Thai Airways restored its full schedule at Suvarnabhumi on 3 October 2026 after a week of flood-related disruption, and its relief terms still cover tickets issued on or before 29 September for flights to or from Suvarnabhumi between 26 September and 11 October. The airline says the backlog of more than 10,000 delayed bags built up between 26 and 28 September, and that it expected the last 1,092 bags to reach their owners by Sunday 4 October. This briefing, from a Thailand DMC for travel agents, sets out what is still in force, how a client recovers a bag, and what to check before you rebook anyone.
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What happened
Flooding across Bangkok and the surrounding provinces from 26 September kept many of the airline's ground-handling staff from reaching work, and breakdowns of baggage vehicles made it worse. Bags stopped moving, and the airline cut flights to let ground services catch up: 15 flights were reduced on 1 October and 9 on 2 October, across domestic routes such as Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen and international routes including Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, Frankfurt and Copenhagen. About 100 Royal Thai Air Force personnel, and later Royal Thai Army personnel, helped move baggage.
On 2 October the airline's board suspended chief executive Chai Eamsiri and appointed director Sumrid Sumneing as acting chief. For your clients the practical point is the schedule, not the boardroom: the airline said all scheduled flights would operate again from Saturday 3 October.
The relief terms still in force
Thai Airways published three options on 2 October for tickets issued on or before 29 September 2026, for flights to or from Suvarnabhumi between 26 September and 11 October 2026. The window first announced covered tickets issued by 26 September, so check the issue date against the newer terms before you tell a client they do not qualify.
- Change the date: travel on another date on the same route within the ticket's validity, with change and no-show fees waived and no fare difference.
- Change the route: no change fee, but any fare difference is still payable under the fare conditions.
- Refund: a full refund, with related fees waived, for unused tickets on flights that were cancelled or delayed by more than three hours.
Changes unrelated to the flooding stay under the ticket's normal fare rules. The report did not set out how to submit a request, so route it through the issuing agent or the airline's contact centre and keep the airline's confirmation on file.
How a client gets a delayed bag back
From Saturday 3 October the airline opened a 24-hour self-collection centre in its Ground Service Maintenance Building at Suvarnabhumi. A client collecting in person needs a passport, the boarding pass and the original baggage tag. The airline also offered delivery, arranged by its staff through a QR-code baggage delivery system, and courier dispatch. Clients who have not done so should complete a delayed-baggage form, which is how the airline tracks and returns a bag.
If a client is already touring, collection at the airport is rarely worth the trip. Ask for delivery to the hotel on the next night of the itinerary, and give the airline that hotel's name and dates rather than the first one. Our earlier briefing on delayed luggage on multi-centre trips covers the forwarding routine.
What to do this week
For a client flying Thai Airways from or to Suvarnabhumi before 11 October, check the flight is operating on the day, and check the ticket issue date against the relief terms before quoting any change. For a client whose bag is still missing, get the file reference from the delayed-baggage form and pass it to the ground team, so whoever meets the client knows what is outstanding. Ask your Thailand DMC to hold the transfer if a flight time moves; a Thailand DMC on the ground can re-time a pick-up faster than a client can rebook one.
Our transport team meets every arrival and can carry a delivered bag on to the next stop, and our 24/7 emergency support desk handles the calls a disrupted trip generates. For the road and airport picture during the floods themselves, see our briefing on the Bangkok flood declaration. The full range is on our Thailand DMC services page, and the trade desk is on our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Thai Airways flying its normal schedule from Suvarnabhumi?
The airline said all scheduled flights would operate again from 3 October 2026, after cutting 15 flights on 1 October and 9 on 2 October. Check the specific flight on the day of travel.
Which tickets qualify for the flood relief terms?
Tickets issued on or before 29 September 2026, for flights to or from Suvarnabhumi between 26 September and 11 October 2026. Changes unrelated to the flooding follow the normal fare rules.
Can a client get a refund?
Yes, a full refund with fees waived for unused tickets on flights that were cancelled or delayed by more than three hours, under the airline's terms published on 2 October.
What does a client need to collect a delayed bag?
A passport, the boarding pass and the original baggage tag, at the airline's 24-hour self-collection centre at Suvarnabhumi. Delivery and courier dispatch are also offered.
