A screenshot from a video recording showing a man stripped down to his underwear and disrupting an AirAsia flight as it was about to land in Bangkok. - Photos: Screengrab from PIAPORN CHAMSRIO/X
BANGKOK: An AirAsia flight from Vietnam to Thailand was disrupted when an intoxicated passenger stripped down to his underwear during the flight and attempted to leave the aircraft shortly after landing, according to a witness and local reports.
The incident is said to have happened on Jan 29 aboard an Airbus A320 travelling from the Vietnamese coastal city of Cam Ranh to Thai capital Bangkok.
The incident, relayed by Piaporn Chamsrio, a passenger on the flight, was said to have begun about 15 minutes before landing, with the man, who appeared to be inebriated, becoming agitated and walking repeatedly up and down the aisle.
“I have flown hundreds, if not thousands, of times and have never encountered anything like this,” Piaporn told media publishing platform Viral Press, which shared a video of the episode.
The man then stripped down to his underwear, and demanded to be let off the aircraft, she said.
Flight attendants instructed him to return to his seat, but he did not comply.
Piaporn, who was seated about two rows from the man, said he smelled strongly of alcohol and behaved erratically.
Video footage recorded by passengers show the man standing in the aisle, speaking loudly in what seems to be Russian, while crew members and other travellers look on.
After the plane landed in Bangkok, the man allegedly pushed past others through the open aircraft doors onto the mobile passenger stairs and fell while descending the steps, appearing to injure his leg while he took flight.
He then tried to evade the authorities by moving towards ground vehicles on the tarmac.
Airport staff detained the man shortly after.
The disruptive passenger was later taken into custody and questioned over allegations that included endangering an aircraft, resisting crew instructions and causing a public disturbance, according to reports by Viral Press.
Referring to the ordeal, Piaporn said: “I have sympathy for everyone on the plane except this man.”
Air travel disruptions involving intoxicated passengers have been a recurring concern for airlines and the aviation authorities in recent years.
In a separate incident in August 2025, a man was removed by security at Boston Logan International Airport after disrobing in front of passengers waiting to board their flight, according to local reports. - The Straits Times/ANN
