Brought into the Restricted Area of Public Airports B.E. 2562 (2019), LAGs can be classified into 4 categories based on the examples and characteristics as follows:

1. Liquids:

• Various forms of liquids such as water, beverages, soups, syrups, jams, stews, sauces, chili pastes, creams, lotions, cosmetics, oils, perfumes

• The key consideration is that the item has a large liquid component and can flow according to the shape of the container it is in.

2. Gels:

• Gels in various forms such as medicines, toothpaste, food, shampoo, shower gel

• The key consideration is that gels are a mixture of solids and liquids.

3. Aerosols:

• Aerosols such as sprays and foams

• The key consideration is that aerosols are a mixture of liquids and gases that can be sprayed out.

4. Objects or substances that are a mixture of solids and liquids, which do not maintain their original state if not at room temperature:

• Such as mascara, lip gloss, or lip balm

The key characteristics of "Liquids, Gels, and Aerosols" are the ability to pour, pump, squeeze, spread, smear, spill, or spray.

Criteria and Conditions for Passengers

1. LAGs that can be carried on board aircraft as cabin baggage:

• LAGs in containers with a capacity of no more than 100 ml (or 100 g or 0.34 oz) per container, with the container clearly indicating the volume, and passengers can carry more than 1 container but the total volume must not exceed 1,000 ml (1 liter) per person.

• LAGs that are exempt from the volume limit in 1.1 but can be carried in quantities appropriate for the duration of travel on each flight, with the passenger required to present the LAGs to security personnel for inspection.

  • Medication: LAGs in the form of medication, which include those that require a prescription or a medical certificate, or over-the-counter medication, can be carried in a volume that meets the passenger’s needs for the flight duration. A prescription or medical documentation showing the passenger’s name must be presented. For details on common medications, please refer to the Ministry of Public Health's announcement: http://www.fda.moph.go.th/sites/drug/SitePages/Law03-06.aspx

  • Infant Formula and Baby Food: Baby food or formula containing liquids is allowed with a volume limit of 100 milliliters per container, up to a total of 1,000 milliliters per passenger. All containers must be sealed. If a mother needs to carry breast milk, it is allowed in amounts greater than 100 milliliters if required for the infant's needs during the flight. It can be taken as carry-on baggage or checked luggage if necessary.

  • Important Notes: Breast Milk Exemption: Mothers are allowed to bring breast milk in amounts exceeding 100 milliliters without adhering to the volume restrictions, provided it is for the infant’s needs during the flight. Security Inspection: 

• Medically Necessary Food: LAGs that are required for medical reasons or nutritional purposes are also allowed, with the same volume restrictions, and the passenger should provide necessary documentation if needed.

2. Empty containers with a volume over 100 ml (without any LAGs inside) can be carried on board aircraft as cabin baggage.

3. Liquids, Aerosols, and Gels (LAGs) purchased from Duty-Free Shops within the airport or on board the aircraft must be placed in a Security Tamper-Evident Bag (STEB). The STEB must be properly sealed, with no signs of tampering or opening after purchase. Additionally, the passenger must have evidence showing the purchase was made on the day of travel. For transfer passengers or transit passengers, they must present the STEB to the security personnel for inspection at the security checkpoint.

The security screening process for liquids, gels, and aerosols is as follows:

The security personnel must instruct the passenger to separate the containers or plastic bags containing these items from their other carry-on belongings, unless the screening equipment or method can detect the presence of liquids, gels, and aerosols without this separation. The airport security personnel will use their discretion to determine whether the items the passenger is carrying have the characteristics of liquids, gels, or aerosols. This is because the nature of items carried on board can vary, and the personnel's assessment will be final.
Is it possible that items of the same type may be classified differently by security personnel at different airports, with some considering them as liquids, gels, or sprays, while others do not?

It is possible that different airport security personnel may make different decisions on whether to allow passengers to carry certain liquids, gels, or aerosols on board. This is because the assessment of whether an item falls into these categories can vary based on factors such as temperature or the inherent characteristics of the item at the time. However, the security personnel should keep in mind that any items that may contain liquids more than 100 milliliters and could potentially be used for unlawful interference should be prohibited from being brought into the restricted area or carried on board the aircraft.

If a passenger carries local food items such as chili paste, budu sauce, shrimp paste, or curry paste onboard an aircraft, will these items be exempt from restrictions?

According to the announcement of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand regarding the criteria for screening liquids, gels, and aerosols that passengers can bring on board aircraft or into the restricted areas of public airports, dated 2019, there is no exemption for passengers to carry traditional local food items such as chili paste, fermented fish sauce, shrimp paste, or curry pastes on board without having them checked to determine if they are in the form of liquids, gels, or aerosols. Therefore, passengers would not be exempted from the screening requirements for these types of traditional local food items, and they would need to be assessed by the security personnel to ensure they comply with the regulations on carrying liquids, gels, and aerosols on board aircraft.

If a passenger intends to bring local food items, such as shrimp paste, onboard an aircraft, what steps must they take to comply with regulations?

If passengers wish to carry traditional local food items in their cabin baggage when boarding an aircraft, they must present these items to the security personnel at the screening checkpoint for assessment to determine if they are in the form of liquids or not.

For example, in the case of passengers carrying shrimp paste (as shown in the image), the security personnel would need to assess whether the shrimp paste meets the criteria for liquids, gels, or aerosols that are permitted to be carried on board the aircraft.

   
 

Therefore, based on the considerations, "shrimp paste" that has the characteristics shown in the image is not classified as a liquid, gel, or aerosol according to the announcement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand regarding the guidelines for the screening of liquids, gels, and aerosols to be brought into the aircraft cabin or into restricted areas of public airports, B.E. 2562.

Conditions or Restrictions for Bringing Liquids, Gels, and Aerosols

According to the announcement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand regarding the guidelines for the screening of liquids, gels, and aerosols to be brought into the aircraft cabin or into restricted areas of public airports, B.E. 2562, it is specified that liquids, gels, and aerosols listed in this table are exempt from "quantity limitations," and may be contained in packaging that exceeds 100 milliliters. The total volume may also exceed 1,000 milliliters under the specified conditions as follows:

Recommendations for Passenger Convenience:

1. Passengers should place each container of LAGs (liquids, aerosols, and gels) not exceeding 100 milliliters into a transparent re-sealable plastic bag with a total capacity of no more than 1 liter (bag size not exceeding 20 cm × 20 cm). The bag must be sealed, and each passenger is allowed to carry only one such bag.

2. Passengers should prepare before reaching the security screening point by separating the transparent plastic bag containing LAGs from other personal belongings to present it to the security staff for inspection.

3. LAGs that passengers carry as part of their personal items or purchase from shops inside or outside the airport before reaching the security screening point and which cannot be taken on board the aircraft should be packed in checked baggage (hold baggage). The following types of LAGs are allowed to be taken on board the aircraft as checked baggage:

• LAGs in containers with a capacity exceeding 100 milliliters, or

• LAGs in containers that do not have the volume clearly marked, or

• LAGs in small amounts in containers with a capacity exceeding 100 milliliters, or

• Local or regional foods containing liquids that exceed 100 milliliters.

4. If passengers have a layover or need to change aircraft (transfer and transit) during their journey, they should verify the LAGs regulations at the duty-free shops where they made purchases and consult the security guidelines of the destination airport as well as any airports where they will be transferring or transiting.

Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, Security Standards and Aviation Facilitation Department, June 2019.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Question 1: What types of liquid, gel, and spray (LAGs) containers are not allowed onboard the aircraft?
Answer:

• LAGs in containers with labels or markings indicating a volume greater than 100 milliliters.

• LAGs in containers without labels or markings regarding volume; these are prohibited from being taken onboard, regardless of the actual volume inside the container. For example, a water bottle labeled with a volume of 500 milliliters, even if only half full, or a water bottle without any labeling but containing a small amount of water.

Question 2: Can containers that do not contain liquid, gel, or spray (LAGs) be brought onboard?

Answer: Yes, containers that do not contain LAGs, whether or not they are labeled with a volume, may be brought onboard, such as an empty water bottle.
Question 3: What does "other equivalent volume measurement" mean according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) regulations for LAGs?
Answer: This refers to volume measurements in other units that can be converted to milliliters. For example, 1 milliliter equals 0.03 fluid ounces (Fl oz), 100 milliliters equals 3.3 ounces, 1,000 milliliters equals 33.81 ounces, and 100 milliliters equals 0.17598 pints.
Question 4: How many LAGs containers with a volume of no more than 100 milliliters can a passenger bring onboard, and in what total volume?
Answer: A passenger can bring more than one LAGs container, provided the total volume does not exceed 1,000 milliliters. For example, a passenger can bring five bottles of water, each labeled with a volume of no more than 100 milliliters, totaling no more than 1,000 milliliters.
Question 5: Do LAGs need to be placed in a transparent, re-sealable plastic bag, and how many bags can a passenger carry?
Answer: It is not mandatory to place LAGs in a transparent, re-sealable plastic bag, but if they are placed in one, it must be sealed. The passenger can bring only one such bag, and it does not count toward the allowed carry-on baggage limit. For instance, a passenger can carry 2 pieces of carry-on luggage, plus one bag containing LAGs.
Question 6: What types of medication can passengers bring onboard?
Answer: Passengers can bring liquid, gel, or spray medications in two categories:

• Controlled substances or dangerous drugs, which require a medical certificate, label, or prescription.

• Common household medications, as specified by the Ministry of Public Health, which do not require a medical certificate. The quantity should be suitable for the duration of the flight.

Question 7: Can locally produced foods with liquid content exceeding 100 milliliters be brought onboard?
Answer: No, locally produced foods like curries or soups with liquid content exceeding 100 milliliters should be carried as checked luggage, not as carry-on.
Question 8: Can fermented Vietnamese sausage (nem nuong) be brought onboard?
Answer: Yes, but the liquid component, such as dipping sauce, must be in a container not exceeding 100 milliliters, clearly labeled with the volume, and sealed. Passengers may carry multiple containers, but the total volume must not exceed 1,000 milliliters.
Question 9: Can frozen LAGs (such as drinks, soups, syrups, jams, stews, sauces, or chili paste) with a volume exceeding 100 milliliters be brought onboard if they are frozen before travel?
Answer: No, these cannot be brought onboard as carry-on baggage. They should be stored in checked luggage (hold baggage) since frozen items may become liquids once they thaw at room temperature.