Instagram influencers hit with death penalty threat over popular photo spot in Phuket

[Nereus]

Instagram influencers hit with death penalty threat over popular photo

https://au.news.yahoo.com/instagram-inf ... 42591.html

Snap-happy tourists could face the death penalty if they fail to adhere to stringent proposed laws which bans them from visiting a popular beach.

Mai Khao beach is just metres from Phuket Airport in Thailand, prompting herds of visitors every day, eager to land their latest social media photo of themselves perilously close to passing aircraft.

But local authorities have had enough, and in a bid to crack down on the growing numbers, a safety zone on the beach near the airport’s runway is being developed, the Bangkok Post reported.

Airport chief Wichit Kaeothaithiam told the publication that stricter regulations are needed due to safety concerns and that violators must be subject to punishments under the Air Navigation Act.
“People and tourists will not be allowed to enter this area to take photos,” he said.

While fines and prison sentences are among punishments for those breaching the new laws, Kaeothaithiam said the consequences could be far more severe.
“The maximum penalty is the death sentence,” he said.

The concerns come after a woman died on a beach on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin with a similar setting.
The 57-year-old woman was killed when a blast from a plane knocked her to the ground.
Another couple were heavily criticised when they posed for an acrobatic photo at the same beach.

[PeteC]

Yahoo needs to clarify their reporting. The "consequence" is not the sentence of death imposed by a court, but possible death caused by aircraft.

I really hate sensationalist reporting like that.