Bomb Hoax Delays Dubai-bound Thai Airways Flight

[george]

Bomb hoax delays Dubai-bound Thai Airways flight

SUVARNABHUMI: -- A Thai Airways International (THAI) flight leaving here for Dubai Wednesday morning was delayed after an Indian female passenger told airline officials that she had received a phone call from an unidentified woman saying that a bomb was planted on the plane.

Security officials immediately boarded the aircraft, which was due to depart Suvarnabhumi Airport for Dubai, and searched for the possible bomb, officials said.

However, no bomb was found on the plane, TG521, which was to carry 270 passengers and 18 crew members and was scheduled to leave the airport at 10.55am.

Airline officials provided a new plane for the safety of the passengers, and the rescheduled flight departed at 2pm (1400 hours).

--TNA 2006-12-20

[george]

Update:

Foreigner held related to bomb hoax at Suvarnabhumi

BANGKOK: -- An Indian Canadian has been held by police pending an investigation whether she had made a bomb hoax which delayed a Thai Airways International flight for about four hours Wednesday.

Padmapriya Nataraja, 29, informed an official that she had received a call to her mobile phone that there was a bomb on the plane.

She informed the official while she was about to board the flight at Gate D6 of the Suvarnabhumi Airport at 10:30 am.

Her information prompted officials passengers from the flight, which had left India's Chennai for Brunei and stopped at the Suvanarbhumi.

But officials checked and did not find any bomb in the baggage. The plane was delayed for about four hours before leaving for Brunei.

The woman was taken into police's custody pending an investigation whether she had really received such phone call.

Pol Lt Col Phakkhapong Sai-ubol said the woman would be charged if police did not find record that she had received such call.

-- The Nation 2006-12-20

[Scott]

It should have been pretty easy to determine if a call was made to her mobile phone.