TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Given the anxiety in Taiwan about a possible return of a controversial American passenger in May, EVA Air announced today that the passenger had recently died in Thailand.

EVA Air said that the man had died in early March of this year in Ko Samui, Thailand, reported Apple Daily. The cause of death was listed as "an illness" and the airline is now working on refunding his family members for the cost of his unused ticket for May.

On Jan. 19, an American man who is estimated to weigh 200 kilograms, boarded an EVA Air flight by wheelchair and insisted that a female flight attendant help him lower his underwear and wipe his buttocks while sitting on a toilet. The flight attendant was deeply traumatized by the incident and shared her frustrations about the episode on Facebook, before speaking to the press on Jan. 21.

During the press conference on Jan. 21, the flight attendant said that at about two and a half hours into a 14 hour flight, the passenger said he needed to use the restroom. He told her that he had recently had surgery on his right hand and asked her if she could help him stand up after relieving himself.

One minute after three female flight attendants assisted him in entering the business-class restroom, he said his underwear had only been pulled down halfway and he had no way of going to the bathroom. He then asked the flight attendant if she could help lower his underwear.

She initially refused, but he insisted that he was only able to pull down the front of his underwear and would soon soil himself. She placed a blanket to cover his genitals, but he slapped her hand and demanded that she take away the blanket and pull his underwear down.

When the flight attendant described pulling down his underwear, she began to cry. After finishing defecating, he told the flight attendant open the door because he said he had trouble breathing, but she refused.

He then said that he was finished and asked the flight attendant to wipe his buttocks. She refused, but he insisted that she had promised to do so and refused to leave until someone did.

With nearly 12 hours left in the flight, she then put on gloves and reluctantly helped him clean his backside. During this process she said he moaned, "Oh um, deeper, deeper."

He continued to insist she repeat the wiping. He then told her to pull his underwear back on and she felt she had no recourse but to comply.

On Jan. 26, it was reported that despite the traumatic episode, the repugnant rider was able to book yet another ticket on EVA Air for May, horrifying the airline's flight attendants. Later that day, an EVA employee, who spoke to SETN on condition of anonymity, revealed that the man indeed was on the blacklist.

EVA Air later notified the man's attorney that it would not be taking him as a passenger. After an apparent followup with the man's legal counsel, the airline was informed of his death.