Davis, who is using a wheelchair and has visible facial injuries, told them that he knew Birtles and wished to buy him a cup of tea or coffee. This request was emphatically rejected.
Birtles suggested it was his shout for coffee anyway and handed money to the stunned cashier. Staff then snatched the money from the cashier’s hand.
The interior of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 after the emergency landing at Bangkok Airport.Credit: Reuters
Soon after, they commandeered Davis’ wheelchair and rushed him towards the elevator as he attempted to speak into reporters’ microphones. He accepted the business card of a Wall Street Journal reporter, but this, too, was ripped away.
The staff in question, who identified as being from the hospital, said they had been ordered to stop patients from speaking to the media.
Before the apparent lockdown policy, most passengers who have shared their experiences – mostly on the condition of anonymity – have been complimentary of the airline and the hospital.
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It was this glowing endorsement of Singapore Airlines that prompted Davis’ attempt to speak out.
Media from all over the world have converged on the Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, which is treating most of the injured from the flight. Though all interactions with patients witnessed by this masthead have been respectful, the sheer number of cameras and microphones in the designated public area could be taken by some as threatening.
Three Australians remain in intensive care. A further nine are in other wards.
When informed of the incident on Thursday, a hospital spokesman expressed concern but said staff were there to protect patients’ welfare. He said he would investigate, adding that no order came from Singapore Airlines. In a later press conference, hospital director Dr Adinun Kittiratanapaibool apologised and said the officials had good intentions.
A Singapore Airlines customer care representative dedicated to Davis’ case landed in Bangkok on Thursday.
“Singapore Airlines apologises to Mr Keith Davis and his wife, and is providing them with the necessary support and assistance they need during this difficult time,” a spokesperson said late on Thursday. The airline had also organised travel to Bangkok for the couple’s family.
Its task has been complicated by privacy restrictions, injuries and the number of patients in multiple Bangkok hospitals. Senior leadership is due to visit Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital tomorrow.
Davis, a coffee man, never did get his long-black and was forced to settle for a cappuccino.