Plane carrying foreign tourists crashes near Bangkok

A plane carrying foreign tourists crashed 11 minutes after taking off from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, killing nine people, including two children.

A plane crashed near Bangkok on Thursday, 22 August, killing nine people, including five foreign tourists, Matichon reported.

The small Cessna Caravan C208 aircraft, flying Thai Flying Service flight TFT209, took off from Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 14:46 local time. The plane was heading to Trat province in the south of the country. However, just 11 minutes after takeoff, at 2:57 p.m., the Suvarnabhumi control tower lost contact with the aircraft.

According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft descended sharply and crashed into a mangrove forest wetland in Chachengsao province, southeast of Bangkok. A resident, Preecha Boontham, 56, said he saw the plane crash into a swampy hole, followed by a powerful explosion.

On board were two pilots, two flight attendants and five foreign tourists. According to preliminary reports, all of them died. The passengers included both Chinese and Thai nationals, including two children.

Police from Bang Pakon station, led by Colonel Phongsan Meesri, were the first to arrive at the scene after reports from shocked locals. Some reported hearing an explosion in the sky, while others saw the small plane descend sharply over rice fields before crashing into a mangrove swamp.

Rescuers found the plane’s wreckage in the swampy area and began pumping water for search operations. Fragments of human remains, including a child’s arm and part of a torso of unidentified sex, were found at a depth of 3-4 metres under a layer of silt.

Among the items found were photographs of foreign tourists, particularly women and children, as well as a male tourist’s boarding pass. An excavator was brought to the site to expedite the removal of the debris.

Thai aviation authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Experts will study the data from the flight recorders (if found), weather conditions at the time of the incident, the technical condition of the aircraft and other factors that may have led to the tragedy.

The Cessna Caravan C208 is a popular turboprop aircraft used for short regional flights and charters. It is designed to carry up to 14 passengers and is considered reliable.

The Thai Prime Minister expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and promised a thorough investigation into the incident. The Ministry of Tourism of Thailand said it was ready to provide all necessary assistance to relatives of foreign tourists who died in the crash.

The crash site is located in an ecologically sensitive mangrove forest area. The authorities will assess the possible environmental damage and plan measures to minimise the negative consequences.