A Thai singer who survived a deadly plane crash in 1998 has revealed a chilling coincidence after learning that the sole survivor of a recent Air India disaster was seated in the exact same seat he once occupied – 11A.
Ruangsak Loychusak, 47, was aboard Thai Airways flight TG261 when it crashed while attempting to land in Surat Thani. The aircraft stalled mid-air and plunged into a swamp, claiming 101 lives out of 146 passengers and crew. Loychusak was among the 45 people who miraculously survived.
Speaking on Thursday, June 12, 2025, after the devastating crash involving an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, the singer expressed shock upon learning that British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, the only survivor of that incident, was also seated in 11A.
"I had goosebumps when I saw it," Loychusak wrote on his Facebook page. "The lone survivor of the plane crash in India was sitting in the same seat number as me—11A. I want to offer my condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the tragedy."
Haunting Memories of Survival
Although he no longer possesses his original boarding pass, Loychusak said contemporary newspaper reports from the 1998 incident documented his seat number. Reflecting on his own survival, he described the long-lasting emotional scars left by the crash, calling the years since a "second life."
"I lived a second life after the crash. For 10 years, I had a hard time flying. My breathing would become difficult even when the air was fine. I didn't talk much on flights and always stared out of the window. I wouldn't let anyone close it, it made me feel unsafe," he said.
The singer added that the experience haunted him physically and emotionally for a long time. "The sound of the crash, the smell of burning, even the taste of the swamp water, I remember it all. I carried it with me in silence for years. If I saw dark clouds or a rainstorm outside, I would feel terrible, like I was in hell."
Air India Disaster Details
The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, en route to London Gatwick, crashed into buildings shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12, 2025. The aircraft exploded in a fireball, killing 243 of the 244 people on board.
The only survivor, Ramesh from Leicester, England, described how he was "ejected" from the jet before it hit the ground and exploded. Ramesh, who lives in London with his wife and child, is being treated at a hospital in Ahmedabad.
According to Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who is treating him, Ramesh sustained multiple injuries but is in stable condition. "He was disoriented and covered in injuries, but he appears to be out of danger," said the doctor.
Survivor's Account
In an interview with Doordarshan, Ramesh recounted his harrowing experience: "I don't know how I came out of it alive. For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive. And I opened my seatbelt and got out of there." He added that two cabin crew members "died before my eyes."
His seat, located beside the emergency exit, detached as the aircraft struck the ground, an occurrence that may have saved his life. He recalled how the pilots tried to raise the jet, but it "went full speed and crashed into the building."
Ramesh explained that the plane quickly caught fire following the crash, burning his arm. Videos taken near the crash site showed him with visible injuries hobbling away from the jet before he was rushed to hospital.
"When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital," he said.
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