A PASSENGER who joked about a bomb aboard a Thai AirAsia flight from Krabi to Bangkok was arrested after the remark forced a full security inspection, delaying the flight by more than four hours.
According to reports, the incident occurred on Sunday aboard flight FD4401, an Airbus A320 operating the Krabi–Bangkok Suvarnabhumi route.
The 45-year-old man from Thailand is said to have made the remark when a flight attendant was helping him with his luggage in the overhead compartment.
The incident occurred at about 4:47 pm as flight FD4401, bound for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, was preparing to depart.
The flight attendant immediately informed the pilot, who ordered the aircraft to return to the parking bay in line with standard aviation safety procedures.
All passengers and their baggage were then disembarked for inspection.
Police identified the passenger as 45-year-old Klathach Phetpathomchon of Chonburi. He told officers he had been joking and had used a phrase he commonly said to friends.
Authorities treated the remark as a genuine threat despite the explanation. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was deployed, and the aircraft was moved to a remote bay away from the terminal under the airport’s emergency response plan.
However, no explosive devices were found, and the situation was deemed a false alarm.
The inspection was completed at about 8 pm, and the flight eventually departed at around 9 pm, approximately four hours and 15 minutes behind schedule.
Airport officials confirmed that the incident did not disrupt other flights, which continued to operate as normal.
The man was later charged under the Air Navigation Offences Act, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to 200,000 baht (about RM25,000) or both. – April 28, 2026
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