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Thai Airways Disruption at Suvarnabhumi: What Travellers Should Know
Thai Airways has cancelled 37 more domestic and international flights out of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport between 29 September and 1 October 2026. The cancellations include routes to Phuket, Chiang Mai, London, Paris, Tokyo and Singapore. They have also left a big baggage backlog, with some passengers reportedly waiting 5 to 6 hours or more for their luggage. If you are flying with Thai Airways through Bangkok in the coming days, plan for delays.
What happened
The airline says the cancellations come from severe weather and trouble getting ground staff to the airport. The article also links the problems to the wider impact of flooding on the airline. Thai Airways says it is working to clear the backlog and restore normal operations.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul visited the airport. He criticised how the airline handled the disruption and warned that the delays could hurt Thailand's tourism image.
Staff under strain
A frontline Thai Airways employee spoke publicly about conditions behind the desks. They described:
- extremely long shifts with little rest
- poor communication from management
- staff being unable to give passengers clear information because they lacked updates themselves
What this means for your trip
- Check your flight status before leaving for the airport. Expect continued delays and cancellations on Thai Airways at Suvarnabhumi, including Phuket, Chiang Mai and international routes.
- Allow extra time for baggage. At the worst, waits have reached 5 to 6 hours or more. Keep medication, valuables and chargers in your carry-on.
- Photograph your bag tags and file any delayed-baggage report at the airport before you leave.
- Consider rebooking on another airline if you have a tight connection.
- Leave buffer time on the ground. Flooding in Bangkok and Sa Kaeo, plus thundershowers forecast for 29 provinces on 1 October, may disrupt ground transport too.
- Be patient at the desk. Staff are under heavy strain, so a calm approach is likely to get you better results.
Other headlines from the day
The same news roundup also covered these stories:
- Two foreign women are accused of assaulting a shop worker in Phuket after a dispute over change.
- Prime Minister Anutin's cash handouts to Bangkok flood victims are sparking debate.
- Four men were charged after towing a plastic tub behind a motorcycle through flooded Bangkok streets.
- Bangkok authorities are sheltering 23 dogs and cats rescued from flood-hit areas.
- In Sa Kaeo, searchers found the body of a 12-year-old boy after the floods.
- At Koh Larn, a plankton bloom turned the sea green after heavy rain.
- A pilot attack on a Flydubai flight prompted an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
- Pattaya prosecutors indicted 2 people in the Russian siblings murder case.
- Financial checks at Chabad House Phuket found no irregularities.
Information sourced from The Thaiger.
Note: I left out the Bangkok hotel baby case. It is a sensitive criminal matter with no bearing on travel planning, and charges haven't been decided. Say so if you want it added.