2024-02-09T14:26:19+00:00
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/ The Thai police announced, on Friday, the accusation of a Canadian man who tried to open an emergency exit on a plane before takeoff on a flight from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to the capital Bangkok last Wednesday, which caused several delays.
“The man faces two charges of harming other passengers and failing to comply with aircraft rules,” Chiang Mai police official Nattawut Nuasorn told AFP.
The arrested man, aged 40, tried to open an emergency exit inside a Thai Airways plane while it was parked on the runway before takeoff.
“He told us he opened the door because someone on the plane was trying to kill him. He was very scared,” Noysorn said.
The police are investigating whether the accused was under the influence of drugs, or whether he suffers from mental disorders.
The incident caused delays for more than a dozen flights in Chiang Mai, the tourist capital of northern Thailand, according to police.
A witness told AFP of “chaotic” scenes on board the plane during the incident.
“I was sitting in the back of the plane and I heard strong winds and screaming from the front. It was chaotic,” said Watarapon Bethsorp.
“He was screaming that a man dressed in black was trying to kill him,” he added.
The flight was finally able to depart after midnight, with a delay of more than three hours, without any injuries reported, according to a statement from Thai Airways.
Last May, in South Korea, a man opened the emergency exit of a plane as it was landing, saying he wanted to get out of the plane “quickly.” He faces up to 10 years in prison.