More than 20 Chinese fans were denied boarding a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Beijing after they breached the jet bridge checkpoint in order to follow two celebrities on board.

The incident which took place on July 29, 2026, at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, involved a number of Chinese nationals who were following two actors, Ayden Sng and Lv Sitong. The pair are part of a popular Chinese web drama series called Double Helix.

Following a Double Helix fan meeting in Bangkok held on July 26, a number of fans were taking part in what is referred to as “flight chasing” where they would also fly home with the two actors to get a chance to further interact with the stars and get autographs and photos.

The incident started at the airport’s lounge where the fans followed them into the lounge without authorization. According to airport officials, security personnel were called to have the unauthorized entrants removed. However, they were simply ejected back into the main terminal area, which is quite surprising, given that these actions alone could land travelers in serious hot water in other parts of the world.

The drama did not stop there. While the pair pre-boarded Thai Airways flight TG674, 22 Chinese fans rushed past the ticket verification checkpoint and refused to cooperate with the gate agents. They forced their way down the jet bridge in order to board the aircraft right behind the actors. Ground personnel near the Thai Airbus A321neo were forced to temporarily close the door to prevent the unruly fans from boarding the aircraft.

The 22 fans were escorted back to the terminal and were subsequently denied boarding by Thai Airways staff. According to the airport officials, they said:

“The airline determined that allowing the group to travel could lead to further disruption on board, potentially jeopardizing the safety and orderly operation of the flight. Consequently, the departure was delayed.”

While 12 of the 22 conceded and agreed to have their bags removed from the aircraft, the remaining 10 refused, getting into physical altercations with security officials, and were later handed over to local authorities.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end as a Suvarnabhumi Airport security member was seen pulling the corners of their eyes during the dispute, an action which is widely considered racist within Asian culture. The incident which has gone viral across social media was later address in an August 5th post, where the airport apologized for the officer’s actions, saying:

“Suvarnabhumi Airport Apologizes for Inappropriate Conduct by Security Officers During Response to Disorderly Passengers, Confirms Disciplinary Action.

“Following the circulation of a video on social media regarding the conduct of security personnel at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), the airport confirms that disciplinary action has been taken against the personnel involved and sincerely apologizes for the incident.”

I have to say this is quite a bizarre incident. I’m not sure if this comes down to culture (and I’d like if anyone with more insight could let me know in the comments), but it’s strange that this fan group managed to get away scot-free after their incident at the airport lounge. I would have assumed they would have been taken away by local authorities long before they could even board their flight.  

Even after being turned away at the jet bridge, the fans were still given an opportunity to peacefully leave, a situation that would have definitely involved local authorities intervening had it happened elsewhere.

The flight which was scheduled to depart at 11:50 p.m. departed at 1:06 a.m. the next morning.

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