Union wins agreement to “tone down” offensive Thai airline soap

24 January 2008

The programme makers of a new Thai soap opera have agreed to “tame” the show’s more offensive elements after an aviation union complained about its negative depiction of cabin crew.

The ITF-affilated Thai Airways International Union filed a complaint on Tuesday with the Thai government’s culture ministry, claiming the programme tarnished the reputation of cabin crew staff. The show, which premiered on local TV Channel 5 last week, features the lurid sexual exploits of cabin crew, including jealous brawls in the plane aisles, love triangles and secret assignations.

Representatives of Exact Company Ltd, producers of “The air hostess war,” said that they regretted offending anyone, and agreed to tame some of the show’s most excessive elements.

The union claimed that the soap opera was insulting and damaging to the reputation of flight attendants. “It’s all about sex and air hostesses beating each other up in the cabin because of love and jealousy. This kind of thing never happens,” said one flight attendant.

Liz Williamson, ITF Assistant Civil Aviation Secretary, commented: “Cabin crews fulfil first and foremost a health and safety role; in the event of any emergency their prime responsibility is to get passengers off the aircraft. As security provisions now require flight crew to be locked into the flight deck, cabin crew are the only personnel who can deal with passenger safety during the flight.”

The union plans to monitor the company’s actions to ensure it does indeed take the steps it claims it will. Representatives are also joining discussions at the culture ministry on Friday as part of efforts to help establish a social standard preventing other television producers from similarly demeaning the cabin crew profession.

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