Malaysia confirms debris in Thailand not from MH370

Malaysia confirmed on Tuesday that debris found on the coast of southern Thailand was not from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, laying to rest one question but leaving the fate of the missing airliner still shrouded in mystery.

The discovery of the metal panel on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand on Saturday ignited intense speculation over whether a fresh clue had been found in the MH370 enigma, whose bizarre disappearance continues to haunt the aviation world.

After taking off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing on March 8, 2014 with 239 people on board, the Boeing 777 inexplicably veered off course over the South China Sea — near the Gulf of Thailand — and vanished.

But Malaysia’s transport ministry said a team of experts from the government and Malaysia Airlines had examined the debris in Thailand and confirmed there was no link.

“Based on these identifying details, the team has confirmed the debris does not belong to... MH370,” a ministry statement said.

A Japanese firm had said the metal panel was probably from a rocket it manufactured.