Todd Salimuchai

Todd Salimuchai (born c. 1970) is a self-described Thai or Burmese former opium poppy farmer, best known as the only man to ever attempt an aircraft hijacking at the Hong Kong International Airport.

Early life Like many members of tribal peoples in border areas of Southeast Asia, Salimuchai has no identity documents attesting to his birth date or place of origin, making him effectively stateless. Any information about his early life comes only from his own statements. He says he is a Lisu tribesman from a 200-person village called Hazen in the Golden Triangle on the border of Thailand and Myanmar. His native language is Lisu; he learned some English as a young man from American soldiers and other travelling expatriates as a child. He also says he learned how to fly small helicopters. Though he claims not to have used drugs himself, his village was heavily involved in the drug trade, growing poppies for sale to a Hong Kong drug lord who would come with payment once every year. That place turned out to be mainland China; in early 2000, he was placed on a bus with mainland immigration offenders and sent to Shenzhen, told by police officers that he was going home. However, he saw that the helicopters were far away and much larger than the ones he knew how to fly. After a two-hour siege, Salimuchai surrendered to police. Salimuchai was sent to Tsuen Wan District Court.

Post-release Salimuchai's troubles did not end with his release from prison. The Immigration Department took his fingerprints and tried to verify his identity with various countries in order to arrange for his deportation, but failed. 17 countries refused him entry as an asylum-seeker, mainly due to his criminal record. He furthermore applied for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance from the Labour and Welfare Bureau, but was rejected as he was not a Hong Kong resident. He also sought to overturn the prohibition against employment that had been imposed on him.