Crime Passenger’s Bomb Joke Causes Alarm on Don Mueang–Hat Yai Flight

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

A domestic flight was thrown into chaos after a passenger carrying a black bag made a remark about having a bomb on board, prompting alarm among cabin crew and delaying the flight.

 

Police at Don Mueang Airport were alerted to the incident on the evening of 22 August, after reports that a passenger on Thai Lion Air flight SL 716 to Hat Yai had spoken about a bomb while handling his luggage.

 

Investigators identified the passenger as 47-year-old Surasak, from Pattani province, who had been seated in seat 17B, an emergency exit row. The aircraft, which was preparing to depart Don Mueang with around 186 passengers on board, was being checked by cabin crew when the incident occurred.

 

According to police, a flight attendant instructed the man to stow his black carry-on bag in the overhead compartment. As he lifted the bag, he reportedly muttered in a local dialect the word “Tako” (meaning “afraid”), followed by the phrase “afraid there’s a bomb”.

 

The remark caused immediate alarm among the crew, who feared there might be an explosive device inside the bag. Security personnel were called to the aircraft and the passenger removed, but a search revealed no irregularities.

File picture of the aircraft involved, a Boeing 737-800GP registration HS-LGL

 

The incident delayed the departure of the flight by 40 minutes, with the airline claiming it had suffered financial losses as a result. Thai Lion Air subsequently filed a formal complaint with police.

 

Police Colonel Phuwadol Unphothi, chief of Don Mueang station, said the suspect admitted he had intended to “tease” the flight attendant when told to put his bag in the overhead bin.

 

He has been charged under The Air Navigation Offences Act of 2015with knowingly providing false information likely to cause panic among passengers or airport staff. The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.

 

The man was released on bail as authorities considered him unlikely to flee. He will face trial at a later date.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-08-23

 

 

 

 

[Crossy]

Plonker!!

[lordgrinz]

This 2025, you have to be living under a rock to not understand saying anything about a "bomb", or even using the word in a sentence, is going to get you in serious trouble, and you can forget about any flights.

[novacova]

The only way one can get away with say bomb at the airport or on a plane is to say “Mr Bombardo!”

[Crossy]

You might get away with ordering one of these in an airport restaurant: -

 

 

I've never actually seen one on a menu mind 🙂