Philippine Airlines (PAL) has denied that a homeless man found injured beneath the BTS Ploenchit stairway in Bangkok was one of its former pilots.
In a statement issued on Friday, 31 July 2026, the airline said Captain Larry Malpaya remains an active Philippine Airlines pilot and was not the person featured in Thai media and social-media reports.
"The information is false. Captain Larry Malpaya is currently still serving as a pilot for Philippine Airlines and is not the person mentioned or shown in the reports," PAL said, according to the Philippine News Agency.
The airline has asked Thai PBS World to immediately correct its report and related social-media posts, saying this was necessary to stop false information spreading further.
Identity and nationality still unconfirmed
The injured man had been widely described online as a former captain from a major Philippine airline who had fallen on hard times and was living on Bangkok's streets. Some posts claimed he was Filipino and suggested financial losses from share trading had led to his circumstances.
The Mirror Foundation, which arranged help for the man, said it had not published claims about his profession or nationality because he was not in a condition to provide reliable information. It said the online reports originated from an account by a member of the public who had spoken to him.
Hospital care and identity checks
Mirror Foundation said the man is now receiving close care from doctors, nurses and hospital social workers. It said hospital social-work staff would lead efforts to establish his correct identity, including his name, family address, occupation, social circumstances and nationality, before coordinating any longer-term support.
Foundation workers said they had seen an infected wound and behaviour that raised concerns about possible mental-health problems. They said local people had reported that he often spoke to himself, although workers did not personally observe this.
They also said he had asked someone to buy bitter melon capsules to treat a wound believed to be linked to diabetes, and had sometimes removed dressings shortly after they were applied. Police were contacted to arrange treatment under the Mental Health Act, and the man did not refuse medical care when police and an ambulance arrived.
The foundation said urgent physical treatment was prioritised, followed by psychiatric assessment if needed. It will assist with identifying the man and coordinating with authorities once his condition improves.
Questions over delayed treatment
Mirror Foundation said it was concerned that the man had apparently remained in poor physical condition for more than a week before reaching hospital, despite being visible to passers-by and receiving attention from agencies.
It called for scrutiny of whether Thailand's support system is responding quickly enough when vulnerable people are found on the streets with obvious injuries or illness.
Picture courtesy of Amarin
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2 August 2026
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