The recent Air India tragedy shook the world. Out of 244 passengers onboard, only one person survived—a miracle amidst unimaginable devastation.
Among those shaken by the news was Thai pop icon Ruangsak “James” Loychusak, who experienced an eerie déjà vu. The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, had been seated in 11A—the exact same seat Ruangsak occupied during his own near-fatal crash in 1998.
“I got goosebumps when I saw it—seat 11A. That was my seat too,” Ruangsak said.
Now 47, the singer was one of the survivors of Thai Airways Flight TG261, which crashed while attempting to land in Surat Thani. The plane plunged into a swamp, killing 101 people and injuring many more. Ruangsak was among the 45 who made it out alive—forever changed.
The emotional connection struck him deeply. He took to social media to share his support and grief for the victims of the Air India crash, and to reflect on his own haunting memories.
“It took me a decade to fly again. I struggled to breathe on planes. I couldn’t speak to anyone. I wouldn’t let anyone close the window—I needed to see the sky.”
The trauma lingered.
“Even now, I remember everything—the sounds, the smells, even the taste of the swamp water. I kept all those feelings bottled up for years.”
The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner was headed for London Gatwick when it crashed shortly after takeoff. The only survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old man from Leicester, miraculously lived through the chaos.
“It felt like the plane was stuck,” Ramesh told reporters. “Then it suddenly split apart. I flew out. There was an explosion. I thought I was dead.”
Thrown clear of the wreckage, Ramesh sustained burns and multiple injuries. He was later seen limping away from the crash site in footage that quickly went viral.
“Bodies were everywhere. My brother was with me… I think he’s gone,” Ramesh shared, struggling through tears. “When I woke up, I unbuckled my seatbelt and ran. I don’t know how I survived.”
According to doctors, he’s now out of danger—but remains in deep emotional shock.
What makes this story even more haunting is the shared detail: seat 11A, next to the emergency door. Both men survived devastating crashes from this same position—one in 1998, the other in 2025. A tragic coincidence, or something more?
“I feel like I was given a second life,” Ruangsak said. “And now, someone else has been too. My heart goes out to all the families. No one should have to go through this.”
As the world mourns the loss of so many lives, stories like these offer a sliver of human resilience—and an unforgettable reminder of how fragile, and miraculous, survival can be.
