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Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
National

Chiang Rai airport to close until Wednesday

Rescuers and medics help passengers leave a Nok Air plane after it slid off a runway at Mae Fah Luang airport in Chiang Rai on Saturday. (Photo from Warangkhana Wongchai Facebook account)

Chiang Rai airport will remain closed until Wednesday after a Nok Air plane slid off the runway while landing in heavy rain on Saturday night.

While landing, the plane slid off the runway because of the heavy rain but the pilots managed to safely bring the aircraft to a halt. Nobody was injured.

The Mae Fah Luang airport will be closed until Wednesday in order to complete an investigation of the incident and clear the runway area.

According to the announcement from Nok Air, the company took good care of the passengers by providing them with snacks and drinks while waiting for their luggage.

However, some of the passengers posted comments on Facebook, saying that they were not provided with any refreshments.

Passengers also criticised Nok Air for failing to take care of passengers with outgoing flights after other airlines arranged buses to take their customers to the airport in Chiang Mai.

A Facebook user said after the incident, crew members kept most passengers in the aircraft for about an hour, allowing fewer than 20 to leave. The rest were eventually permitted to disembark only after complaining they found it difficult to breathe in the cabin, she said.

"I understand that nobody expects accidents to happen. But the evacuation plan was terrible and very, very slow," she said.

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