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Thai Airways Cancels 37 More Flights After Bangkok Flooding
Thai Airways International (THAI) has cancelled 37 more domestic and international flights for Tuesday 29 September, Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 1 October. The cause is a huge baggage backlog at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) after flooding in Bangkok. If you're flying with THAI in the next few days, check your flight status before you head to the airport.
What happened
Flooding began in Bangkok on 26 September. Hundreds of staff were stranded at home and couldn't get to work at Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi. About 5,600 bags were delayed. On Tuesday, luggage overflowed the conveyor belts and piled up on the terminal's second floor.
THAI posted the new cancellation list on its official Facebook page (THAI Corporate Communications) at 7:20pm on Tuesday. Since the flooding began, THAI has cancelled 59 flights in total, and many more are delayed. CEO Chai Eamsiri apologised on Tuesday after harsh criticism from passengers who had faced delays lasting days.
Suvarnabhumi marked its 20th anniversary on Monday 28 September. It is ranked 11th busiest in the world for international passenger traffic.
A Thai group arriving from Chengdu at about 8pm on Tuesday told the Bangkok Post that passengers waiting for bags "looked like zombies". They got their bags after about 40 minutes and said they were among the lucky ones. Commenters on THAI's Facebook post worried that their own flights might be next, and asked for baggage status updates.
Cancelled flights, by day
Tuesday 29 September (5 flights)
| Destination | Flight |
|---|---|
| Dhaka | TG339 |
| Seoul | TG658 |
| Bengaluru | TG325 |
| Sapporo | TG670 |
| New Delhi | TG331 |
Wednesday 30 September, domestic (7 flights)
| Destination | Flight |
|---|---|
| Phuket | TG201, TG205, TG217 |
| Chiang Mai | TG102 |
| Khon Kaen | TG040 |
| Ubon Ratchathani | TG020 |
| Udon Thani | TG002 |
Wednesday 30 September, international (21 flights)
| Region | Destination | Flight |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | Munich | TG924 |
| Europe | Brussels | TG934 |
| Europe | Copenhagen | TG950 |
| Europe | Zurich | TG970 |
| Europe | Amsterdam | TG936 |
| Europe | London | TG916 |
| Europe | Frankfurt | TG922 |
| East Asia | Hong Kong | TG638, TG600 |
| East Asia | Taipei | TG632 |
| East Asia | Osaka | TG622 |
| East Asia | Seoul | TG656 |
| East Asia | Tokyo Narita | TG642 |
| East Asia | Tokyo Haneda | TG660 |
| Southeast Asia | Kuala Lumpur | TG417 |
| Southeast Asia | Singapore | TG403, TG407 |
| Southeast Asia | Manila | TG620 |
| South Asia | New Delhi | TG315 |
| South Asia | Mumbai | TG317 |
| Australia | Sydney | TG475 |
Thursday 1 October (4 flights)
| Destination | Flight |
|---|---|
| Paris | TG930 |
| Brussels | TG934 (also cancelled on Wednesday) |
| Milan | TG940 |
| Stockholm | TG960 |
What this means for travellers
- Check before you go: Confirm your flight status with THAI (Facebook page or app) before leaving for the airport. More cancellations are plausible, since commenters were already worried about this.
- Phuket: Three THAI domestic Phuket flights are cancelled on 30 September. If you're connecting toward Krabi or Koh Lanta, check alternatives, such as other airlines or a road transfer.
- Europe and Asia: THAI flights to most major European and East Asian cities are cancelled on 30 September, and to Paris, Brussels, Milan and Stockholm on 1 October. Expect rebooking queues and consider other carriers.
- Baggage: Expect long waits and possible delays at Suvarnabhumi arrivals. Keep valuables, medication and essentials in your carry-on, and photograph your bag tags.
- Timing: Allow extra time at BKK. The article says the airport-link rail is unaffected and the eastern rail track is partially reopened, but flooding elsewhere in Bangkok and the surrounding areas may still slow ground transport.
- Compensation: The article doesn't mention compensation, rebooking terms or refunds.
Information sourced from Bangkok Post.