Thai Airways Investigating After Dog's Death On Shanghai Flight

Thai Airways

IATA/ICAO Code:

TG/THA

Airline Type:

Full Service Carrier

Hub(s):

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Year Founded:

1960

Alliance:

Star Alliance

CEO:

Suvadhana Sibunruang

Country:

Thailand

Thai Airways has launched an investigation after a Thai-Chinese celebrity's dog died onboard one of its flights. Singer Promwilai "Mimi Lee" Leesiriroj's Pomeranian dog, Melody, died on a cargo flight from Bangkok to Shanghai.

Thai-Chinese singer blasts Thai Airways

Pop star Promwilai "Mimi Lee" Leesiriroj, also known as Li Ziting in China, took to social media to demand answers after her pet dog died onboard a Thai Airways flight.

The singer's dog, Melody, took a cargo flight from Bangkok to Shanghai on June 24th. Custom officials at Shanghai Airport claimed the pet was dead when it was handed to them.

The small dog died during a four-hour flight from Bangkok to Shanghai. Photo: Getty Images

Promwilai claims she tried and failed to contact Thai Airways representatives in both Thailand and China after the incident. She had not seen her dog for around two years before her parents in Thailand sent Melody on a flight to Shanghai.

On her Weibo account, Promwilai said,

"Since last night, I had been looking forward to seeing her again after two years. I went to the airport early today, waiting for customs clearance so I can welcome her. When the personnel received her, they found the dog already dead. I was shaking in shock, what happened to my dog?."

Fans of the pop star took to the internet to condemn Thai Airways, and #JusticeForMimi trended on Thai Twitter.

Promwilai claims she got in touch with a China Eastern official who speculated that high temperatures were the cause of death. However, according to Coconuts Bangkok, the singer has since claimed that her dog died of suffocation.

Thai Airways releases statement

Since Promwilai posted on her Weibo account, Thai Airways has released a statement saying it has launched an investigation into the dog's death.

Thai Airways said,

"The pet dog boarded a cargo flight from Thailand to Shanghai on Friday, June 24. At our airline, we value and love all animals. We are now investigating with the transport department and will explain the truth to everyone as soon as possible."

The flight time between Bangkok and Shanghai is around 4 hours, which is short enough to make dehydration unlikely.

However, Promwilai noted that her pet had been subjected to lengthy disease prevention measures before eventually boarding her flight, so this shouldn't be ruled out.

Discover more aviation news with Simple Flying.

Similar incidents

While the overwhelming majority of animals shipped by air make it safely to their destination, a few unfortunate cases result in deaths.

In one notable incident in March 2018, a 10-month-old dog onboard a United Airlines flight died after flight attendants forced the owners to store the pet in an overhead bin.

Pets can travel as cabin baggage or in the hold. Photo: Getty Images

Simple Flying took an in-depth look at how traveling with pets works earlier this year, noting that many variables are at play, such as pet size and animal type.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises that "dogs must not be exposed to air temperatures above 85 °F (29.5 °C) or below 45 °F (7.2 °C) for a period of more than 4 hours."

Have you ever shipped an animal via cargo flight? Let us know your stories in the comments.

Source: Coconuts Bangkok