HAT YAI, SONGKHLA - Police charged a civil servant for allegedly making a bomb remark that delayed a domestic flight on Sunday. She was released on bail and denied making the explosive threat.
Waewwadee Phuttaraksa, 28, who works at Department of Agricultural Extension in Chon Buri, and five of her colleagues were taken to the Khlong Hoi Kong police station for questioning on Saturday after flight attendants of Thai Lion Air Flight SL703 reportedly heard the group talk among themselves that there was a bomb in the plane's luggage compartment.
The flight departed for Don Mueang from Hat Yai airport in Songkhla province at 12.30pm after a delay of about two and a half hours after the incident.
Pol Col Saksit Meesang, chief of Khlong Hoi Kong station, said on Monday that police investigators charged Ms Waewwadee with committing an act that causes disorder inside an aircraft. The offence carried a maximum 10-year prison term and a maximum 200,000-baht fine.
Ms Waewwadee denied the charge and the police allowed her bail on a 100,000-baht surety on late Sunday. Her colleagues were being treated as witnesses and were freed on the same day.
The six civil officials came to attend a funeral in Songkhla’s Sathing Phra district.
Police would submit their investigation report to the prosecutors within three months, Pol Col Saksit said.
Ms Waewwadee was accused of uttering ra-berd (bomb) after other passengers were already seated and the plane was about to move to the runway, according to a police blotter. Flight crew claimed they heard the word clearly as the cabin was quiet at that time.