Thailand’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister today heaped praise on a British man described as a “hero” of the Phuket plane disaster, as it emerged that he had risked his life to save fellow passengers aboard the burning flight in which 90 people were killed.

Surayud Chulanont, the Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister Nittaya Pibulsonghkram went to see Peter James Hill, 35, at the Bangkok-Phuket Hospital this afternoon to bring him gifts of flowers and fruit after hearing of his heroism in the moments after the plane burst into flames.

Mr Hill, from Manchester, initially did not want to be identified as being on the flight, and has refused all media interviews.
Yet, his heroism was brought to the attention of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister by staff at the private hospital, where some 30 of the survivors are recuperating after the disaster.

It is believed that Mr Hill was sitting in row 24A on the McDonnell-Douglas MD82 aircraft when it crashed and exploded in flames at Phuket International Airport in a tropical storm.

Sitting next to the emergency exit, he forced the door open and dragged up to three fellow passengers to freedom before saving himself.

After presenting Mr Hill with fruit and flowers and after leaving his hospital room, the Foreign Minister said: “He is a hero by the way. I believed he pulled two people out at (his own) risk. He is now doing pretty well, sitting up and smiling.”

Throughout the day Peter had declined all requests for interviews. A hospital spokesman said: “He does not want any fuss.”

Thanks to his actions, passengers in Row 24 of the aircraft were saved. All are believed to have received serious burns in the process.

Mr Hill first dragged out fellow Ashley Harrow who was sitting next to him in Seat 24B. Then he is believed to have dragged out Vladimir and Isabella Freylikhman, an Israeli couple aged 28 and 29.

The only other passenger in Row 24 was Australian Robert Borland, from Perth, a local property developer. Mr Hill missed him in the pitch black of the smoke.

Mr Borland, too, miraculously survived. He said he was dragged out by a “saint in yellow,” a Thai wearing the yellow shirt that millions of his countrymen wear at the beginning of the week to honour their Monarch, King Bhumipol Adulyadej.

The property developer, who lives in Thailand and had just returned from a business trip in Singapore, said he was grateful to be alive.

“The flight was fairly rough from Bangkok. The Captain kept the seat belt light on all the time,” he said.

“Over Phangna Bay and James Bond Island we were flying in and out of the clouds. Occasionally you could see the island in the bay.

“As we approached Phuket airport it seemed we were coming in too fast. I think the pilot decided conditions were not right because he accelerated and pulled up.

“It felt like we were going up but then we hit the ground. Everything went black, pitch black, with smoke. Then there was fire.

“Everybody was screaming. I was sitting in row 24F in the middle of the aircraft next to an emergency exit window.

“I pulled the hatch, but then realised there was an inferno outside, so I pushed it back and fell to the floor.

“I crawled over to the other side where there was another exit at the time I realised my trousers were on fire. I crawled to the exit door but could not raise myself to get out.

“Then the Thai man with a yellow T-shirt dragged me out onto the wing. He was like a saint to me. I slid down to he ground and saw others coming out of the exit.

“Firemen were on the scene almost immediately pumping foam. One took my hand and said I English ’You’ll be okay’. I replied in Thai ’I cannot move. My back is injured.’

“Two other firemen came and dragged me through a drainage ditch where I was picked up and taken to a local hospital where my wounds were cleaned before I was taken here.

“I have a broken and dislocated left arm, burns to both legs, and a very painful back, but I am told I will recover fully.

“At the moment I am feeling okay but I am told the shock may set in later.”

Last night, confusion continued to reign over the number of British victims of flight OG269 as embassy officials were unable to confirm any fatalities despite widespread reports coming from family and friends and the internet.

Quinton Quayle, the British Ambassador who is in Phuket, said the embassy wanted to inform all of the fatalities’ relatives before going public with their names.

“We do fear there are British fatalities. We are continuing to identify the victims we cannot speculate how much longer it will take,” he said.

The Ambassador had earlier called on Mr Hill and Mr Harrow in hospital. However, he said he was unable to comment reports of fatalities other than to say that they were expected.

The crash took place when the One-Two-Go flight was engulfed in smoke and fire after it skidded off the runway and crashed during monsoon rain. At least 90 of the 130 people on board the McDonnell-Douglas MD-82 were killed.

Airport authorities announced that it had re-opened this afternoon after remaining closed last night as wreckage from the crash obstructed its only runway. Despite this, no flights have so far taken off or arrived at its terminal, a spokeswoman said.

At the time of the accident weather conditions were said to be not excessive, but the cyclonic monsoon can bring sudden squalls and winds from unexpected directions.

Theera Haocharoen, the Thai Transport Minister, confirmed that the two black box recorders – giving information about transmissions between the pilot and air traffic controllers – had been recovered and sent off to the US for analysis. “Hopefully, we will learn in a few weeks the cause of accident,” she said.

The accident will raise fresh questions about the safety of South East Asia’s budget airlines, which have burgeoned in the past few years.

About 750,000 British tourists visit Thailand every year and more than 10 per cent take the 90-minute flight from Bangkok to Phuket – the largest and most popular island, which is widely considered to be the pearl of the country because of its rich natural resources. The air route is the country’s busiest from Bangkok.

Yesterday’s crash was the country’s deadliest aviation accident since December 11, 1998, when 101 people were killed as a Thai Airways plane crashed while trying to land in heavy rain at Surat Thani, 330 miles (530km) south of Bangkok.

In a recorded statement, the airline said: “One-Two-Go Airlines is deeply sorry for this accident and we will accept all responsibility for the passengers in this situation. We will do our best for your convenience.”

The airline is the no-frills arm of Orient Thai Airways and started up in December 2003 after the liberalisation of Thailand’s airline sector.

Travel operators said yesterday that, although it is low season, hundreds of Britons are on holiday in Phuket.

Local tourism has only recently recovered from the devastation of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, which hit the western and southern coasts of Phuket. Some 300 people died and 400 buildings were destroyed.

Hotel occupancy dropped 90 per cent within a month of the disaster and was still 40 per cent down a year later.

While most resorts were still 15 per cent below pre-tsunami levels last year, the region managed to regain its reputation as a top destination and bounced back this year. It has enjoyed a surge of British tourists, attracted by its clear blue sky and palm-fringed beaches.

According to the Thai Tourism Authority, Britain has pulled ahead of Germany as Thailand’s most important source of tourists from Europe and is the fourth-largest source of arrivals overall.

Phuket is one of Thailand’s most important regions, accounting for a third of the country’s $8 billion (£398.4 billion) annual tourism revenue and attracting about three million visitors each year. With its beautiful beaches, exotic food and friendly local residents, the southern resort has long been a mecca for British tourists — in particular gap-year students backpacking around Thailand. There are 27 direct flights every week between Bangkok and London.

The Foreign Office has set up an inquiry line for concerned families, which can be reached on 020-7008 0000.

Troubled history

— The plane that crashed in Thailand was an old type of aircraft, the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series

— The MD-80 has two jet engines and carries 172 passengers; 1,194 were built before production ended in 1999

— According to the Aviation Safety Network, there have been 949 fatalities from 22 occurrences categorised as “hull-loss” incidents — meaning that the aircraft has been damaged beyond repair — since its first flight in 1979

— In August 2005 all 152 passengers and eight crew died when their West Caribbean Airways aircraft crashed near Machiques, Venezuela

— In May 2002 all 103 passengers and nine crew aboard a domestic China Northern flight died when the plane crashed into the sea near Dalian; the pilot had reported a fire in the cabin

— In August 1987 154 passengers and two ground staff died at Wayne County Airport in Detroit when a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 aircraft flown by the carrier Northwest slid along a road, hit a railroad embankment and burst into flames during take-off