Drunk man breaches security, drives car close to a plane on Bangkok airport runway

Bangkok: In a major security breach, a man drove his car onto the runway at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, leaving netizens perplexed. The driver was filmed driving along the runway perilously close to a Boeing 777 that landed seconds ago.

The footage captured by an unidentified ground staff from a distance shows Bangkok airport security vehicles escorting the car off the runway even as the plane was still in motion. The video of the incident, which took place on Thursday afternoon, is widely being shared online that prompted many jokes among netizens.

“I don’t know how the car made it onto the runway,” the person filming can be heard saying, as translated by Daily Mail.

งามไส้ บริษัทหมื่นล้าน AOT ปล่อยให้ รถ ที่ไม่ได้รับอนุญาต

บุกเข้าไปวิ่งพล่านข้างเครื่องบิน

นี่คือ safety & security breach ที่ร้ายแรงมากครับ #สาระการบินน่ารู้ pic.twitter.com/MwkPNHawDe

— คนไทยไม่ยอม YNWA (@Khongsak) January 14, 2021

According to Thai PSB News, the security at Suvarnabhumi Airport (TASOT) was notified at approximately 2:39 pm about an intruder driving into the air zone. Immediately, the security team intercepted and detained the vehicle and arrested the driver, who was sent to the Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station for further investigation.

As the video started circulating widely, the Airports of Thailand released a statement saying that the investigation revealed that the person was driving under the influence of alcohol when he breached the security cover.

According to a report by Thansettakij, the driver, identified as Prathipat Masakul, was intoxicated from drug abuse, and urine tests were performed for the contaminated methamphetamine. It added that police officers detected a number of drugs hidden in the rear bonnet.

“The accused admitted that he had acted due to drunkenness and unknowingly drove through the restricted area,” Matichon Online reported. The police, therefore, reported the following allegations of — intrude into restricted areas within the airport; illegal possession of drugs; and illegally consuming and driving category 1 drugs.