A plane full of passengers was evacuated after a tourist made an apparent fake bomb threat at a Bangkok airport, local reports say.
An AirAsia flight saw 162 passengers and six crew members deplaned on Thursday, 21 November after the airport received an anonymous call claiming there was an explosive on the aircraft, police said at a press conference, The Nation reported.
A Singapore man was reportedly arrested a day later after police traced the phone number used for the threat and found him at Don Mueang Airport’s passenger terminal.
The suspect reportedly admitted to making the call at around 2.47pm local time and said his motivation was stress over a family problem, the publication said.
He was sent to the Don Mueang police station and charged with overstaying his visa in Thailand by 28 days, with police adding that they are still investigating and could file more charges where applicable.
The plane that was due to leave Bangkok for Hat Yai City in the Songkhla province, was returned to a bay for thorough inspection.
After a search of the aircraft and passengers, authorities reportedly found no suspicious items and the emergency was called off later in the day.
Flight FD3114 from Bangkok to Hat Yai was supposed to take off at 3.45pm but did not end up leaving until just after 8pm, causing an almost four-hour delay to the journey that should only take one hour, data from FlightRadar shows.
The incident comes after a string of apparent bomb hoaxes that disrupted journeys for hundreds of passengers last month, as Air India became a target for these threats.
Singapore’s military had to send out fighter jets after an Air India Express plane bound for Changi Airport received a bomb threat via email.
At least 10 flights received hoax bomb threats through email and social media messages in 48 hours from Monday to Tuesday, Indian media reported.
One of these, an Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago, was forced to make an emergency landing at a remote Canadian airport.
An Air India Mumbai to London flight also had to be intercepted and escorted by RAF Typhoon jets following another threat on 17 October.
The Independent has contacted Don Mueang International Airport, AirAsia and the Thailand Tourism Police for further information and comment.
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