AeroMorning — John Smith October 4, 2026
On October 2, 2026, Thai Airways International’s Board held a special meeting and suspended CEO Chai Eamsiri from his duties pending a fact-finding investigation and a review of the airline’s crisis-management procedures. The measure is temporary and is intended to examine potential shortcomings, gaps or errors in the handling of the late-September flood disruption and its impact on operations and the company’s image.
Eamsiri said the Board had not given him a specific reason beyond its intention to examine the airline’s crisis response. Board member Samrit Samniang was appointed acting CEO with effect from October 2, 2026b according to Thai Airways’ official investor-relations announcement on October 2, 2026 and its regulatory notification to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) on October 2, 2026.
The intervention comes only weeks after Thai Airways completed its long-running financial restructuring and resumed trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).
Suvarnabhumi Airport Operational Disruption
While Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thai Airways’ main hub, remained open, severe flooding around Bangkok prevented a significant portion of the airline’s ground-handling staff from reaching work. The disruption was compounded by baggage-handling equipment problems.
Baggage backlog: Thousands of bags accumulated following delayed and cancelled flights. By September 30, more than 10,000 bags had accumulated between September 26 and 29. After approximately 1,800 bags had been returned to passengers, around 8,000 remained outstanding. At that point, 80–90% of the airline’s ground staff had returned to work.
Thailand’s Transport Ministry subsequently reported that Suvarnabhumi had returned to normal operating conditions by October 3, although Thai Airways was still clearing its residual baggage backlog. The Nation reported on October 4 that 1,092 bags remained to be cleared.
Government assistance: 131 Thai military personnel were deployed to support baggage movement, passenger assistance and other ground activities.
Schedule impact: Thai Airways cancelled multiple flights and reduced daily operations to align its schedule with available ground-handling resources.
Cargo Operations Suspension
Thai Airways suspended inbound and outbound cargo operations from September 30 through October 6, citing the impact of the flooding and difficulties caused by employee attendance.
The suspension added further pressure to the airline’s recovery operation at Suvarnabhumi, although the airport’s cargo terminal itself remained open.
Crisis Management & Next Steps
Although the flooding was an external weather event, the board’s investigation will examine the airline’s preparedness, contingency arrangements, ground-handling resilience and coordination during the disruption, particularly as operational problems continued after the immediate effects of the flooding began to ease.
Under acting CEO Samrit Samniang, the immediate priorities are operational stabilisation and the restoration of passenger confidence while the fact-finding process determines whether changes to Thai Airways’ crisis-management procedures are required.
Sources
- Thai Airways International Investor Relations, October 2, 2026: Appointment of Acting Chief Executive Officer.
- Thai Airways International regulatory notification to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, October 2, 2026: CEO suspension and appointment of acting CEO.
- The Nation, October 4, 2026: baggage-backlog clearance update.
