Bizarre! UK doppelgangers sit together on Bangkok flight; surprisingly share same name, hobbies and friends

A man has forged an enduring friendship after encountering his doppelganger on a flight from London to Bangkok. The duo shares identical hobbies, the same count of children, and astonishingly, even a mutual friend.

Mark Garland, a 58-year-old bus driver hailing from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, arrived to check in at Heathrow Airport only to be informed by staff that he had already done so.

Puzzled airline staff took a whopping 40 minutes to unravel the mystery of two Mark Garlands on the flight.

The two Marks encountered each other in the departure lounge, marveling at their shared name and uncanny resemblance, both sporting shaved heads.

Further coincidences ensued as they found themselves seated side by side on the plane, spending the remainder of the flight engrossed in conversation.

Discovering more shared traits, the two Marks realized they resided just 15 miles apart, shared a mutual friend, and indulged in the same hobbies.

The older Mark, a 62-year-old builder from Warmley in Bristol, even occasionally boarded the younger Mark's bus.

Both single fathers of four, their marital statuses differed; the younger Mark never married, while the older Mark is presently separated.

Their affinity for Thailand emerged as another common thread, with each having visited the country over a dozen times.

Bus driver Mark was quoted as saying, "We were so shocked by how strange it was. We both kept laughing and smiling about it, it made me happy. 'I said 'you have caused me so much problems', and he said 'you have caused me so much problems'. I said, 'look I'm Mark Garland', showing him my passport, and he started laughing and opened his passport and showed me his name, and it was banter."

Builder Mark added, "It was crazy - I have never known anything like it. They said there was another Mark Garland. They came to the bar, and asked to see my passport. I was thinking 'what is going on!' My name was coming out of the antenna, and my phone was going. I thought someone was winding me up. I go to the desk and there's a bloke who looks just like me, but he's a bit bigger than me."

"I'm better looking and older. He's like me, I've got a character and I love winding people up - we're the same. He's actually a nice bloke, I've got to say," he added.

Both bus driver Mark, planning a four-week holiday, and builder Mark, embarking on a three-week vacation, found themselves bound for Thailand when they stumbled upon each other on March 2, aboard an EVA Air flight.

Bus driver Mark recounted how the check-in clerk failed to cross-reference the booking number, inadvertently checking in the other Mark instead, leading to complications upon his later arrival.

"I was stood at the check in counter for 40 minutes whilst they tried to work out the problem. We then had to go to the boarding gate early to identify our cases," he said.

At that moment, they met and "saw the funny side of it," but their laughter reached new heights when they boarded the plane and found themselves seated side by side.

They soon realized their proximity, having crossed paths before and living in close proximity to each other.

"I'm a bus driver, and Mark said he sometimes uses my bus. I just found it astonishing that he was so near - up the road. One of my colleagues knows him and goes for drinks in the pub with him. It's crazy. What are the odds on that? I'm a bit taller but people have said we could be brothers," Mark said.

In addition to their striking resemblance, shared name, and close proximity, both men unearthed a mutual passion for Thailand.

"We both love Thailand' said older Mark. I told him I'd been 13 times and he told me he'd been 83 times," he said.

By the conclusion of the plane journey, the two Mark Garlands had become steadfast friends, with bus driver Mark remarking, "I had a little nap on his shoulder."

They pledged to maintain communication and are scheduled to rendezvous for a beer during their holiday in Thailand.

"I've made a friend for life," said older Mark.