Hat Yai Airport increases security after mental patient boarded plane without ticket



SONGKHLA, 8 April 2014 (NNT) – Hat Yai Airport has scaled up the security level it employs to near maximum level after a mentally troubled man was able to board a Nok Air flight without carrying any identification or ticket.

Group Captain Norrani Phonkanon, director of Hat Yai Airport, admitted that errors by airport and airline officials had allowed the incident to occur. He has asked airlines to check the boarding passes of passengers one more time before letting them enter the aircraft, bringing the total number of instances of ID checks to 4.

Police indicated that family and neighbors of Sutthidet Mahaphan (39), a resident of Hat Yai, Songkhla claimed the man was mentally disturbed and was a patient at Songkhla Ratchanakharin Mental Hospital. Known earlier by media as 'Aziz', the man was able to walk through identification and security checkpoints at the airport and finally board a Nok Air aircraft.

After boarding, the man insisted he be given a front row seat even though it was already occupied. When cabin crew asked him for identification, he failed to produce one and said he already put all his IDs into loaded baggage.

An airport staff responsible for checking passengers' boarding passes has been suspended and a fact-finding committee has been established to probe the incident.

-- NNT 2014-04-08

"a mentally troubled man was able to board a Nok Air flight without carrying any identification or ticket"

That's normal, isn't it? Government officials fly free.

Give that guy a reward and let him try to do the same at other airports

Surely more fun than staying in the hospital

If he was mental patient .why was he released again from

the mental hospital where he was taken too from the plane.?

Some things just don't make sense here,well a lot of things

actually.

regards Worgeordie

Horses and Stable Doors come to mind.

IF there really is a security upgrade and not just a face saving statement just how long will it last before the staff return to their old ways ?

If he was mental patient .why was he released again from

the mental hospital where he was taken too from the plane.?

Some things just don't make sense here,well a lot of things

actually.

regards Worgeordie

the mental hospital

I am sure you mean the Government House.

So until know there was not security ?

Let this guy to take aircraft too.

Wrong airline. The other one says: Now everyone can fly!

When cabin crew asked him for identification, he failed to produce one and said he already put all his IDs into loaded baggage.

Not the worst answer for a mental hospital patient.

Ticket? ID? Take a wild guess where I keep it!

AHA !!!! NOK AIR again and I wonder if the patient was smoking too?

maybe he was a Space Cadet.

You'd like to think that in a place like Hat Yai, airport security would be top of the list, sadly it appears not to be....

To get through 4 I.D. checks and board a plane he cant be that stupid. just wanted to get away from Songkran.