Latest update — 2 October 2026: Suvarnabhumi Airport says the stranded-passenger backlog caused by flooding has been cleared. The remaining operation is focused on returning delayed baggage, with most bags expected to reach passengers by Saturday night, 3 October, and only a small residue expected by Sunday.
The images of luggage filling airport handling areas created a genuine BKK airport chaos moment for travellers at the end of September. The immediate passenger crisis has now eased, but anyone travelling with Thai Airways should still check the latest flight and baggage information before setting out.
What happened at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport?
Severe flooding around Bangkok disrupted staff travel and ground-handling operations between 26 and 29 September. Thai Airways reduced or cancelled flights while crews worked through a backlog of more than 10,000 bags. More than 1,000 transit passengers were also caught in the disruption after flight cancellations on 30 September.
Thai Airways CEO sacked after the BKK airport chaos
Thai Airways dismissed CEO Chai Eamsiri with immediate effect after the severe Suvarnabhumi disruption, according to The Nation’s report of 2 October 2026. The airline’s board appointed Samrit Samniang as acting CEO to stabilise operations and address the continuing flight, baggage and cargo problems. The report also says Eamsiri faces two internal investigations: one into the operational breakdown and another into procurement, including the purchase of about 860,000 bottles of in-flight wine from a single supplier for more than 800 million baht (about US$24 million). The leadership change follows the BKK airport chaos and the wider pressure on Thai Airways’ ground-handling response.
Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the stranded-passenger problem had been resolved at about 1am on 1 October. That means there were no longer passengers stuck in the airport system, although delayed baggage and cargo still needed to be processed.
When will delayed bags be returned?
Officials are aiming to return the remaining passenger bags by the night of Saturday, 3 October. Bags still in the holding area are being moved out, while any items that cannot be matched or delivered immediately are expected to be transferred to Thai Airways for safekeeping and direct collection.
The minister set Sunday, 4 October, as the final recovery deadline, with only a small number of bags expected to remain by then. The recovery operation includes 123 Royal Thai Air Force personnel, support from the Royal Thai Army, extra forklifts and additional storage space provided by Airports of Thailand.
Thai Airways expects full flights from 3 October
Thai Airways says it is working towards full flight operations on Saturday, 3 October. The airline reduced 15 flights on 1 October and nine on 2 October to match available staffing and handling capacity while the airport recovered.
The government’s official update says THAI is mobilising staff across its departments and will open its Vibhavadi Rangsit ticketing office from 8am to 5pm on 3 and 4 October for additional passenger assistance. This is a recovery target, not a guarantee that every flight will be unaffected, so passengers should check their own booking directly with the airline.
What passengers with delayed baggage should do
- Check the baggage tracker: passengers who arrived at Suvarnabhumi on a THAI flight between 26 and 29 September can use the AOT delayed-baggage tracker.
- Prepare the right documents: AOT says passengers collecting a bag should bring their passport, boarding pass and baggage tag.
- Go to the correct collection point: the delayed-baggage area is on Level 2, Exit 1 at Suvarnabhumi Airport. AOT lists domestic baggage enquiries at 02 134 5373–74 and international enquiries at 02 134 5466–68.
- Allow extra time for the airport journey: the government’s airport advisory recommends at least three hours for international flights and two hours for domestic flights, while warning travellers to avoid the flooded Lat Krabang routes where possible.
Is Suvarnabhumi operating normally now?
The recovery is progressing, but travellers should distinguish between new flights and the older baggage backlog. The latest reports say newly arriving baggage has been processed daily since 29 September, while bags from the earlier disruption are being cleared separately.
For immigration and arrival planning, our Bangkok Airport e-gates guide explains the current automated-entry arrangements. For broader Thailand visa and relocation planning, see the Thailand visa and moving guide. More updates are collected in the Next Step Thailand Visa News archive.
This airport disruption does not itself change Thailand’s visa rules or extend an immigration deadline. Travellers with a time-sensitive visa, extension or reporting appointment should keep their own documents up to date and contact the responsible airline or immigration office if the disruption directly affects their case.
Sources and photo credits
This original Next Step Hua Hin report was checked against the The Thaiger report published on 2 October 2026, the report on the Thai Airways board’s special meeting and CEO scrutiny and the latest report confirming the CEO’s dismissal, acting appointment and internal investigations, the Matichon report, the Thai government update on THAI’s 3 October operations, the Airports of Thailand baggage notice and Thai Airways’ newsroom. All three article photos are credited to Matichon.
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