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Thai mother alleges in-flight sexual assault on Dubai-to-Bangkok flydubai flight

A Thai woman says a fellow passenger groped her during a flydubai flight from Dubai to Bangkok, leading to police action.

Beaut Pimpaporn, a 33-year-old Thai traveler returning from Milan, claimed a fellow passenger on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Bangkok touched her inappropriately while she and her four-year-old daughter slept. She said the man covered his hand with his jacket and pretended to adjust the seat-back screen before later admitting the act after being questioned by an Arabic-speaking flight attendant. The attendant warned that police would be involved, and after landing tourist police and immigration officers removed the suspect from the aircraft.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Chamnanyut Konkong announced the man has been denied entry to Thailand and that mediation between the parties will be attempted, though no formal investigation or charges have begun. The airline declined to provide passenger details, emphasizing passenger safety. Pimpaporn said she is speaking out to alert other women to the vulnerability of solo travelers.

Why it matters

The case underscores safety concerns for female travelers and the difficulty of handling sexual misconduct on airplanes.

In this story

sexual assaultairlineflydubaiThailandDubaiBangkokmediationsolo female travelerspolice