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

[atsiii]

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

So, does this mean that the "stranger" had enough money to "arrange" his release? Was he "testing" for a security vulnerability? It could be that we don't know that he was fully researched and checked out, but since this is Thailand, it's equally possible that he just presented some money and walked.

[Somtamnication]

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?

Not on El Al.

[binjalin]

I guess their reputation has taken a bit of a Nok

[Asiantravel]

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.

At the very least I hope someone asked him how he was able to get on the plane and they are satisfied they can close all loopholes?

[patayayaya]

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.

. The expression Mai pen rai is going a little too far on this one.

[ebean001]

then he was released. hummm. why do i think i could violate the law, cause NOK air to lose a lot of money, and be set free. I guess I am not poor and crazy, right?

[stickylies]

nothing happened so no proprem!

dude had no ticket and no id but nothing happened, so no proprem!

farang always siliout on TV, always siliout too much !

[impulse]

I accidentally boarded the wrong UA flight in SFO once. 2 flights, same gate (11A and 11B or similar) and the tail end of a 30 hour journey. Going to Houston, got on a Chicago flight. They called me to the front of the plane when they scanned all of the tickets and found mine. Embarrassing for me, but more so for them...

In Hat Yai, it would be pretty easy for someone to get off one flight and onto another without ever leaving the gateway area. Or to get into the gateway with one ticket and get on a different flight. No harm, no foul.

Edited April 7, 2014 by impulse

[GuestHouse]

The passengers demanded that the baggage be removed from the aircraft and checked.

Says it all really doesn't it.

Why were the aircrew not automatically responding with a full security breach procedure?

Why were the airport not automatically responding with a full security breach procedure?

Why has the individual been released before a full enquiry into the incident has been completed?

Thailand air security - Mai Bpen Rai.

[canopus1969]

Not unusual - I walked onto the wrong Bangkok Air flight by mistake (although I did have ID) and only found out when I asked where my seat was and was told that plane did not have that number seat.

BKK Air then had to send a van to meet me at the bottom of the stairs and take me to my correct plane.

[GuestHouse]

Has Nok Air started legal charges for defamation against the passengers for reporting what happened yet?

[Melyn]

The security should have picked this up.

I haven't flown out of Hat Yai for a while but you usually have to show your boarding pass and passport just after the hand luggage scanner in order to gain access to the departure area.

I boarded a TG flight from Yangon a few weeks ago and a middle eastern man was pushing to get off as he had got on the wrong flight!!!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited April 7, 2014 by Melyn

[FangFerang]

"The incident prompted air stewardesses to rush to the seat--

Oh my God! A stewardess stampede....the untold story is that they subdued him with flight pillows. The man then refused to leave the plane until they threatened to actually force him to eat the in-flight food and then ride a roller coaster. Shaken and pale, the man happily surrendered to security.

[steve73]

Seems to me that this only became an issue when the passenger who's seat was taken complained.. In many cases, he would probably have just taken another empty seat (assuming the aircraft was not full), and no one would have been any the wiser.

Begs the question, how many times has a similar security lapse occurred....

Nok air should loose it's licence over this without a shadow of a doubt.

[skorchio]

You would expect that an airport in a fookin warzone would already be high alert anyway. This sounds to me like a test, the intruder seemingly had no intention of not getting caught. He refused to move; had he moved from the seat to a vacant one he probably would have remained on the flight. There is no mention of his baggage ..... did he have any? What was in it? If he was released after questioning, he is Thai. Any form of a foreigner and he would still be banged up. So why was he pretending he didn't understand Thai? I reckon it was a stunt to highlight the <deleted> security .....

[Pattaya28]

Nok Air talking to their passengers like idiots.

"Security will be stepped up". What does this mean in real terms ? Another question that'll never be answered, let alone understood.

[Soutpeel]

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

You say you are not making excuses for NOK but that is exactly what you are doing. They are responsible to see that only ticketed passengers get on their planes. They must control the passengers. Allowing a "stampede" is their fault.

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

I understand that not everyone has English as a first languge on TV, but please go back and read what I wrote.. "because they have screwed up big time"

In English "screwed up big time" means they have made some big mistakes, I could also use the term "cocked up" as well...

[klauskunkel]

Its just Thainess. Ground crew doesn't care if air crew gets blown up in mid flight, air crew has to be instructed by passengers on proceedings, and the guy gets taken to a mental hospital and is released. So what?

Edited April 7, 2014 by klauskunkel

[Showbags]

Good on the pax for demanding some action and not backing down.

[aripengu]

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.....note to self: Do not fly on Nok Air. alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

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

I have been flying BKK-Chiang Mai with Nok several times and no way this could have happened, so it's probably airport related.

[chainarong]

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.....note to self: Do not fly on Nok Air. alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

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

I was on a Thai flight from Perth Australia on Sat , they checked your passport and ticket while you are waiting to board then they checked again at the air bridge

[Stuart21]

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

The passengers? <deleted>?

Yes, security by passengers.

Coming soon to a flight near you - 'Passengers alert crew about to land at wrong airport'.

Hold your breath.

[scorecard]

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@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.

Well here's another example.

A few years back I flew several times from Bkk to Karachi in Pakistan and return on a consulting job.

Security for departing passengers / aircraft at Karachi involved perhaps 12 or more very specific checks: passport rechecked, boarding pass rechecked, tags on cabin bags, etc. The ID tags were affixed to the cabin bags using hard wire which could not easily be tampered with, this was after all cabin bags put through the scanners several times plus, for all passengers / all cabin bags the contents had to be laid out on a big tray and the empty cabin bags went through another separate scanning machine. Passengers had to walk through two side by side scanners, plus every passenger was examined further with a wand and comprehensive pat down, by two separate officers .

Cabin bags were also fixed shut with more attachments. The checks were at designated points plus there were random checks. After every check color coded stickers were affixed to every document and every bag, and passengers were told seriously if your colour tab is wrong at the next check you will instantly be escorted away from the airport buildings. Passengers were told clearly to take all documents out of their bag and hand carry the documents and never put the documents down on an adjoining chair, etc.

Any snacks bought had to be carried in a clear plastic bag and this was also examined meticulously / chocolates and potato crisp bags etc etc etc., all opened up and fully inspected at every check, all drinks opened and smelled, etc. And all snacks etc had to be discarded totally just before entrance to the aircraft door where there was the last total check of everything, including a walk through scanner check on two side by side scanner frames.

This was when there had been several kidnappings, whether they still do this at Karachi I have no idea.

[Trentham]

About 2 years ago I was in a long queue at Hat Yai airport as security checked everybody's luggage on the screen. I noticed a suitcase go through while the lady at the Xray machine was looking away so I kept watch on her. She was so busy chatting and laughing and looking around at other activities going on and eating her packet of food beside her that she probably missed 90% of the bags. When I finally got through the check point I asked one of the other staff to take me to the head of security where I reported the woman's failure to do her job and told him of how nervous it made me feel to fly that day. He told me he would go and speak to her. So I stood a little bit away out of sight and waited for 20 minutes to see what would happen. Nobody went to speak to her and she just continued to ignore luggage until the call came for me to board. I had a very nervous flight back to Bangkok.

[singlespeed]

''as security would be stepped up''

Just wondering...

How many steps are there?

Next step? TSA

[empireboy]

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 ????

Great question!

[Doc46]

''as security would be stepped up''

Just wondering...

How many steps are there?

One,,,,, security or none,,,,,,

[BigC]

.....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

Lucky that seat was taken as if it was empty then anyone could have been on it

To make it that far is defiantly cause for consirn

Like one said not just nok air security but the whole airport

[Fritzz]

How many steps are there?

Next step? TSA

Well, ideally there is a need for a comprehensive airport security system in a manner that we envisage a police state would handle things not dissimilar to the previous Soviet Union airports. Is this Government ready to install that and run into conflict with TAT and the general 'land of smile' attitude? Hardly. Even in a critical area as the Thai South seems to be? It would certainly be foolish not to.

Then, airside, it is more a matter of the airline's basic attitude to their business and the image the airline wants to project to their general clientele. The CEO and his fellow officers set the scene here. If it is 'friendliness, smiles, can-do and blue sky and holiday happiness' then it would be difficult to place security EL AL-style in this environment. It would also be expensive. It would also require the conditioning of the mind-set of aircrew from flight deck to toilet cleaner. Are the cheaper happy-go-lucky airlines up to that? No, of course not. They would have problems to organise a proper seating plan for their passengers and ensure each paying passenger has a pre-determined seat. Never mind verification of the seating plan against as-is before take-off.

What are we as passengers to do?

We better do as we demonstrate here now. We ridicule the lack of security and safety on board these aircraft utilising every aspect of the internet's capability. Until the mind-set of these airline's management is changed for the better.

Getting out of a minivan half way between point of departure and destination only because the driver tried to climb over a half a meter concrete wall at a speed of 90 km/h - and after a quick wiggle on the steering wheel smiles and continues the journey (to hell) - isn't easy. But once you have done it at least once you feel much better and remember it for years (especially the long walk to the next bus station and the missus complaining). It changes your attitude from easy-go to concerned citizen.

Bon voyage,

Fritzz

PS: one will have to consider what an airline that doesn't know who is on board their craft knows about their maintenance down in the hangar. And the remaining hours of the hundreds of components on the aircraft and the origin of them. No passenger there to keep an eye!?

[seabass69]

Maybe he thought that he'd bought his ticket at 7Eleven with his Lao Kao and L&M Reds.