When Ruangsak Loychusak heard about the Air India crash that left just one survivor, something hit him harder than the headlines. The Thai singer and actor, who survived a deadly plane crash in 1998, found out the lone man who made it out alive had been sitting in the exact same seat he once did- 11A.
“I was stunned,” the 47-year-old told reporters, after learning that 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh had survived Thursday’s tragedy from seat 11A. “That’s where I sat too. I want to offer my condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the tragedy.”
The Same Seat, Different Crashes
On June 12, Air India Flight AI171 crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, headed for London Gatwick, fell from about 625 feet and slammed into buildings near the airport. The accident killed 241 of the 242 people onboard, along with eight others on the ground, including four medical students.
Thai singer “James" Ruangsak Loychusak posted on social media about Thursday's plane crash in India, where there was only one survivor. What caught his attention was a strange coincidence: the survivor was seated in 11A – the exact same seat James was in when he miraculously… pic.twitter.com/DmE0lcfDjs
— Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) June 13, 2025
Ramesh, the sole survivor, managed to crawl out from the wreckage and reach help. Speaking from his hospital bed in Ahmedabad, he told Hindustan Times, “Thirty seconds after takeoff there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.” In another interview with DD News, he recalled unbuckling himself from seat 11A and pushing through debris using his leg.
“I still can’t believe how I survived, I walked out of the rubble,” Ramesh said, his voice shaking as he described the chaos around him. “I saw people dying in front of my eyes.”
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For Loychusak, the coincidence brought back the trauma of Thai Airways Flight 261, which crashed in December 1998 during an attempted landing in southern Thailand. His aircraft stalled and plunged into a swamp, killing 101 people. “For ten years after that, flying was hard,” he admitted. “I avoided speaking to anyone. I stared out the window just to feel safe.”
As India continues to investigate the latest crash, including the chilling mayday call– “no thrust, losing power, unable to lift”– stories like Ramesh’s survival and Loychusak’s painful memory serve as reminders of the fragile line between life and loss. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the event “devastating” and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
