BANGKOK - A BANGLADESHI airliner made an emergency landing on Tuesday in Bangkok after a man with a fruit knife caused a panic among passengers, Thai aviation officials said.

The pilot of the GMG Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Dhaka asked for an emergency landing at 9.30am (8.30am Singapore time) after a passenger took out the knife, said Chana U-Sathaporn, president of Airports of Thailand.

Aviation authorities directed the plane to land at Bangkok's domestic Don Mueang airport, he added.

'This is not a hijacking or terrorism. The pilot asked for an emergency landing just to be safe,' Mr Chana told a press conference.

Mr Chana earlier said that the passenger, identified as 25-year-old Bangladeshi national Harun Or Rashid Hasan Ali, had been unruly and frightened other passengers.

But police Major General Worrasak Nopsittiporn, commander of the Bangkok precinct that includes the airport, said Hasan Ali had taken out the knife to cut an apple, and had not caused any disturbance.

'He didn't try to harm anyone,' Worrasak said, adding that Thai police would not charge him with a crime.

Hasan Ali was being escorted to Bangkok's international airport, where he would be placed on a flight to Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon, Maj Gen Worrasak said.

The GMG flight, which had about 60 passengers, was grounded for about two hours in Bangkok before resuming its journey to Dhaka.

Aviation officials could not explain how Hasan Ali had gotten onto the plane with a knife. -- AFP