Photo: Darya Komarova / Moment / Getty Images
An overweight British tourist was forcibly removed from a Thai Lion Air flight in Bangkok on Wednesday (June 25) after demanding an aisle seat for his larger frame. The incident, captured in viral footage, shows the passenger, wearing a bright orange Garfield shirt, causing a disturbance when his request to move to an emergency exit seat with more legroom was denied by flight attendants.
The commotion began when the unnamed passenger claimed his window seat was too cramped. Despite his insistence, the flight crew refused his request, leading to a heated altercation. Fellow passengers described the scene as chaotic, with some initially believing the man was ill. The situation escalated to the point where Thai police were called to remove the passenger from the Boeing 737 aircraft.
Officers were seen dragging him off the plane by his arms and legs, while frustrated passengers shouted at him to "get out of the way."
The flight eventually departed from Don Mueang International Airport after an hour-long delay. Thai Lion Air has not yet commented on the incident.