Thai Airways is working to gradually restore its operations after experiencing significant disruptions due to flooding in Bangkok. The crisis, which began on September 26, caused delays, cancellations, missed connections, and thousands of delayed luggage items. As a result, the airline's board of directors decided to immediately dismiss its chief executive, Chai Eamsiri, who had been in the position since February 2023. The airline is still under pressure at Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi Airport, its main hub, where heavy rains and flooding hindered access and prevented some ground staff from reaching their posts. This lack of personnel affected check-in, aircraft rotations, baggage handling, and connections. Between September 26 and 28, approximately 10,000 passengers' luggage was left waiting. As of September 30, about 8,000 pieces remained to be sorted, identified, and returned. The airline was initially only able to process about 2,000 pieces of luggage per day due to a lack of handling staff. To speed up operations, authorities mobilized over 100 military personnel from the Royal Thai Air Force. Thai Airways staff continue to be responsible for sorting, while the reinforcements assist with handling and transporting luggage. Thai Airways canceled dozens of domestic and international flights over several days, affecting destinations such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, Singapore, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Seoul, Taipei, and Amsterdam. The reduction in the flight schedule also impacted transit passengers. According to Airports of Thailand, the airline canceled approximately 75 flights on Wednesday, and 24 flights on Thursday and Friday, leaving many passengers stranded at Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi Airport. Saima Arsalan, a Pakistani traveler traveling from Karachi to Bali via Bangkok, described an exceptionally long wait. Her departure from Karachi was delayed by nine hours, and upon arrival at Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, she had to wait an additional 14 hours before reaching a Thai Airways counter and obtaining a new connection. Her rebooking was finally scheduled nearly 18 hours after the originally scheduled connecting flight. She expressed frustration over the lack of information and assistance during the wait. Another traveler transiting through Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi said that due to delays on arrival, many passengers missed their connections and had to change their reservations. Nearly 200 people showed up at the Thai Airways counter, where only two agents were on duty. Each ticket change took about 20 minutes. Affected travelers said the airline issued a 400 baht voucher, roughly 10 euros, to be used within the airport. This assistance was considered insufficient given the waiting time and the inconveniences experienced. Faced with the scale of the crisis, the board of directors of Thai Airways dismissed Chai Eamsiri. The Minister of Tourism, Surasak Phancharoenworakul, had publicly criticized the airline's response, stating that the disruptions harmed Thailand's image and risked damaging its tourism industry, a central sector of the country's economy. Before his dismissal, Chai Eamsiri stated that Thai Airways hoped to restore a normal schedule of approximately 115 daily flights within a week. Yesterday, the airline indicated that 80% of its operational staff have resumed work. The priority is now to reduce the backlog, return the luggage, and secure connections at Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai Airways has relaxed its modification rules for passengers affected by flooding-related disruptions. Holders of tickets issued no later than September 26, for domestic or international flights departing from or arriving at Suvarnabhumi until October 11, can change their travel date once without charge, provided the itinerary and fare class remain the same. The new trip must be completed by October 11. The airline also plans to refund tickets in the event of flight cancellations. In an expanded measure announced on October 2, it also states that it will eliminate modification and "no-show" fees for some affected passengers, allow a free itinerary change—with payment of any price difference—and refund unused tickets when the flight was canceled or delayed by more than three hours. Thai Airways finally advises travelers to allow extra travel time to Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi Airport and to check their flight status before departure, via its app, website, or 24-hour call center.