Thai Authorities Seize Over 2 Tonnes of Unpermitted French Meat at Suvarnabhumi Airport

Key summary

Officials from the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry's Phaya Phirun Joint Operations Centre, the Department of Livestock Development, and Customs Department seized more than 2 tonnes of premium meat and animal products from France at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The operation followed reports that a well-known importer brought the goods into Thailand without required livestock permits, disease inspections, or hygiene approvals. Inspections revealed the shipment contained 21 types of animal products, including salted beef, wild boar meat, smoked pork cheeks, and various poultry and lamb items, mixed with fishery and agricultural goods in an inbound cargo warehouse. The import permit for this specific shipment covered only fishery products, making the presence of these animal products a violation. Authorities value the seized goods at 1,218,510 baht (1,201,851.50 baht) and have detained the entire shipment pending destruction while pursuing legal action under Section 31 of the Animal Epidemics Act 2015 and the Customs Act 2017. Samples were collected for laboratory testing due to risks of animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, and African swine fever. Nationwide quarantine checkpoints have been instructed to increase enforcement against illegal imports, and the public is encouraged to report suspected offences via the DLD 4.0 application.