No fly zone: ‘Look Thep’ dolls cannot fly as passengers, say aviation officials

The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) said airlines will be forbidden from allowing the popular Look Thep dolls to fly as passengers, adding that passengers must be “people” only.

Following the popular superstitious fad where Thais have been worshipping and taking the spirit dolls, or “Look Thep,” to restaurants and even on board planes where airlines have promised to serve them refreshments like normal passengers, aviation officials will call airlines to a meeting today.

The meeting will set official rules and allow the airlines and aviation authority to reach a mutual understanding about how passengers can travel with their beloved Look Thep on planes.

Chula Sukmanop, DCA director, said the airlines will be forbidden from classifying Look Thep dolls as passengers.

Look Thep will be considered baggage because passengers could only be people, according to the Standing Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Passengers can still buy a plane seat for their dolls, but the tickets must be registered under people’s names.

"For customers who do not buy extra seats for their Look Thep, they must strictly comply to the regulations — that is, during takeoff and landing, the dolls must be placed under seats or kept in the overhead cabin,” Chula said.

“Otherwise, the passengers will be breaking Article 7 of the Act on Certain Offenses Against Air Navigation and could face a maximum punishment of one year in prison and a fine of THB40,000."

This week Thai Smile Airways decided to sell air tickets to Look Thep dolls, which it referred to as “Child Angels,” after staff reported several passengers who took the dolls on vacation and were reluctant to put them in the cargo hold.

Regarding skeptical passengers who dread sitting next to a haunted doll, Chula advised them to inform the airline at check-in that they don't wish to sit next to Look Thep.

Chula said he will discuss with airline representatives today the possibility of having a restricted zone specifically for Look Thep owners to sit together.

Either way, Chula repeated that all Look Thep dolls must be scanned at the checkpoint, with no exceptions, because they are considered as passenger baggage.

While common Look Thep dolls usually contain plants and seeds as a part of its superstitious doll-making ceremony, if forbidden objects are found inside, Look Thep will be confiscated, Thairath reported.