Flight-tracking platform sees traffic soar

Thais flocked to Flightradar24 earlier this month to track the flight movements of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra

- SUCHIT LEESA-NGUANSUK.

The popular global flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 experienced a sudden surge among Thai viewers earlier this month, fuelled by interest from people eager to track the flight movements of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra during his private jet flight to Dubai on Sept 4 and eventual return to Thailand on Sept 8.

His departure was days before a court ruling on Sept 9 on his extended hospital stay case. The departure also took place hours before lawmakers picked a rival as the country’s new prime minister.

According to media reports, on Sept 4 Thaksin travelled to Singapore for a medical examination and promised to return to Thailand to hear the court ruling on Sept 9, dismissing speculation that he intended to flee the country.

Tens of thousands of users logged on to the Flightradar24 platform to follow in real time every turn of his Bombardier Global 7500 jet.

According to a Flightradar24 post on X on Sept 4, it was the most-tracked flight — the Bombardier Global 7500 that took off from Bangkok and was originally headed to Singapore changed course and was flying northwest over India.

During the flight, viewers learned it was diverted to Dubai.

Thaksin said last Thursday via social media that an immigration delay in Bangkok forced him to head for Dubai instead of Singapore on Thursday night. Thaksin wrote that he earlier intended to visit Singapore for a checkup with a doctor who had treated him before.

The frenzy surged again on Sept 8, as more than 33,000 people tracked his jet’s landing in Bangkok.