Airline Allows Lifelike Dolls to Have Their Own Seats, Offers Them Meals

The next time you fly, you may have a different sort of seatmate. A Thai airline has outlined procedures for accommodating infant-sized dolls being carried as good luck charms.

A Thai airline is now allowing dolls to have their own seats and be served food and drinks, the Telegraph reported Monday.

These “Look Thep” dolls, which translates to “child’s angels,” are especially lifelike. Look Thep purportedly contain the spirits of child angels and as such are thought to possess special powers. It’s believed that taking good care of them grants a happy fortune. The dolls can cost anywhere from 2,000 to 20,000 baht ($55 to $556).

Look Thep became extremely popular after a number of celebrities praised their benefits. A popular radio DJ, Bookko Thannatchayapan, went public last year about his doll “Wansai,” and the industry success the Look Thep apparently granted him.

The trend has started to cause issues for airline carriers. In a recent internal bulletin, Thai Smile Airways reported that over the past two to three months more than 40 passengers brought dolls on board as hand luggage. When flight attendants asked for the dolls to be stowed under seats or in overhead compartments, the passengers became angry.

The Thai Smile bulletin outlines procedures for handling Look Thep, advising staff to treat them like children. Owners are permitted to purchase seats for the dolls (those without assigned seats are still regarded as carry-on luggage); however, dolls are not allowed to sit in exit rows or seats reserved for those needing special care.

As “passengers,” Look Thep can be served food and drink. The owners are responsible for ensuring their seatbelts are fastened during takeoff, landing and turbulence.

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