BANGKOK, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Thai air force's C-130 transport plane carrying Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha returned to Bangkok's air field on Thursday due to an engine trouble, according to local media.

One of the four turboprop engines of the C-130 plane was found to have a malfunction after it took off from the air force's Air Wing 6 in Don Mueang area of Bangkok for about 45 minutes Thursday morning, which forced the pilots to return to base.

The air force's plane was headed to Koh Samui island where the prime minister and several cabinet ministers were scheduled to visit.

After a safe return to the air base, the officials boarded the army's CN-295 twin-turboprop transport plane to Thailand's southern Surat Thani province instead.

The incident delayed the PM's arrival one hour and a half.