Suvarnabhumi Airport Apologizes for Fan Frenzy Handling

Zealous followers of Chinese celebrity barred because of concerns about flight safety PUBLISHED : 4 Aug 2026 at 22:07 WRITER: Online Reporters Suvarnabhumi airport management has apologised for its security guards’ handling of a group of overzealous fans of a Chinese celebrity, after they were blocked from boarding the same flight as he was on because of safety concerns. Airport officials said on Tuesday night that the incident happened at 11pm last Wednesday when fans were following a Chinese celebrity who was scheduled to board Thai Airways International flight TG674 bound for Beijing. The name of the celebrity has not been released. The fans were preparing to board the same flight, airport management said. They followed the artist to the passenger lounge although they had no entry rights. THAI staff requested assistance from security guards, who led the fans out of the lounge. The fans subsequently followed the artist to the holding room for passengers awaiting boarding. The fans refused to have their boarding passes checked as they rushed to get as close as possible to their idol when he walked onto the aerobridge toward the plane. Airline staff had to close the plane’s door to deny entry to the fans whose boarding passes had not been checked. As the group converged on the door, airline staff and security guards led them back to the holding room. Airline staff subsequently refused boarding for 22 fans because they did not comply with safety measures and airline regulations. “Airline personnel considered that the group of fans could have caused disorder on the aircraft and the situation could have been uncontrollable after takeoff,” the Suvarnabhumi airport management wrote. Twelve fans agreed to offload their luggage. Ten others expressed dissatisfaction and made provocative gestures towards officials on duty. That led to friction during attempts to control the situation, the management said. Security guards were trying to ensure the safety of passengers and flight operations. However, some behaved inappropriately and in ways that did not meet service standards and airport regulations, the management said. Airport management apologised for the reaction by the personnel concerned and said the security guard had faced disciplinary action. The Suvarnabhumi incident occurred just a few days after video surfaced of security staff at a fan event organised by GMMTV in Bangkok apparently manhandling a female visitor from China. After a torrent of complaints online, GMMTV apologised. However, it later emerged that the woman in question was a queue-jumper who had earlier antagonised organisers and attacked a security staffer trying to escort her away. GMMTV subsequently conceded it misjudged the circumstances and lifted the suspensions of the staff involved.