The Bangkok airports resumed full operations today after an eight-day closure which brought international commerce in Thailand to a standstill with unfortunate consequences for anabolic steroid users who purchase their gear from Thailand-based sources. The blockade of Bangkok’s airport will nonetheless result in delayed steroid shipments and increased the numbers of lost parcels over the next few weeks (”No packages from Thailand this Christmas,” November 29).
International items are now being redirected via neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore. I presume these countries will have a field day scanning the Thai mail for contraband. There have been multiple reports of packages simply vanishing off the tracking systems altogether.
The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) forced the closure of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Asia’s fourth busiest airport, and Don Muang Airport, a major international hub for Asian air traffic, for the past week. The anti-government group occupied the airports demonstrating against Thailand’s People’s Power Party in a case of electoral fraud demanding that the ruling party’s Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resign. The political upheaval has crippled the economy, not only the tourism industry, but the Thai export business including the thriving pharmaceutical steroid business. The seige ended and airports reopened after a Thai court removed Wongsawat from her post (”Protracted Thai Crisis Is Choking Its Economy,” December 1).
Many businesses rely heavily on Bangkok’s airports to move their goods and supplies, especially Suvarnabhumi, a $4 billion facility opened two years ago, normally moves about 100,000 passengers a day. Bangkok handles an estimated 3% of the world’s air cargo.
Some businesses are now sending goods for export roughly 1,000 kilometers overland through Thailand’s southern neighbor, Malaysia. But that involves a full day’s journey by road or rail through stretches of southern Thailand, where a bloody Islamic separatist insurgency has left 3,000 people dead since 2004.
Officials at Thailand’s Board of Investment said Friday that customs officials at the Malaysian border “cannot cope” with all the traffic, and were planning to keep checkpoints open around the clock to move more vehicles.
The impact of the airport sieges is spreading by the day. Thailand’s postal service says it has 23 metric tons, or 240,000 pieces of mail waiting to be delivered..
With all the steroid hysteria, it is not difficult to forget that anabolic steroids are legal and have therapeutic uses. Many assume it is forbidden take injectable steroids and syringes/needles on board a domestic airline in carryon luggage.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration), there is nothing illegal about taking anabolic steroids or any other injectable medication on board an airplane. Even with increased airport security, you are permitted to take an unlimited number of unused syringes as long as it is accompanied by the injectable medication.
Unlimited number of unused syringes when accompanied by insulin or other injectable medication…
Medications must be labeled so they are identifiable.
Of course, if you do not possess a valid medical prescription for anabolic steroids, you may be subject to other law enforcement action!
Also, TSA will visually examine your steroids and needles as a customer service:
Medication and related supplies are normally X-rayed. However, as a customer service, TSA now allows you the option of requesting a visual inspection of your medication and associated supplies.
You must request a visual inspection before the screening process begins; otherwise you medications and supplies will undergo X-ray inspection.
If you would like to take advantage of this option, please have you medication and associated supplies separated from your other property in a separate pouch/bag when you approach the Security Officer at the walk-through metal detector.
