Airport escape

A prisoner being escorted by Australian police to Germany escaped while they slept in a transit lounge and managed to get out of Suvarnabhumi Airport unnoticed by Thai immigration authorities.

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Thai police have placed a 10,000 baht bounty on Carlo Konstantin Kohl. (Photo courtesy of Royal Thai Police)

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German fled Suvarnabhumi airport as Australian escort slept

Amornrat Mahitthirook 
Wassayos Ngamkham

A man being taken back to Germany to face charges after completing a jail sentence in Australia fled from a transit lounge at Suvarnabhumi airport through a fire exit while his Australian police escort was asleep, Thai authorities said on Monday.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) chairman Sita Divari confirmed after talks with Immigration Bureau police on Monday morning that the man – the accused leader of a gang thieves in Germany – escaped from custody and disappeared into greater Bangkok after arriving on May 15.

Kohl remains at large, and is believed to be hiding somewhere in greater Bangkok.

"What we know now is that Kohl has left the airport," said Suvitchpol Imjairat, chief of the Immigration Bureau at the airport.

Meanwhile, the Airports of Thailand (AoT) has raised concerns over Kohl's getaway. "The incident is an important lesson for us that requires serious checks for possible security flaws," Mr Sita said Monday.

The investigation found Kohl had disconnected the electricity supply at an emergency exit in a restricted area in the G concourse.

The fugitive was identified as Carlo Konstantin Kohl by Pol Maj Gen Suvitchpol, after a meeting at Suvarnabhumi several hours later.

Pol Maj Gen Suvitchpol said Kohl illegally left the airport after managing to bypass immigration.

The Australian police accompanying him had gone to sleep in a transit room at the airport after arriving on May 15. Their connecting flight to Germany had been delayed. When they awoke, they discovered he was no longer in their custody, he said.

Kohl was being taken from Brisbane to Frankfurt via Bangkok on Thai Airways International flights.

The flight from Brisbane arrived at Suvarnabhumi about 8pm on May 15. The connecting flight was supposed to leave for Germany at 11pm, but was delayed because of bad weather in Europe and rescheduled for 8am on May 16.

"Mr Kohl has left the airport. He did not pass through the immigration desks," the airport immigration police chief said.

"He faces a charge of illegally entering the country and investigators of the Immigration Bureau are trying to locate him."

He said Thai authorities should not be blamed for the fugitive's escape. Australian police had not alerted Thai immigration authorities that they were escorting a prisoner through Suvarnabhumi airport en route to Europe.

Pol Maj Gen Suvitchpol said the German had completed a jail term in Australia and, under Australian law, he was being accompanied by Australian authorities back to his country to face outstanding charges there.

Kohl has a history of drug, robbery and violent crimes committed in Germany, and the Australian states of Queensland and Victoria.

bounty – money given as a reward, of for helping catch or kill a criminal เงินรางวัล
flee (past: fled) – to leave a place or person quickly because you are afraid of possible danger หนี อพยพ
escort – a person or group of people or vehicles that travels with somebody/something in order to protect or guard them คนคุ้มครอง
charge – an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime ข้อกล่าวหา
jail sentence – the length of time a person is required to spend in jail
transit lounge – a room where passengers wait to change airplanes from one flight to another
authorities – the police or people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
Immigration Bureau – the government agency dealing with people entering and leaving the country and those who want to live there สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง
accused – to be said to have done something wrong or committed a crime ถูกกล่าวหา
thieves – people who dishonestly take something that belongs to someone else and keep it ขโมย
custody – the state of being in prison or under police control การคุมขัง
at large – not having been caught by the police ลอยนวล, ยังไม่ถูกจับกุม
meanwhile – at the same time ในเวลาเดียวกัน
concern – a worry ความกังวล
incident – something that happens, usually something bad เหตุการณ์
security – protection; systems providing for safety from attack, harm, or damage ระบบรักษาความปลอดภัย
flaw – a fault; something wrong with something ข้อบกพร่อง
investigation – the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something in order to discover who or what caused it or how it happened การสอบสวน, การตรวจสอบหาข้อเท็จจริง
restricted – intended only for people who have been given special permission ที่จำกัด
concourse – a large area in an airport or railway station, or in front of a public building, where people can walk
fugitive – someone who has been accused of doing something illegal and is trying to avoid being caught by the police ผู้หลบหนี
identified – named  ระบุชื่อ
illegally – in a way that is against the law อย่างผิดกฎหมาย
bypass – to avoid dealing with someone or something หลีกเลี่ยง
accompany – to go with someone ไปกับ,ไปด้วยกัน,ไปเป็นเพื่อน
delay – to do something later than is planned or expected เลื่อนเวลา
via – through  ผ่าน (ช่องทาง)
reschedule – to change the time at which something has been arranged to happen, especially so that it takes place later จัดตารางเวลาใหม่,  เปลี่ยนตารางใหม่
locate – to find where someone or something is หาทำเล,หาที่ตั้ง
blame – to say or think that someone or something did something wrong or is responsible for something bad happening ตำหนิ
alert – to tell someone in authority about a danger or problem so that they can take action to deal with แจ้งให้ทราบ, บอก
en route – on the way; while travelling from/to a particular place ระหว่างทางไปถึงจุดหมายปลายทาง
outstanding – not yet done, solved, paid, etc ค้าง
violent – involving or caused by physical force that is intended to hurt or kill somebody รุนแรง, ร้ายแรง, สาหัส
commit – to do something wrong or illegal ทำความผิด