'Felt like home': PM Lawrence Wong receives cheers as he boards Scoot flight from Laos to Singapore

Economy class with extra legroom — that's how Prime Minister Lawrence Wong flew back to Singapore from Vientiane, Laos.

The 51-year-old was attending the 44th and 45th Asean Summits and Related Summits hosted in the city earlier this week before flying back Saturday (Oct 12) on a Scoot flight.

Footage by CNA, shared on social media, shows a fellow passenger on the flight taking a video of PM Wong as he boards the plane, with the cabin erupting into cheers. He waves back with a smile before sitting down at a front row seat.

Commenters said that PM Wong seemed "humble", "down to earth" and was an "incredible example" in taking the low-cost carrier.

A search by AsiaOne shows one-way tickets from Vientiane to Singapore on Scoot going for as low as $197, though selecting their front row 'stretch seats' cost extra.

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PM Wong shared his point of view in a Facebook post captioned: "Back from Laos. Felt like home, once I got on the plane! Thanks everyone for the warm reception!"

In an accompanying video, a group of elderly passengers — whom CNA identified to be more than 40 Singaporeans returning home from a tour in Laos — can be seen clapping and waving.

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PM Wong was in Vientiane from Oct 9 to 12 in conjunction with the Summits. This was the first Asean Summit he had attended in his capacity as prime minister.

His visit also coincided with 50 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Laos.

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drimac@asiaone.com