Thai Airways Refuses to Carry Chinese Passengers, Airport Apologizes

On the evening of August 4, Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand issued a statement regarding an incident in which security personnel were filmed making what appeared to be discriminatory gestures. The airport publicly apologized and took disciplinary action against the involved staff. The statement introduced that around 11 PM on July 29, some Chinese fans on Thailand Airways flight TG674 followed a Chinese artist on the same flight into the VIP lounge without authorization and were asked to leave by staff. The fans subsequently continued to follow the artist into the boarding area, refusing to cooperate during identity checks and attempting to board the plane with the artist. To prevent unauthorized individuals from entering the aircraft, the airline temporarily closed the aircraft doors, and security personnel returned the individuals to the waiting hall. The statement pointed out that the airline assessed that this group of fans had not complied with safety regulations and was concerned that they might continue to cause disturbances after boarding, making the situation difficult to control once the flight departed. As a result, they decided to deny boarding to 22 individuals, which caused a delay in the flight. Suvarnabhumi Airport stated that 12 individuals agreed to remove their checked luggage, while another 10 refused to cooperate and expressed dissatisfaction over being denied boarding, provoking the staff and leading to a conflict between the two parties. Videos circulated online showed that during the negotiations, a security personnel made a gesture of pulling at the corner of his eye towards a Chinese passenger, and this footage spread widely on social media, sparking public controversy. Suvarnabhumi Airport stated in their announcement that blocking the passengers was intended to maintain aviation safety, but acknowledged that the behavior of some staff was inappropriate and did not meet service standards. Disciplinary actions have been taken against the involved personnel, and a formal apology has been issued regarding this incident.