Man who survived 1998 plane crash reacts after Air India survivor sat in same seat

A Thai singer who survived a deadly plane crash in 1998 has spoken out after learning that the only 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, which had departed from Bangkok, 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 at the coincidence after learning that the only survivor of that incident, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, was also seated in 11A.

Thai singer who was aboard Thai Airways flight TG261 and survived a deadly plane crash in 1998 that claimed 101 lives. Credit: Facebook | Ruangsak James Loychusak

Taking to his Facebook page, he wrote, “I had goosebumps when I saw it.
“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.”

Although he no longer possesses his original boarding pass, Loychusak said contemporary newspaper reports from the 1998 incident documented his seat numbe

According foreign news outlet, BangkokPost, on Thursday, Loychusak reflecting on his own survival, 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

Ruangsak James Loychusak

“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.

He 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.

“I can still remember the sounds, smells, and even the taste of the water in the swamp the plane crashed into. For a long time, I would keep the feelings to myself,” he added

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, sharing his shocking account of the disaster, 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 the northwestern city of Ahmedabad, where he told doctors that immediately after the plane took off, it began descending and suddenly split in two, ejecting him before there was a loud explosion.

According to Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who is treating him at a hospital in Ahmedabad, 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.

In an interview with Doordarshan, Ramesh said, “I don’t know how I came out of it alive.

Videos taken near the crash site showed Ramesh with visible injuries hobbling away from the jet before he was rushed to hospital for treatment.

“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.