Singaporean arrested for allegedly faking Don Mueang bomb threat

Thai immigration police arrested a Singaporean on Friday for falsely reporting an explosive device on a plane at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport.

Ho Wai Chong was detained on Friday evening at the airport’s passenger terminal. Police said at a press event on Saturday that he had overstayed his visa by 28 days.

Police said that at 2:47 p.m. on Thursday, an airport official received an anonymous call reporting an explosive device on an AirAsia flight to Hat Yai in Songkhla province.

Investigators determined that Flight FD 3114, with 162 passengers and six crew members, was preparing to take off for Hat Yai. The airport immediately suspended the takeoff, evacuated passengers and brought the plane back to the bay for inspection.

After finding no suspicious objects on the plane or among the passengers, authorities canceled the emergency at 7:30 p.m. The official said the incident severely affected the airport’s flight schedule and passenger travel.

On Friday, police traced the phone number and determined that the caller was still in Don Mueang. They detained Ho at the passenger terminal around 7 p.m.