- A Thai Smile Airways flight had to turn back to the gate due to an unruly passenger.
- The passenger caused a disturbance over a forgotten bag before takeoff.
- Security escorted the man off the plane, which departed Chiang Mai late.
A passenger on a Bangkok-bound flight departing from Chiang Mai caused a disturbance over a forgotten bag, resulting in the flight having to return to the gate just before takeoff.
Footage published by the New Zealand outlet Stuff showed a disagreement between the passenger and a flight crew member. The flight was operated by Thai Smile Airways, a budget airline.
Insider reached out to Thai Smile Airways for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
According to reports, while the Airbus A320 was taxiing for departure, the unruly passenger shouted about leaving a bag of valuable items, including money, at Chiang Mai International Airport.
In the video footage, a flight attendant asked the passenger whether he wanted to be moved off the flight immediately or wait until they reached Bangkok. The passenger responded affirmatively and asked to speak to the captain.
The pilot announced over the intercom system that the flight would return to the gate to ensure the safety of all passengers. The disembarkation process was estimated to take approximately five to ten minutes, and apologies were offered for the delay.
The footage shows the unruly passenger being escorted off the plane, accompanied by two individuals who appeared to be traveling with him. It is unclear whether the man was arrested after being removed from the flight.
Another passenger on board stated that the flight was approximately 45 minutes late due to the disturbance caused by the passenger. The disruptive individual complained about his bag, which contained money and important items, still being at the airport, and expressed the desire to retrieve it.
“It was very disruptive, and they showed no concern for the inconvenience caused to other passengers,” said the unnamed witness.
The flight eventually landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after a brief delay, according to USA Today.
Disruptive passenger behavior is a concern in the US as well
In recent years, there has been an increase in disruptive passenger behavior on flights in the US.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there have been 1,034 reports of unruly passengers in the US as of July 16. The FAA clarifies that these reports include cases where FAA regulations or federal laws were violated.
While the number of unruly passenger reports has decreased by over 80% compared to 2021, when there was a record high of 5,793 incidents, the FAA acknowledges that more efforts are still required to address this issue.
Previous incidents of alarming passenger behavior this year have included temper tantrums, bomb threats, and violence against fellow passengers, as reported by Insider’s Sebastian Cahill.
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