Thai Airways steward praised for spoon-feeding elderly passenger

[webfact]

Thai Airways steward praised for spoon-feeding elderly passenger
By Coconuts Bangkok


A Thai Airways steward's was photographed by a passenger spoon-feeding an elderly man. Photo: Thomas Lim

BANGKOK: -- A Thai Airways steward's act of kindness was captured by a passenger as he spoon-fed an elderly man who had problems eating.

The unidentified steward went above and beyond the call of duty to serve his passenger when he found out the man was unable to feed himself.

The story was shared online by another passenger, Thomas Lim, who witnessed the act of kindness during his flight on Wednesday from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/02/15/thai-airways-steward-praised-spoon-feeding-elderly-passenger


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2016-02-15

[mrrizzla]

Good on him.

Is this really newsworthy though? Even for coconuts?

[thedemon]

Good on him.

Is this really newsworthy though? Even for coconuts?

It isn't newsworthy on this forum.

The headline would need to read "Thai Airways Steward didn't spoon feed passenger" so that it would quickly turn into a 10 page thread.

BTW, going by the uniform I believe that is an Air Purser, not a Steward.

[jacky54]

Thai does his job- goes viral

[MrTee]

Wow, someone doing their job..
The world never ceases to amaze me.

[Prbkk]

Thai does his job- goes viral

Does there job include spoon feeding passengers....?

Must confess there was a fab bird on one flight that l would have ...it...

I sincerely hope that's not a vulgar if oblique reference to nipples.

In respect of the story, it's good to see decency and kindness can still be seen on Thai.

[MZurf]

Is it me or do Thais make a big deal out of acts we would consider common decency back home?

[honoluludave]

With all the bad and negative news that we see about Thailand, it is nice to be reminded that there are good and decent people here still.

[realenglish1]

Give the Steward a promotion He deserves it This is the kind of guy you want to keep on board

[dick turpin]

Being force-fed a Thai Airways inflight meal......my sympathies

are with the passenger on this one.

[Chicog]

Being force-fed a Thai Airways inflight meal......my sympathies

are with the passenger on this one.

I like it. Condemn the CC for his act of cruelty!

[bridge2bridge]

Well done to the Steward.

Nice to see a GOOD news story for a change.

All Thai Air have to do now is REDUCE their fares.

To lure some of us back again to fly with them.

I recently bought a return ticket with Qantas.

Bris bane to Bangkok to Brisbane for $724.

Thai were $1200.

[Lupatria]

And the winner in the "Thai of the year" competition goes to the unknown guy that helped a wheelchair bound person to cross Bangkoks Sukhumvit during rush hour.

[JeremyBowskill]

Tough crowd.

[inzman]

Another canned feel good story. One about every month it seems. Right on schedule. But it still don't counter the bridge players story or the beat up old falangs in the park story.

[thedemon]

Another canned feel good story. One about every month it seems. Right on schedule. But it still don't counter the bridge players story or the beat up old falangs in the park story.

If you experience life in Thailand through what you read on forums it might appear that way. Meanwhile in the real world........................

[soc]

l've had nothing but good experiences from Thai Airways & as someone else said, some of their stewardesses are……mmmmmmmmmm.

[stickylies]

With all the bad and negative news that we see about Thailand, it is nice to be reminded that there are good and decent people here still.

yeah just like we "need" a newspaper to find out that there are good people in a country of + 65.000.000 inhabitants

[lkv]

Is it me or do Thais make a big deal out of acts we would consider common decency back home?

Yes, it's all "Thai nurse saves life of foreigner" , "Thai steward feeds old passenger with spoon" "Generous Thai gives money to stranded tourists carrying a message in Thai on their backs saying "we are beggars" or something like that.

You cannot not appreciate the Thainess when "Russian wanted by Interpol arrested", "Pensioneers gambling (bridge) arrested", "Chaopraya crime must be related to overstay",etc.

And of course, the cherry on top is "A Thai person would never do something like this". Please ignore the mall shooting the other day, that Thai guy must have had "foreign influences" in his head (watched too many foreign crime TV shows).

Edited February 15, 2016 by lkv

[tomross46]

That shows the service that I have always liked on THAI. The problem with the Airline is not the cabin crew, the pilots or the ground staff. The problem resides in senior management.

[khun custard]

All kudos to the flight attendant and service ethics of what is a pretty good bunch of people... but a warm and fuzzy headline on TV??

But it must be my dyslexia that initially made me read.... Thai (taxpayers) praised for spoon feeding Thai Airways

Edited February 15, 2016 by khun custard

[chiang mai]

It was only about 6 weeks ago that we saw the headline about the MacDonalds sevrer who was helping feed the farang in a wheel chair, same story line.

Perhaps a new hub in mind, hub of spoon feeders or similar.

[NancyL]

Flight attendants aren't expected to do this. It isn't their job to be caregivers for the elderly. As someone who has helped elderly people make arrangements to return to their home countries, I can assure you that when someone who is elderly and plans to travel alone makes a reservation requesting wheelchair service for airport transfers, they are often put thru the 3rd degree by the counter staff about whether they can make the transfer from the wheelchair to their seat unaided, feed themselves during the flight, get up to use the toilet during the flight unaided, etc, etc. It helps if they have a letter from their doctor stating they are Fit-to-Fly and just need the wheelchair because they find it difficult to walk long distances quickly when carrying hand luggage.

Once I was helping an elderly man who used a urinary catheter and there were concerns that the catheter bag would need to be emptied during the trans-Pacific flight that his family wanted him to take unaccompanied. They thought that the flight attendant should be willing to empty the catheter bag for their father. Nope -- flight attendants aren't nursing assistants and they shouldn't be expected to come into contact with passengers' bodily fluids this way. Frankly, IMO, that's goes for feeding someone, too. In the photo, the flight attendant isn't wearing protective gloves.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

It was only about 6 weeks ago that we saw the headline about the MacDonalds sevrer who was helping feed the farang in a wheel chair, same story line.

Perhaps a new hub in mind, hub of spoon feeders or similar.

kfc... do try to keep up

[NancyL]

Now that I think about it, isn't it considered a sign of affection here for dating couples to feed each other?

Reminds me -- I should get into the kitchen and start making dinner for Hubby. Tonight I'll surprise him and feed it to him, too. Tell him it's a late V-day present. (He'll just think I'm getting ready to bundle him off to the assisted living facility a few years early.)

[lkv]

Flight attendants aren't expected to do this.

I agree. Although many would do. It's not a Thai trademark.

We are pleased to see kindness coming from Thai people, that's not the problem, the problem is the propaganda that began a while ago repeating the same thing over and over again. Thai good. Foreigner bad. Thai kind, generous, tolerant. Foreigner criminal.

[NancyL]

Flight attendants aren't expected to do this.

I agree. Although many would do. It's not a Thai trademark.

We are pleased to see kindness coming from Thai people, that's not the problem, the problem is the propaganda that began a while ago repeating the same thing over and over again. Thai good. Foreigner bad. Thai kind, generous, tolerant. Foreigner criminal.

There's nothing in the article that says the passenger was a foreigner. It's not in the same category as the fisherman saving the Norwegian birdwatchers in the mud story or the countless taxi driver returning lost luggage to tourist stories.

[chiang mai]

It was only about 6 weeks ago that we saw the headline about the MacDonalds sevrer who was helping feed the farang in a wheel chair, same story line.

Perhaps a new hub in mind, hub of spoon feeders or similar.

kfc... do try to keep up

McD., KFC., Burger Biggee or whatever, it was some American crap fast food joint, the likes of which now seem to have nuked global health.

[lkv]

Flight attendants aren't expected to do this.

I agree. Although many would do. It's not a Thai trademark.

We are pleased to see kindness coming from Thai people, that's not the problem, the problem is the propaganda that began a while ago repeating the same thing over and over again. Thai good. Foreigner bad. Thai kind, generous, tolerant. Foreigner criminal.

There's nothing in the article that says the passenger was a foreigner. It's not in the same category as the fisherman saving the Norwegian birdwatchers in the mud story or the countless taxi driver returning lost luggage to tourist stories.

You're right, it doesn't, but it still creates the same propagandistic effect when one headline says "Thais are kind" and the next two headlines talk about how bad foreigners are. Edited February 15, 2016 by lkv

[Rayk]

One of the duties of a flight attendant is.

Passenger Comfort

To better impart a pleasant flying experience, flight attendants spend much of their in-flight time seeing to the comfort and needs of passengers.

Seems to me it's part of their job description.