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Explosive Device Found at Phuket Airport, Thailand

Thai authorities destroyed a suspicious object found in an abandoned motorcycle at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday evening.

Officials from the police explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit and the K-9 police dog team conducted a detailed inspection of the motorcycle, which was left unattended on airport premises at about 7 p.m.

An initial investigation revealed that an object resembling an improvised explosive device was concealed within the vehicle. Officers then sealed off a 200-meter radius around the site. The EOD team subsequently carried out a controlled detonation to neutralize the threat.

In a new statement, Phuket airport authorities said the incident did not affect flights or airport operations.

Monchai Tanod, director of Phuket International Airport, confirmed that airport officials acted in coordination with the Phuket provincial police according to the emergency response plan. Security personnel are also stepping up surveillance in public areas, with CCTV covering all the airport area.

Major General Sinlert Sukhum, commander of the Phuket provincial police office, also reassured the public, saying officers have intensified screening at all security checkpoints across the province.

Police investigators are looking into whether the incident was linked to a recent incident in neighboring Phangnga Province, where two men were arrested with a homemade time-bomb in a car bound for Phuket.