Lion air look for 2 million baht compensation from bomb joke passenger

Thai Lion Air are hoping to get 2 million baht in compensation from a passenger who stopped the take off of one of their planes by telling the air hostess he had explosives in his hand luggage. He later told police that his comment was made as a joke he used to woo her. The incident caused a six hour delay.

Passenger Pichit Boondaeng, an employee of the State Railway of Thailand will be charged with communicating false information endangering safety on an aircraft. The man told his friends that it was his first ever time on a plane, he was making the journey from Hat Yai to Bangkok to attend a friend’s wedding. He also said he had no idea about any laws prohibiting jokes about explosives and hopes that his experience will teach others a lesson about trying to chat up flight attendants using ridiculous jokes.

The attendant who was the recipient of the passengers wildly detrimental pass told her side of the story on a Thai cabin crew Facebook page. She said that while she was checking the overhead compartment before take off the passenger told her with a very straight face that he thought there might be a bomb in there. She told the passenger that he could not say things like that and in doing so could be escorted off the plane. After her warning he did not retract his statement so the attendant asked her supervisor to double check, the passenger was asked again twice but still did not convey that his statement was meant as a joke. At this point the captain was informed and the plane was evacuated.

The passengers employer is now considering disciplinary punishment against Pichit for breaking the law. No mention has been made of whether the flight attendant was interested in the passengers flirtations.

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