New body scanner tested at airport

The GEN2 is said to offer a secure and discreet method for detecting hidden items, such as explosives, weapons, contraband, stolen electronic items or restricted good like bottles of liquid or gels.

It is made by Brijot Imaging Systems Inc and imported by Law Enforcement Technology Solutions Co Ltd.

The manufacturer says it does not reveal passengers' physical details or cause them any radioactive harm, because it uses a 'passive radiometric scanning' technique.

The GEN2 relies on a millimetre-long wave imaging system and can do full motion and real-time passive scans. Each unit costs Bt3.5 million.

For screening, passengers have to stand without their wristwatch and coat or outer garments in front of the GEN2, before turning around for 5-10 seconds for a full scan, without security guards touching people's bodies.

The new scanner will be used to screen passengers departing on international flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport for the next month.

"Firstly we will set the new GEN2 as a choice for passengers. After passing walk-through metal detectors, they can choose to be screened by hand-held metal detectors or the GEN2 if they want to be comfortable," AOT deputy director Narongchai Thanantchangsaeng said.

AOT will evaluate the new scanner's accuracy, ease of use and its impact size.

General manager of Law Enforcement Technology Solutions, Tachit Tivaruan-grong, said: "Its accuracy is about 80 per cent. Other countries testing the GEN2 body scanner are England and Indonesia. In a month, the GEN2 will show its ability to detect suspicious hidden items and I hope in the future we will have the GEN2 to mainly use at Suvarnabhumi Airport."

Normally, passengers have to walk through metal detectors and are then screened for suspicious hidden items by hand-held metal detectors, or frisked by security guards - a task that takes 45-60 seconds.

But some passengers fear machines that reveal too much.

"I won't agree to be scanned by a scanner that shows my physical details obviously. If the new body scanner does not work that way, I will use it," Thunyarun Jantapao, a woman at Suvarnabhumi, said.