Lucky child angels demoted to carry-on luggage

THAILAND’S air safety body has warned passengers that lucky “child angel” dolls cannot be considered real people and must be properly stowed before takeoff and landing.

The clarification from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand this week was in response to a craze sweeping the kingdom, where Thais are pampering dolls believed to contain the spirit of a child, in the hope that it will bring them good luck.

The dolls, which can cost up to $600 (about R9 840), were popularised by celebrities who claimed that dressing and feeding the dolls had brought them professional success.

This week, media outlets ran reports based on a leaked memo from Thai Smile, suggesting that the regional subsidiary of Thai Airways intended offering tickets — and drinks and snacks — to the dolls.

The memo reportedly defined the “angels” as “a doll that is alive”, adding that the figures should be placed in window seats so as not to disturb other passengers and that seat belts should be worn during takeoff and landing.

But in its statement, the aviation authority said dolls were “non-human beings that could not be considered passengers. “Carry-on baggage must be stored inside overhead lockers or under the seat,” it said.

Thai Smile has not denied the leaked memo, but it has not made any formal statement either. — AFP