Starting tomorrow, travelers to the US are to undergo security interviews at check-in counters, with possible additional questioning prior to boarding, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said yesterday, advising people flying to the US to arrive at airports as early as possible to avoid missing their flight.
The administration said the interviews are part of enhanced security measures requested by the US Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration, which issued an emergency amendment on June 29 that applies to all flights heading to the US.
The measure first intensified inspection of electronic devices larger than smartphones, including tablets, laptops, electronic reading devices, DVD players, games machines and cameras, which has been enforced since July 17, the CAA said.
The second part of the measure requires US-bound travelers to be asked security questions, CAA officials said, adding that the requirement applies to passengers of all airlines offering flights to the US.
According to a forum on flytalk.com, the questions could be divided into two tiers.
The first, usually asked by airline staff at check-in counters, includes questions such as: “Who packed your baggage?” “Has your baggage been in your possession since it was packed?” or “What electronic devices are you carrying?”
Passengers subject to secondary questioning might be asked to provide detailed information about themselves and their travel plans through questions such as: “What do you do for a living?” “What company do you work for?” “Where are you staying in the US?” and “How many children do you have?”
The behavior of passengers while responding to questions would be observed, the forum said.
Passengers who fail to provide the requested information or refuse to answer questions could be asked to undergo more extensive security procedures, the forum said, adding that travelers who have “SSSS” marked on their boarding passes are expected to be subject to heavy screening.
As the security interviews could significantly delay the boarding process, the CAA advised travelers to arrive at their boarding gate as early as possible after checking in their luggage to avoid missing flights.
Travelers should consult their airline if they have further questions about the security measure, the CAA said.
In related news, travelers to Thailand this week might experience reduced service hours at department stores, convenience stores and bars, as the nation is scheduled to hold a five-day ceremony for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died on Oct. 13 last year.
Leaders and politicians of more than 50 nations and an estimated 3 million Thais are scheduled to attend the ceremony, which is to begin today.
The late king’s cremation at a newly completed royal crematorium is to take place tomorrow, and many stores are to start closing at 2pm.
To allow more Thais to pay tribute to the late king, the Thai government has made tomorrow a national holiday and public transportation in Bangkok is to be free, while traffic into downtown Bangkok is to be restricted.
Strict security measures are to be enforced around the Royal Plaza, with a number of roads to be closed. Air and sea spaces around the Grand Palace are to be inaccessible.
No drones are to be allowed within 19km of the Grand Palace and Royal Plaza, with violators facing fines of 40,000 baht (US$1,206) or one year in prison.
The consular section of the Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei will not provide any services tomorrow, as it is to hold a sandalwood flower offering ceremony to commemorate the king’s cremation.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique