Mother and daughters told 'too big' for business class

[Bangkok Barry]

I've gone through the first page of comments and not one person appears to have read the article, which explains why they were refused business class seats. But part of the problem is that Thais have a different culture when dealing with 'personal' things, and see no problem in telling a fat person they are fat. If staff work for an international airline should they be trained to deal with such things in an internationally accepted way rather than the Thai way? Of course.

 

By the way, the BBC have been very slow in picking this up. Stickman referred to it two weeks ago.

[JHolmesJr]

I feel traumatised just looking at them.

Go easy on the taro ladies.

Also, cant believe those are the 'after' pictures ????

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, ToThailand said:

<deleted> is wrong with all of you making fun of their weight, jeez. 

I would have sat the three of them together in economy.

Edited February 8, 2020 by BritManToo

[stouricks]

8 hours ago, BestB said:

Usually airlines make you buy 2 seats but that’s in economy. So if they were too big for business ,what was the alternative ? 2 seats in economy?

Does the safety instuctions not state that the armrests must be in the DOWN position for take-off & landing. So 2 economy seats wouldn't work either.

[Thian]

2 hours ago, djayz said:

I have very little sympathy for people who let themselves go that much and then make a huge rackus when they're treated "differently". 

Well the staff could have said it politely me thinks.

 

Also there was a 'language barrier'.....i suppose the Thai Air staff couldn't speak proper english to them...which is very unprofessional again.

 

[ParkerN]

Interesting. That's how they were after the surgery?

 

I'll make a note of that I think.

 

 

[ParkerN]

9 minutes ago, stouricks said:

Does the safety instuctions not state that the armrests must be in the DOWN position for take-off & landing. So 2 economy seats wouldn't work either.

Unless of course... nah.

[metisdead]

Some troll posts have been removed. 

[evadgib]

8 hours ago, sweatalot said:

Nothing wrong. When I pay for expensive BC I don't want that half of my seat is occupied by another person's fat. Let them pay for two seats in bc each or use seats next to another overweight

Even when they only have hand luggage while you have 'Pickfords' in the hold?

[BobBKK]

2 hours ago, ToThailand said:

<deleted> is wrong with all of you making fun of their weight, jeez. 

Because it's disgusting? they are irresponsible and no doubt tax payers will pay for their health care. People can do what they want but don't go blaming Thai Airways for pointing out the OBVIOUS.

[bkk6060]

I would not let them on the flight.

How irresponsible and disgusting to let your life get to that point.

Yet people accept it.  Think it is ok to scarf yourself into obesity.

Worse then drug addicts in my opinion.

And the burden on health care services and costs geez.... sick.

[evadgib]

32 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Because it's disgusting? they are irresponsible and no doubt tax payers will pay for their health care. People can do what they want but don't go blaming Thai Airways for pointing out the OBVIOUS.

How many other international carriers can publicly humiliate fare paying passengers in their flagship airport with no thought whatsoever to the consequences?

 

IMO all modes of public transport should have a 'one size/fits all' policy and that size should indeed fit any that are likely to use it.

 

('a small passenger can fit in a big one....' an' all that ???? )

Edited February 8, 2020 by evadgib

[djayz]

1 hour ago, Thian said:

Well the staff could have said it politely me thinks.

 

Also there was a 'language barrier'.....i suppose the Thai Air staff couldn't speak proper english to them...which is very unprofessional again.

 

What is a polite way to tell somebody that they are sooooo big, they need to sit elsewhere? No matter how people formulate it, it's going to be offensive and considered impolite. 

Yes, maybe the airline staff could have handled the situation discretely and a little more professionally. 

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

'The staff were shouting 'too big, too big' at us repeatedly.

The truth often hurts.... your butt is bigger than the seat, it ain't gonna fit!

[soalbundy]

10 hours ago, steven100 said:

I would hardly think traumatised ,  embarrassed maybe but that's about all.

If there is a stated maximum measurement allowed on occupying the seats and if they were over that parameter then the Thai airways staff have to act accordingly and refuse them permission, then find them a location that is acceptable to the airline.

like the toilet

[Basil B]

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

after undergoing weight-loss surgery in the city of Bangkok

Not exactly good PR for weight loss surgery in BKK...

[Thongkorn]

10 hours ago, neeray said:

They arrived in the cargo hold !

by JUMBO jet

[Tropposurfer]

It's interesting isn't it that somehow it is now wrong to refuse to cater to people's obesity by refusing them a seat (I assume a change was touted by Thai airways staff from single to two seats each, seeing when every one of these three peoples probable weight and dimensions are that of two whole adults.

How dare anyone challenge and confront them about their obesity and expect them to be responsible and pay accordingly e.g. two Business or 1 First Class (first class area for each person is larger and more private than Business not a huge amount in the seat size but they are bigger than Business seats which would preclude these folks interfering with other passengers.

It's not not allowed anymore to call out folks with weight issues! Dare I use the phrase 'eating disordered'!!!! ... when looking at this family?  

The eating of feelings, the mechanism of soothing pain and anxiety in our world is at plague proportions, and in some ethnic groups is very widespread (epidemic proportions).

Often, if not an organic issue like malfunctioning thyroid, or genetic predisposition to gain weight ... even from moderate food intake, large sized people eat because of trauma. In some cultures eating and feeding = love and so to accept, to eat, and be grateful for food presented to one by those that 'love us' is an expression of and acceptance of love. To not eat when fed is a rejection of being loved and threatens the systems attempt to cover up and soothe the pains of abuse. Obesity (anorexia and bulimia and compulsive exercising and other forms of 'body obsessing' is very prevalent in people who have been sexually traumatised or lived in families where others have been sexually abused. Painful and exposing as it was (yes the shame and exposure they spoke of feeling at the counter probably points directly to the issues surrounding their obesity, and yes that is very painful). Pay for 2 seats in economy or similar in business class so you don't make others paid for travel an unpleasant uncomfortable experience and get some counselling for what is obviously so impacting of the lives of these women that they travelled about a third way round the globe to have surgery to stem it!

[sweatalot]

32 minutes ago, Basil B said:

Not exactly good PR for weight loss surgery in BKK...

guess how fat they have been before surgery

[Searat7]

Even if they could fit in the business class seats there is no way they could use the  flat reclining position...first class might work though.

[sweatalot]

1 minute ago, Searat7 said:

Even if they could fit in the business class seats there is no way they could use the  flat reclining position...first class might work though.

and even in BC they would not fit in the toilet nor their butock on the toilet seat - and might even sully the area

[canuckamuck]

They would have to pay extra if their bags were a kilo overweight though.

[tgw]

11 hours ago, steven100 said:

I would hardly think traumatised ,  embarrassed maybe but that's about all.

If there is a stated maximum measurement allowed on occupying the seats and if they were over that parameter then the Thai airways staff have to act accordingly and refuse them permission, then find them a location that is acceptable to the airline.

they need to go all-in for the theatrical effect before claiming damages

[Basil B]

2 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

They would have to pay extra if their bags were a kilo overweight though.

If anyone had a broken leg and needs extra seats to lie flat they would have to pay extra. 

[Thian]

1 hour ago, djayz said:

What is a polite way to tell somebody that they are sooooo big, they need to sit elsewhere? No matter how people formulate it, it's going to be offensive and considered impolite. 

Yes, maybe the airline staff could have handled the situation discretely and a little more professionally. 

I could tell you to keep your mouth shut in several ways...i'm very sure you 'll choose the polite one.

 

You always like to tell others what to do or eat and now you have no idea how to tell these ladies on a professional way that the seatbelt won't fit so they can't sit there?

[RocketDog]

First class seats are in the front of the aircraft. 

For an aircraft to take off the front of it must lift off the ground. 

 

It's all about physics after all. 

[CG1 Blue]

38 minutes ago, Thian said:

I could tell you to keep your mouth shut in several ways...i'm very sure you 'll choose the polite one.

 

You always like to tell others what to do or eat and now you have no idea how to tell these ladies on a professional way that the seatbelt won't fit so they can't sit there?

It does sound as though the staff could have been more diplomatic. But is this partly to do with cultural differences? I often hear Thais describing others as 'fat' in an almost affectionate way. Or at least in a non abusive way - just like describing the colour of someone's hair.  

[Thian]

1 minute ago, CG1 Blue said:

It does sound as though the staff could have been more diplomatic. But is this partly to do with cultural differences? I often hear Thais describing others as 'fat' in an almost affectionate way. Or at least in a non abusive way - just like describing the colour of someone's hair.  

Yes Thai have something with saying one is fat, they even like it i guess....tiaa oan is fat round one...

 

But were talking about Thai air business class and of course we can expect professionalism from them (like from any other airline). I bet that if the staff of another airline used these words they could start searching for a new job.

 

They could just say that for safety reasons they could't fly businessclass. The seatbelts would not fit....end of discussion. They were very unprofessional but also that's normal in thailand where nobody is professionally trained for the job.

[foxboy]

11 hours ago, VincentRJ said:

Obese people should be very thankful to the airlines that they are not charged extra for being overweight. If my baggage is overweight, I get charged extra, even though the total weight of myself and my baggage is much less than the weight of an obese person with no baggage at all. That doesn't seem fair.

 

All airlines should weigh both the person and his baggage and charge extra if the total weight is beyond a certain level. 

100% agree! I'd go one further and suggest the airlines force hugely obese people to pay for two seats, rather than spilling into the seats either side of them and affecting other people's comfort

[ChaiyaTH]

I would be more concerned over getting stuck in the small airplane toilet if I were them.