Stranger on board Nok Air flight without an air ticket or an ID card

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Stranger on board Nok Air flight without an air ticket or an ID card



BANGKOK: -- A Nok Air flight from Hat Yai to Bangkok was delayed for several hours on Sunday after a passenger on board the flight did not have an air ticket or an ID card.

It was not known how the man, aged about 40 wearing a light blue shirt and sandals , managed to slip on board undetected. The truth was out when another passenger found out his seat was occupied by the stranger who refused to leave the seat.

The incident prompted air stewardesses to rush to the seat to find out what was going on. When the stranger was asked to write his name, he declined and pretended that he didn’t understand Thai. Later on, security guards were called in and escorted him out of the plane.

But some of the passengers were worried that the stranger whose identity was unknown might have his luggage loaded on the plane voiced protests and demanded that all the luggages be offloaded and checked again for safety reason.

The dissenting passengers, numbering about 20, also demanded a change of their flight because they were not sure of the safety of their original flight which was supposed to leave Hat Yai airport at 11.15 a.m.

The problematic flight later left Hat Yai, several hours behind schedule and minus 20 passengers who were shifted to another flight.

As for the stranger, it was reported that he was escorted by police to a mental hospital for checks and he was later released.

Nok Air CEO Pathee Sarasin later tweeted promising that such an incident would be not repeated again as security would be stepped up.

However, the unusual incident was already posted by one of the passengers on Pantip website and it drew a flood of negative comments against the lax security at Hat Yai airport and the conduct of Nok Air staff in handling the incident.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/stranger-board-nok-air-flight-without-air-ticket-id-card/


-- Thai PBS 2014-04-07

[Somtamnication]

.....note to self: Do not fly on Nok Air.

[rhythmworx]

Security will be stepped up.

What does that entail exactly?

Is it one less hour sleeping during worktime?

[AhFarangJa]

"Security will be stepped up" do they not mean security will now be implemented, as it is certain it was non existent before.

[Tokay]

No way would I have stayed on that plane.

Good to see the excellent security. Probably too much to ask that everyone has a ticket and an ID to fly.

[Soutpeel]

.....note to self: Do not fly on Nok Air.

To be fair, the blame for this one is not only on Nok Air, If you have been through Hat Yai, as I have frequently, it wouldnt be that hard for someone to get into the departure lounge without a boarding card, as most of the the airport security is not paying attention at the door who are supose to be checking ID's and boarding cards.

Once in the depature lounge, once a flight is called it's a mass stampede at the gate, because no one listens to the aannouncements for boarding by row, so can easily see how someone could slip through the ID/bording pass check and get on the jet way, and if one of the stewardess' doesnt check your boarding card while getting on the plane...your on board the plane

Not making excuses for Nok air, because they have screwed up big time, but they are not the only ones, airport security also has to shoulder some of the responsibility for this as well....multiple security check procedures had failed badly

[NongKhaiKid]

"Security will be stepped up" do they not mean security will now be implemented, as it is certain it was non existent before.

This exposure of deficiencies in so called security couldn't come at a worse time with the MH 370 story still ongoing.

Will there be a proper investigation and necessary action taken including against staff found to be lax OR will there be a cover up with the mandatory weak excuses?

Oh what a stupid question

[chiangmaiman99]

The culprit was "escorted by police to a mental hospital for checks and he was later released"... This sounds like in invitation for future problems.

[Malone]

Worrying given Hat Yai airport's security history:

On April 3, 2005, three coordinated bomb attacks occurred at Hat Yai International Airport, Carrefour Department Store, Big C Supercenter, and downtown Songkla, killing two people and injuring 30.

On September 15, 2006, six coordinated bombs exploded in Hat Yai almost simultaneously, killing five and wounding 74

http://www.thaigov.go.th/en/news-room/item/56551-seven-coordinated-bomb-explosions-rock-hat-yai.html

[Lieberdavid]

When I fly international on so called top rated airlines, I usually have to show my passport 5 times and my ticket 3 or 4 times between my arrival at the airport and getting on the plane. In each case the check is cursory. It is really annoying. I'd much prefer to have the security check done once thoroughly.

[lawrence1366]

I'm considering to cancel a upcoming trip to BKK on Nok Air and also due to escalating threats between the parties there.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Tywais
Fixed improper quote

[Chupup]

Knoc Air is certainly not on my flying list as of now......

[Hockeybik]

"some of the passengers were worried ... and demanded that all the luggages be offloaded and checked again for safety reason."

The passengers? <deleted>?

[laurentbkk]

No Care airline ... strange story actually

[Soutpeel]

When I fly international on so called top rated airlines, I usually have to show my passport 5 times and my ticket 3 or 4 times between my arrival at the airport and getting on the plane. In each case the check is cursory. It is really annoying. I'd much prefer to have the security check done once thoroughly.

I think your missing the point of the security checks, - 3,4,5 cursory checks is better than a single thorough check, as if someone really wants to get past to security check in your example, they would only have 1 "barrier" to get past and would be home and free, having multiple cursory checks, if done properly, increases the likelyhood of picking up and issue as there are multiple "barriers" in place.

[PatOngo]

It was not known how the man, aged about 40 wearing a light blue shirt and sandals , managed to slip on board undetected.

As he did'nt seem to be wearing any pants, surely that would have raised some suspicion.

[scorecard]

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When I fly international on so called top rated airlines, I usually have to show my passport 5 times and my ticket 3 or 4 times between my arrival at the airport and getting on the plane. In each case the check is cursory. It is really annoying. I'd much prefer to have the security check done once thoroughly.

Good discussion point, but that means that the airport would to be totally secure at all times at every door. including the doors passengers use and the doors AOT and airline staff and tradespeople use. That's not going to happen, unfortunately.

Just recently there was a small incident when the big sliding doors between the public waiting area (the waiting lounge) and the adjoining corridor to the air bridge were left open. All the airline staff had disappeared.

The waiting lounge was full, a passenger walked up to the open glass sliding doors, straight through and then entered the doors to the air bridge (all visible from the waiting lounge). Perhaps 20 seconds later the passenger was escorted back to the waiting lounge. Glass doors still left wide open, staff all disappeared again.

Edited April 7, 2014 by scorecard

[Ricardo]

IME security at HDY has always been slightly-tighter than at other Thai airports, due to its being a target in the troubled South, this is definitely a failure by the AoT-Security as well as Nok's staff at the gate & the door to the aircraft, and needs to be properly investigated.

[noitom]

Total breach of Thai airport security and the Thai airline Nok Air.

[Lieberdavid]

@scorecard and @Soutpeel: I hope you guys are right. I'm all for security. It just seemed to me that a cursory check done multiple times isn't thorough and is no better than a cursory check done once. And it's a hassle to the passengers. Anyway, that's the way it is, and it's not going to change.

[Choonpon]

This incident could happen to any airline anywhere. It is possible there were other similar incidents happened before but not reported. If not because of the recent MH370 saga, would we even bother?

[Soutpeel]

And it's a hassle to the passengers.

So is being hi-jacked, or a bomb going off at 10,000 feet while your drinking your bolly in first class....

[Fookhaht]

First, pilots breaking company regulations by smoking in the cockpit, and now this security breach (already posted in another thread over 10 hours ago).

[http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/i-on-Nok-Air/page__view__findpost__p__7658615]

Nok Air has just slid way down on my list of alternatives to get from points A to B.

They are showing symptoms of a seriously loose corporate culture when it comes to passenger convenience and safety.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Fookhaht

[Andre0720]

''as security would be stepped up''

Just wondering...

How many steps are there?

[tezzainoz]

The culprit was "escorted by police to a mental hospital for checks and he was later released"... This sounds like in invitation for future problems.

This person just commited 4 crimes that I can see

Why was he released ????

[Soutpeel]

IME security at HDY has always been slightly-tighter than at other Thai airports, due to its being a target in the troubled South, this is definitely a failure by the AoT-Security as well as Nok's staff at the gate & the door to the aircraft, and needs to be properly investigated.

to me its not a case that the security procedures/protocols are not in place, but the people responsible for carrying the process out are being very slack in carrying out their jobs.

eg in the case of Hat Yai, when you go up the stairs and go through the doors to get into departure lounge are the security people really looking at your boarding card ? or could one subsitute a bus ticket that looks a bit like a boarding card and still get through,

lest not forget Nok air and the other low cost carrier's dont issue boarding cards in the traditional sense, its basically a printed receipt, If someone wanted to by pass this check, one could easily get their hands on an old Nok air receipt or even photocopy one and use that, If the security people are not looking at the date/flight number and name in comparision with the presented ID, it would be very easy to get past this check.

Again once in the departures, once the flight is called, there is a mass stampede for the gate and people dont comply with boarding by seat number, although there are two people one on each side taking the ticket scanning and checking against the ID, in the mass of people trying to get through the gate, it would be easy to slip through and get into corridor which leads down to the jet way at Hat Yai

[kannot]

.....note to self: Do not fly on Nok Air.

Note to self, look up if you hear a plane coming down fast.

[bulekee]

"Security will be stepped up" do they not mean security will now be implemented, as it is certain it was non existent before.

This exposure of deficiencies in so called security couldn't come at a worse time with the MH 370 story still ongoing.

Will there be a proper investigation and necessary action taken including against staff found to be lax OR will there be a cover up with the mandatory weak excuses?

Oh what a stupid question

They will paint all the security people with black paint so they cannot be identified.

[coconutbar]

Dumbass should a hid his ass in the toilet.

[OnTheRun]

When I fly international on so called top rated airlines, I usually have to show my passport 5 times and my ticket 3 or 4 times between my arrival at the airport and getting on the plane. In each case the check is cursory. It is really annoying. I'd much prefer to have the security check done once thoroughly.

I think your missing the point of the security checks, - 3,4,5 cursory checks is better than a single thorough check, as if someone really wants to get past to security check in your example, they would only have 1 "barrier" to get past and would be home and free, having multiple cursory checks, if done properly, increases the likelyhood of picking up and issue as there are multiple "barriers" in place.

I've flown through Hat Yai countless times but only on TG where your seat is allocated. The domestic procedure is no different for domestic flights in my home town in the UK. One ticket / ID check and one baggage scan. It would actually be quite difficult to get in Hat Yai departures unless there was only one person checking boarding cards and they were distracted. What they should do is narrow the entrance down allowing only one person at a time access to the boarding card checker

There was a case last year of a young boy boarding (and reaching the destination) on a flight from Manchester to Rome with no passport, ticket or boarding card!!