A New Low For Thai Airways

[jkinbkk]

Earlier this week I took a flight from Bangkok to Delhi.

Upon arriving at the gate and making my way to the exit, a woman in front of me holding a very contented sleep child (of maybe 2 years old) joined the aisle in front of me.

As we came to exit the head Purser and one of the female flight attendances noticed that between the mother and the sleeping baby was a Thai Airways blanket.

They halted the mother and demanded the return of the blanket.

Although stunned, the mother tried to remove the blanket without disturbing the child. Clearly the mother was not fast enough and so the Purser and flight attendants both yanked as hard as they could to retrieve their precious blanket.

5-6 exhaustive yanks later they held it triumphantly in their hands.

The poor woman was almost knocked of her feet with the force they exerted and the baby was left in a very distressed state upon being disturbed so violently from slumber.

I ‘saw red‘ and told them what a couple of A-holes they were!

For the sake of THB 50 of thin purple cloth they created such distress for a mother and child.

Now, clearly the whole incident troubled me, but what troubled me also was the fact that if this passenger had been Thai, SE Asian or Caucasian they would have let it go without such a drama. But the mother was Indian and that smacks of racism.

Shame on you TG,.

But actually it’s just another addition to the growing tally of substandard service incidences that are becoming common place for Thai Airways these days.

[griser]

And did you hear? Thai Airways make the top 10 Airlines list this year! lol

[gotlost]

That list is a shame.

[Spoonman]

Shame on them for waking a sleeping child, next time they should charge the person with theft.

[Ulysses G.]

Stealing is against the law.

[goldfinger]

i always thought, these blankets are for personal use and given as present.

[londonthai]

difficult to accuse of racism, but they acted with disrespect to the mother and child. Strange as well to blame the whole airline for a small event.

some airlines do allow to take blankets in their country airports, as passengers in a long transit might need them, but abroad they would rather not let their property disappear.

[Briggsy]

Theft from aeroplanes costs the airlines a lot of money each year.

[davee58]

No sympathy.

If people want to "nick" things, they should at least hide them properly. Why should all the other passengers behind the thief have to wait while she fumbles around, doubtless playing the sympathy card which you fell for.

If she had been allowed to steal the blanket, it might have been a life jacket next time.

The airline staff will be trained to handle every situation in the most appropriate manner, including attempted theft, and clearing arriving passengers from the plane in an orderly fashion so that it can be serviced in time for the scheduled departure.

[duceahearts]

i always thought, these blankets are for personal use and given as present.

dead right, I've got loads.

[Ulysses G.]

Ignorance is no excuse. Lucky they didn't catch you.

[twofortheroad]

American Airlines charges 8 dollars for a blanket!!

[ThailandTommy]

Stealing is against the law.

Yeah and if lack of compassion and common sense were painful ...........jerks like you would be rolling on the floor in agony

[Ulysses G.]

Speaking of jerks, I've noticed how"compassionate" most of your posts are.

Edited May 21, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[Spoonman]

So stealing from the airlines is ok amongst some of you, dont bother posting a thread about the ever increasing flight tickets will ya's................

[twofortheroad]

 

So stealing from the airlines is ok amongst some of you, dont bother posting a thread about the ever increasing flight tickets will ya's................

I don't have much need for one of those blankets, but I wouldn't be surprised if some people thought they were free. There's nothing to them, it's not like they're of any particular value (the op suggested 50 baht). I wouldn't have thought they'd bother cleaning and re-packing them, but obviously they do. I thought that maybe they gave them to the poor, or cut them up and used them as dusters.

Interestingly, there was no mention of the lady concerned getting angry, so the op got angry on her behalf. Called them A-holes, too.

Edited May 21, 2010 by twofortheroad

[toptuan]

The passenger was caught red-handed. Thieves (and often those around them) are normally inconvenienced in such situations. Put the blame where it ought to be.

Kudos to a sharp-eyed flight attendant!

[twofortheroad]

The passenger was caught red-handed. Thieves (and often those around them) are normally inconvenienced in such situations. Put the blame where it ought to be.

Kudos to a sharp-eyed flight attendant!

I would have thought that a mother with babe in arms taking a very low value (almost disposable) blanket for her baby was akin to a malnourished street urchin 'stealing' a loaf of bread for their hungry sister. Hardly a thief, I'd have thought. Another poster already said that they thought they were complimentary, so why shouldn't the mother think the same? They give colouring books and stuff to a mother with toddlers, and they gave a blanket  to her for the baby. She wasn't hiding it, so it doesn't look like her intentions were criminal. Mothers should be respected and treated with dignity. They should also be presumed to be innocent. 

Edited May 21, 2010 by twofortheroad

[Lammbock]

The Indian Mother should flight by Indian Air.

[davee58]

The Indian Mother should flight by Indian Air.

Is it easier to steal from Indian Air?

[purplehaze]

lucky it wasn't an ozzie beer mat she was stealing

[anothertorres]

hah! oh, you know she be stealin yo!

[Ulysses G.]

I would have thought that a mother with babe in arms taking a very low value (almost disposable) blanket for her baby was akin to a malnourished street urchin 'stealing' a loaf of bread for their hungry sister.

Is it OK if the low paid flight attendants have to pay for stolen items? This is par for the course with Thai companies.

[JetsetBkk]

but what troubled me also was the fact that if this passenger had been Thai, SE Asian or Caucasian they would have let it go without such a drama.

And just how do you know that?

Admit it - you don't.

[twofortheroad]

I would have thought that a mother with babe in arms taking a very low value (almost disposable) blanket for her baby was akin to a malnourished street urchin 'stealing' a loaf of bread for their hungry sister.

Is it OK if the low paid flight attendants have to pay for stolen items? This is par for the course with Thai companies.

A totally different issue of course, but the answer is no.

[PhilHarries]

Theft from aeroplanes costs the airlines a lot of money each year.

Not quite true, it costs us a lot of money, collectively, every flight we take.

Theft is one of those odd issues when it come to perception. Lets face it we all take the odd biro home from work and think nothing of it. But let a guest at a dinner party take away so much as a tea spoon and we are likely to spit the dummy out. But that's it, it's okay to steal from big corporations 'cos there's "no victim". But there is a victim, we all pay for petty theft in the cost of everything and every service we pay for.

Just ask anyone in the hotel trade about theiving guests.

[DavidOxon]

Speaking of jerks, I've noticed how"compassionate" most of your posts are.

Ha ha ha ha

how apposite that you should use the 'pot calling the kettle black'

still laughing out loud at the irony :D

[twofortheroad]

    As far as I can see the lady was not accused of stealing by the staff . They may well have treated it as an innocent mistake. They handled her a little bit too heavily ,was all that was reported. A few people here, based on very little evidence didn't give her the same  benefit of the doubt. Maybe this should be re-titled "A new low for Thai Visa".

[witold]

Put her on the deport list.

[toptuan]

The passenger was caught red-handed. Thieves (and often those around them) are normally inconvenienced in such situations. Put the blame where it ought to be.

Kudos to a sharp-eyed flight attendant!

I would have thought that a mother with babe in arms taking a very low value (almost disposable) blanket for her baby was akin to a malnourished street urchin 'stealing' a loaf of bread for their hungry sister. Hardly a thief, I'd have thought.

Obviously using the baby as a "human shield!"