PHUKET: Three more blasts rocked the southern province of Yala at 8.07am today as the focus continued to fall on failed security at Had Yai airport, largest in the region.
A mysterious unidentified passenger was found by hostesses on board a Nok Air flight from Had Yai to Bangkok just before takeoff at 11am on Saturday.
Thanks to the diligence of the hostesses and the captain, who ordered all passengers on the flight offloaded and reloaded, there was no incident.
But lax security is what enables the southern insurgents to kill and maim with such ease.
The toll in the 10 years of the south's ''secret war'' has now risen beyond 5480 - more than the 5400 Thais and tourists who died in the 2004 tsunami in Thailand's largest natural disaster.
In flights from Phuket to Bangkok and back over the past two weeks, Phuketwan reporters have noted failures in security by budget airlines Nok and AirAsia.
On one recent Nok Air flight from Phuket to Bangkok, a man was on board the wrong flight and in another passenger's seat. Right seat, wrong flight.
On an AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Phuket, the check-in staff simply tore off the seat allocation tickets, failing to compare ID documents with the faces of the boarding passengers.
Three more bombs in Yala today follow a synchronised attack at the weekend in which one person was killed and 24 injured.
The concern is that far from responding to peace negotiations, the ''war'' threatens to break out from the southern provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.
Brutal mutilation killings, some involving beheadings of women and the targetting of teachers, indicate a horrific new phase, along with the synchronised bombings.
Although major tourist destinations have been free so far of trouble associated with the deep south, a massive car bomb found at a Phuket police station last year still has no obvious explanation made public.
Phuketwan has learned that the 45-year-old male passenger apprehended on the flight from Had Yai to Bangkok in seat 47A has had little to say.
The blame for the extra passenger being on board is being taken by Airports of Thailand, who have suspended staff who were supposed to scan and scrutinise all passengers boarding the craft.
Security at Phuket International Airport appears to have improved noticably following breaches in security there.
Nok Air chief executive Patee Sarasin yesterday apologised for the breach in security on the Had Yai-Don Muang flight. Phuketwan believes security standards on other budget airlines are no better and also should be tightened.
A mysterious unidentified passenger was found by hostesses on board a Nok Air flight from Had Yai to Bangkok just before takeoff at 11am on Saturday.
Thanks to the diligence of the hostesses and the captain, who ordered all passengers on the flight offloaded and reloaded, there was no incident.
But lax security is what enables the southern insurgents to kill and maim with such ease.
The toll in the 10 years of the south's ''secret war'' has now risen beyond 5480 - more than the 5400 Thais and tourists who died in the 2004 tsunami in Thailand's largest natural disaster.
In flights from Phuket to Bangkok and back over the past two weeks, Phuketwan reporters have noted failures in security by budget airlines Nok and AirAsia.
On one recent Nok Air flight from Phuket to Bangkok, a man was on board the wrong flight and in another passenger's seat. Right seat, wrong flight.
On an AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Phuket, the check-in staff simply tore off the seat allocation tickets, failing to compare ID documents with the faces of the boarding passengers.
Three more bombs in Yala today follow a synchronised attack at the weekend in which one person was killed and 24 injured.
The concern is that far from responding to peace negotiations, the ''war'' threatens to break out from the southern provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.
Brutal mutilation killings, some involving beheadings of women and the targetting of teachers, indicate a horrific new phase, along with the synchronised bombings.
Although major tourist destinations have been free so far of trouble associated with the deep south, a massive car bomb found at a Phuket police station last year still has no obvious explanation made public.
Phuketwan has learned that the 45-year-old male passenger apprehended on the flight from Had Yai to Bangkok in seat 47A has had little to say.
The blame for the extra passenger being on board is being taken by Airports of Thailand, who have suspended staff who were supposed to scan and scrutinise all passengers boarding the craft.
Security at Phuket International Airport appears to have improved noticably following breaches in security there.
Nok Air chief executive Patee Sarasin yesterday apologised for the breach in security on the Had Yai-Don Muang flight. Phuketwan believes security standards on other budget airlines are no better and also should be tightened.
I read another article that said approx 20 passengers refused to stay onboard and fly, forcing the Airline to make a decision and offload the flight.
Posted by geoff on April 7, 2014 14:20
Editor Comment:
The captain makes the decision, not the passengers. But yes, people were not keen to fly under those circumstances.