Seat 11A: Thai singer and plane crash survivor James Loychusak sat in same seat as Air India miracle man
A popular Thai singer has revealed an eerie coincidence between his survival of a 1998 plane crash and that of the only person to emerge alive from last week’s Air India crash.
Both were in the same seat — 11A.
James Ruangsak Loychusak was on Thai Airways flight TG261 flying from Bangkok to India in December, 1998 when the Airbus A310-200 stalled during its third attempt to land amid heavy rain and low visibility.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The plane crashed three kilometres from Surat Thani International Airport, exploding into flames, killing 101 of the 146 people on board.
Mr Loychusak survived but was badly injured in the crash, suffering spinal trauma, fractured ribs and brain hemorrhaging, he told The Telegraph India.
“That was an uncanny coincidence. The kind that gives you goosebumps,” he said.
As one of his country’s most famous singers his long road to recovery was followed closely by local media.
The terrifying incident left Mr Loychusak not just physically scarred but also mentally.
For years after he would sweat and shake whenever he had to fly.
When he heard about the Air India disaster in which 241 passengers and crew and 29 people on the ground lost their lives, Mr Loychusak was shocked to discover there was a striking similarity between his experience and that of sole survivor British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh.
Mr Ramesh was in seat 11A, row five, just behind business class, next to an emergency exit.
On Friday, Mr Ramesh told reporters he was able to push open the emergency exit door before the plane exploded.
“Survivor of a plane crash in India. He sat in the same seat as me. 11A,” Mr Loychusak, who once filled stadiums and for a time after his own crash became a Buddhist monk, later posted to Facebook.
Asked about whether seat 11A held special significance, Mr Loychusak was guarded.
“If I answer as a man of science, it’s just chance. But spiritually... maybe it’s a blessing. I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to say too much though — people might rush to book that seat!” he said.
As a survivor himself, Mr Loychusak had some advice for Mr Ramesh.
“I’d tell him something a wise man once told me: Those above have already chosen. So live your life doing only good, and find joy in every single day you’re given.”
