Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Thai Singer James Ruangsak Loychusak Who Survived Thai Airways Flight TG261 Crash in 1998 Reveals Chilling Coincidence With Air India Crash Survivor Ramesh Viswashkumar

Mumbai, June 14: In the wake of the Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, Thai singer James Ruangsak Loychusak recalled his story of surviving the Thai Airways plane crash of 1998. Loychusak, who is now 47, was one of the survivors of the 1998 Thai Airways plane crash that killed 101 people. While recalling the incident, the Thai star also revealed an uncanny coincidence with the Air India flight, which crashed on June 12 in Gujarat. Notably, James Ruangsak Loychusak was seated in seat 11A, the same seat where Ramesh Viswashkumar (Vishwas Kumar Ramesh), the sole survivor of Air India's AI 171 crash, was sitting.

In a Facebook post, Loychusak said, "The lone survivor of the plane crash in India was sitting in the same seat number as me, 11A. Goosebumps. My condolences to all those who lost". The Thai star said that the plane crash incident left a deep trauma. He also said that for 10 years, he feared flying and avoided people and revealed that he got anxious about seeing clouds. Although Loychusak does not have his old boarding pass, newspaper reports have confirmed his seat number. Notable Sole Survivors of Plane Crashes: Youngest, Oldest and World’s Deadliest Air Disaster With a Sole Survivor!

Thai Singer Reveals Coincidence With Air India Crash Survivor Ramesh Viswashkumar

James Ruangsak Loychusak Reveals Coincidence With Air India Flight AI17 Crash Survivor

Speaking to MailOnline, Loychusak said, "I avoided speaking to anyone and always stared outside the window, blocking anyone from closing it to maintain my sense of safety. If I saw dark clouds or a rainstorm outside, I would feel terrible, like I was in hell." The 47-year-old singer further said that he can still remember the sounds, smells, and even the taste of the water in the swamp the Thai Airways plane crashed into. "For a long time, I would keep the feelings to myself," he added.

James Ruangsak Loychusak Shares Another Post About Him Surviving Thai Airways Crash

It must be recalled that James Ruangsak Loychusak was onboard the Thai Airways flight TG261 when the plane crashed into a swamp while landing at Surat Thani airport. Notably, Thai Airways flight TG261 was carrying 132 passengers and 14 crew members. The deadly plane crash resulted in the death of 101 people, with only 45 people surviving the accident. Loychusak was one of the 45 survivors.

The captain of the Thai Airways flight TG261, Pinit Vechasilp, had 10,167 flight hours, while the first officer, Saen Chalermsaenyakorn, had 2,839 flight hours. Meanwhile, Ramesh Viswashkumar, the lone survivor of the Ahmedabad plane crash, said that he still cannot believe how he miraculously survived the accident of the ill-fated London-bound flight. Ramesh, who is a British citizen, said he felt the aircraft had stalled within seconds of taking off from Ahmedabad on its nine-hour journey to London's Gatwick Airport, and that green and white lights came on. ‘I Can’t Believe I Survived’, Says Lone Survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh of Air India Plane Crash in Emotional Meeting With PM Narendra Modi (Watch Videos).

What a Lucky Guy ViswashKumar Ramesh Is, Says X User

"In front of my eyes, air hostess and aunties and uncles had perished. Within a minute, it felt that the plane had stalled. Green and white lights were on. It looked that they were giving 'race' to the plane to give more thrust and the plane crashed into a building," Ramesh said, recalling the incident. It is worth noting that seat 11A is one of six seats in the first row of the economy class on Air India's B787-8 aircraft. It is a window seat located near an emergency exit and adjacent to the aircraft's galley.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2025 02:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).