Philippine Airlines (PAL), on July 31, denied reports that a homeless man found injured in Bangkok is one of its pilots, saying that the captain identified in the stories remains on active duty.
The airline issued a statement after Thai media and social media posts claimed the man, who was found beneath the BTS Phloen Chit station, was a former PAL pilot who had fallen on hard times.
“The information is false. Captain Larry Malpaya remains an active pilot with PAL and is not the individual referred to or shown in the reports,” the airline said.
Philippines News Agency reported that PAL had asked Thai PBS World to immediately correct its report and related social media posts to prevent the misinformation from spreading further.
The man was later taken to hospital by the Mirror Foundation, a Thai non-governmental organisation working on a range of social issues.
In a Facebook post on July 31, the organisation said it coordinated with police to have him admitted after observing that he required urgent medical treatment and further assistance.
According to the foundation, the man is now under medical care. Once his condition improves, officials will work to establish his identity, nationality and family details before coordinating with the relevant agencies.
The Mirror Foundation also urged the public to focus less on speculation about the man’s identity and more on why someone in visibly poor health was not able to receive medical treatment from the time he was first found, despite remaining on the streets for more than a week.
In similar news, a Facebook user claimed a veteran who fought at Khao Kho was found homeless in Nakhon Ratchasima after returning from years of combat without a pension or a veterans’ card.
The story Philippine Airlines denies reports homeless Bangkok man is former captain as seen on Thaiger News.
