A woman shared her experience of passengers unbuckling their seatbelts to tell flight attendants before the plane took off to wait for friends who had not yet boarded. Eventually, it was revealed that 23 passengers were left behind on the bus, causing a social media uproar.
On 28 Jan 2026, it was reported that a topic sparked online criticism after a Facebook user posted about her experience boarding a Don Mueang to Hat Yai flight scheduled to depart at 7:10 a.m.
She and her friends had completed check-in, baggage screening, boarded the bus, and taken their seats on the plane. As the aircraft was taxiing for takeoff, an elderly female passenger unbuckled her seatbelt and approached a flight attendant to ask the plane not to depart yet, explaining that a friend who had checked in had not boarded. The attendant asked where the friend was and why she hadn’t boarded yet, adding that "the bus has already dropped everyone off."
The elderly passenger called her friend, who was a teacher, and was told the friend was still on the bus saying, "The door won’t open, how can I get off? The plane is about to leave." The flight attendant replied that if she did not board before departure, it meant she missed the flight and would have to wait for the next one, or that perhaps she had boarded the wrong bus since two gates nearby had opened simultaneously.
However, the elderly passenger insisted, asking how they could be left behind since her friend had checked in and boarded the bus. After a lengthy discussion, the plane returned to its original position. Around 7:45 a.m., the door opened, and 23 passengers, including the teacher friend, disembarked from the bus and boarded the plane.
The original poster criticized the airline staff and company for the mistake of leaving 23 passengers on the bus, poor communication between crew on the plane and the bus driver, and the failure to count passengers or search for those who had not boarded or were left behind.
She also said that although they arrived safely in Hat Yai, the delay cost them two hours. It was a new experience, and she expressed gratitude to the elderly passenger who helped those 23 passengers board the plane and reclaim their rights.
After the story spread, many people commented, some condemning the airline’s failures and others praising the elderly woman as a hero for helping fellow passengers. Some said the story was a surprising twist after reading it.
If there are any updates or statements from the airline, we will provide further reports.