October 2, 2026 — Update to our October 1 story. Thailand’s disaster agency now counts more than 1.17 million flooded households, the government has told every province to prepare for more heavy rain from October 4, and Thai Airways’ board has dismissed its chief executive over the baggage and flight chaos at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
What changed since yesterday
- Thai Airways: the board removed CEO Chai Eamsiri with immediate effect on October 2 and named Samrit Samniang acting CEO, Thai PBS reports. The board cited the ground-handling failure at Suvarnabhumi, which the Bangkok flooding made worse. The airline said on October 1 that it expected flights to be back to normal within a week.
- Scale of the airline disruption: The Nation reports the trouble began on September 26 and lasted about five days. More than 10,000 bags were delayed, about 40 to 50 flights were cancelled, and some passengers waited six to eight hours or more for bags. The Transport Ministry will review all airport ground-handling contracts.
- Flood figures: as of October 1, the disaster agency counted 30 provinces plus Bangkok affected, with 1,177,404 households and at least 24 deaths. Bangkok (329,000 households), Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani are worst hit. Water is rising in central and eastern provinces and falling in the North.
- More rain, sooner: the Thai Meteorological Department now expects thunderstorms and isolated heavy rain across upper Thailand on October 4–7, a day earlier than the window we reported yesterday. The North and Northeast are affected first, then Bangkok and the central region, then the East.
- Government orders: the prime minister told all provinces to be ready from October 4–5, with a higher alert along the Chao Phraya, Tha Chin and Mae Klong rivers. Several dams are at or above capacity, and high tides in early October may slow drainage.
- Airports: we found no report dated October 1 or 2 that Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK) had closed.
What it means for airline travelers
- Carry-on only if you are flying Thai Airways through BKK in the next week. The baggage backlog is still being cleared.
- Allow extra time to reach the airport. Flooded roads in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani can turn a short ride into a long one.
- October 4–7: expect new weather delays. Flights will be full with rebooked passengers, so standby odds are poor. Add buffer days.
- Riverside and low-lying areas: check with your hotel before arrival if you are staying near the Chao Phraya.
- Register your trip: use STEP (US) or Registration of Canadians Abroad.
Sources
- Thai PBS World — Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri sacked
- Thai PBS World — PM orders unified data for flood briefings
- The Nation — Thai Airways chaos sparks compensation demands as ministry weighs ground-handling concession review
- The Nation — Flooding affects over 1 million households in 30 provinces and Bangkok
- The Nation — Bangkok could see heavy rain and gusts during October 4–7
- The Nation — Thai PM orders preparations for more rain from October 4–5
