BKK: Thai Airways Still Clearing 8,000 Bags After Bangkok Floods

BANGKOK, October 1, 2026 — Thai Airways is still digging out from a flood-driven baggage meltdown at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK). Thousands of checked bags remain stuck in the system, the carrier is flying a reduced schedule, and officials say it could be several more days before things are back to normal.

What happened

Heavy rain and flooding across Bangkok from roughly September 26 to 28 kept many Thai Airways ground-handling staff from getting to work. Baggage sorting at Suvarnabhumi stalled, and more than 10,000 passenger bags piled up. As of October 1, about 8,000 were still waiting to be processed and only around 1,800 had been cleared. At full strength, the operation can handle up to roughly 2,000 bags a day.

Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the backlog has stopped growing. In his words, “No further backlog has built up since 29 September.” Officials have given slightly different targets for clearing it: one statement aimed for complete clearance by October 2, while the minister later said it should take another three to four days. A large share of the stranded bags belong to transit passengers.

The Royal Thai Air Force has sent 100 personnel and 12 cargo loaders to help move bags, joining Royal Thai Army troops who have been at the airport since September 26. Thai Airways staff are handling the specialist sorting work. CEO Chai Eamsiri has publicly apologized, and the airline says about 90% of passenger-facing staff and 80% of operational staff are back at work.

Flight schedule

Date	Thai Airways daily flights (approx.)
Normal operations	About 115
Peak disruption	28 flights cancelled
October 1	About 100
October 2	About 105
October 7 (target)	Back to about 115

Cargo and bag delivery

Cargo: Thai Airways suspended inbound and outbound cargo acceptance at its Suvarnabhumi warehouse from September 30 to October 6. The airport’s cargo terminal itself remains open under modified procedures.
Transit passengers: Bags for connecting passengers are being prioritized for matching to onward flights.
Domestic passengers: Bags can be collected at designated airport zones or delivered to your home by Thailand Post.
Costs: The airline says it will cover lost-baggage claims and costs from missed or rescheduled flights.
Ticket waiver: Thai Airways is allowing one free date change for tickets issued by September 26 for travel between September 26 and October 11 (changes must be made by October 11).

Both Bangkok airports (Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang) have remained open throughout. Some access roads were affected by flooding; the Airport Rail Link has been a useful alternative for getting to Suvarnabhumi.

What it means for non-revs

Do not check a bag on Thai Airways through BKK this week. With thousands of bags still in the backlog, carry-on only is the safe play.
Expect tight loads. Thai Airways is flying about 10 to 15 fewer flights a day than normal, while re-accommodating passengers from cancelled flights and waiver rebookings. Standby chances on TG out of BKK will be poor until the full schedule returns, which is targeted for October 7.
Connecting through BKK is risky. Transit passengers make up a large share of those affected. If you’re routing via Bangkok to elsewhere in Asia, consider an alternate hub or another carrier until the backlog clears.
Check flight status the night before and morning of travel, and allow extra time to reach the airport if flooding is still affecting roads; use the Airport Rail Link if you can.
Interline staff traveling on other carriers are less directly affected by the bag backlog, since it involves Thai Airways’ handling operation, but expect knock-on crowding on alternative flights out of Bangkok.