Thai singer and actor James Ruangsak Loychusak was deeply shocked to learn that the only survivor of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad was seated in 11A — the exact same seat he was in when he survived a plane crash 27 years ago.
Ruangsak was travelling on Thai Airways flight TG261 back in December 1998, when the plane crashed while trying to land in southern Thailand.
The crash, which claimed 101 lives, left James Ruangsak Loychusak as one of the few survivors—seated in 11A. Deeply affected by the tragedy, he has previously spoken about the trauma he endured and how it kept him away from flying for nearly a decade.
When news emerged that Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British-Indian man, was the sole survivor of the recent Air India AI171 crash—and that he too was seated in 11A—Ruangsak couldn’t help but take notice of the eerie coincidence.
Ramesh too had been seated in 11A. In a Facebook post, Ruangsak wrote, “Survivor of a plane crash in India. He sat in the same seat as me. 11A.”
In another message, he added: “Goosebumps. My condolences to all those who lost.”
The Air India Dreamliner, which crashed while approaching Ahmedabad airport, had 242 people on board.
Ramesh, who was thrown from the aircraft, managed to walk to a nearby ambulance despite serious injuries. Doctors said he was disoriented and in pain but stable.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ramesh at the hospital on Friday.
The coincidence of both survivors sitting in the same seat has caught widespread attention online, with many calling it unreal and eerie. Ruangsak’s quiet reflection has struck a chord with those who have survived similar tragedies.
George Lamson Jr., who was the only survivor of a 1985 plane crash in Nevada, wrote on social media that news of the crash in India shook him. He said such moments never fully leave those who live through them.
In the past, Ruangsak had described his own experience as life-changing. At the time of the Thai Airways crash, he was travelling for a performance.
He said the moment the plane went down left lasting emotional scars. Learning about another man in another country, surviving a different crash from the same seat, brought back those memories in a way few could understand.
The investigation into the cause of the Air India crash is ongoing. For now, the number 11A has become an unlikely symbol of survival in two tragedies nearly three decades apart.
In a bizarre twist, a travel blog posted merely two days before the Ahmedabad crash had advised travellers to steer clear of seat 11A altogether.
Highlighting issues such as “the absence of a proper window, cramped space over the wing, and delayed service,” the article titled “Why You Should Avoid Seat 11A on Your Next Flight” described it as one of the most uncomfortable seats on an aircraft.
The post, originally shared with a light-hearted tone and focus on comfort, now feels oddly placed—especially in light of the chilling coincidence of two men surviving deadly plane crashes while seated in that exact same seat number.