A woman shared her experience where a passenger unbuckled their seatbelt and alerted the flight attendant before the plane took off, asking to wait for friends who had not yet boarded. In the end, it was revealed that 23 more passengers were left behind on the bus, causing a social media uproar.
On 28 Jan 2026, a report emerged that sparked online criticism when a Facebook user posted about her experience boarding a flight from Don Mueang to Hat Yai, scheduled to depart at 7:10 a.m.
She and her friends had completed check-in, security, boarded the bus, and were seated on the plane. Just as the plane was taxiing for takeoff, an elderly female passenger unbuckled her seatbelt to approach a flight attendant, requesting the plane not to depart because her friend who had checked in had not yet boarded. The flight attendant asked where the friend was and why they hadn’t boarded, explaining, "The bus dropped everyone off already."
The elderly passenger called her friend, who is a teacher, and the friend replied that they were still on the bus, saying, "The door isn’t open so how can I get off? The plane is about to leave." The flight attendant responded that if they did not board before departure, they would be left behind. Not boarding meant missing the flight and they could catch a later one. She also suggested the friend might have boarded the wrong bus since two gates opened near each other simultaneously.
However, the elderly passenger insisted that her friend had checked in and boarded the bus. After lengthy discussion, the plane returned to its original position, and at about 7:45 a.m., the door opened. It was then that 23 passengers, including the teacher friend, disembarked the bus and boarded the plane.
The original poster criticized the airline and staff for the error of leaving 23 passengers on the bus. She condemned the communication failures between the flight crew and bus drivers, as well as the airline’s failure to count passengers or follow up on those who had not boarded or were left behind.
She added that although they arrived safely in Hat Yai, the incident caused a two-hour delay. She also expressed gratitude to the elderly passenger who helped the 23 stranded passengers board and reclaim their rights.
Following the story’s release, many commented online, criticizing the airline’s shortcomings and praising the elderly woman as a hero for assisting other passengers. Some noted the story’s surprising twist ending.
If there are any updates or statements from the airline, further reports will be provided.
Information courtesy of Facebook.Nat Nattyy