Passengers restrain ‘abusive and wild’ man on tourist flight from Thailand to Russia

Tourists leapt into action when the man “swore and attacked” travellers seated near him on the A320 flight from Bangkok in Thailand to Russia.

The man, 26, was punched and finally subdued by fellow passengers who used belts and tape to restrain him.

They acted after the crew could not stop him — and the pilot warned he was ready to make an emergency landing in China or Mongolia.

Video shows the man lying in the aircraft where he was held for four hours until the plane landed in Russia.

The S7 plane was flying 158 people from Bangkok to Russia’s third largest city, Novosibirsk. Witnesses said the abusive passenger had been drinking whisky from a bottle and started “offensive and threatening behaviour” three hours into the seven hour 45 minute flight.

Passenger Pavel Makarov said: “The abuser got more and more wild and finally passengers neutralised him.”

A spokesman for the S7 airline said: “During the rest of the flight he was closely watched by one of the stewards and a doctor — one of the passengers.

“As a result of this incident, there were no delays.”

The man was handed over to police and was charged with hooliganism. It is understood he was later fined.