Who takes selfies in front of a Thai airport can be sentenced to death

The island of Phuket It is one of the most coveted destinations in Thailand. Its paradisiac beaches and temperate sea attract thousands of tourists from all over the world. But one of the customs of visitors worries the authorities.

The landing strip at Pukhet airport is almost next to the sea. Alone a small strip of sand from the beach Mai Khao It separates the water from the asphalt belt where take off and land the huge planes coming from all over the world. And there the tourists started to arrive. At the beginning there were some "spotters", as fans are known to take pictures of planes, but now there are now hundreds of people coming to this place every day to take pictures and spectacular videos of the belly planes and then download them on social networks.

But the authorities of the island have begun to worry. They ensure that these hundreds of people they distract pilots in a key moment of their task and can cause accidents, for which they have decided close the area and warned that those who violate the prohibition and enter the prohibited area will be subject to severe penalties of up to death sentence.

"People and tourists will not be able to access this area to take pictures," said Wichit Kaeothaithiam, deputy director of Pukhet Airport, at the Bangkok Post.

Authorities have also established a 9 km restriction zone for residents around the airport, banning the use of drones and lights.