Thai Airways offers new help after baggage crisis

Compensation to be paid to all affected passengers without the need to file complaints

Thai Airways International is stepping up compensation to restore passenger confidence after major flooding disrupted services, leaving 25,000 bags stranded and forcing more than 200 flight cancellations.

The airline will cover the cost of forwarding delayed baggage through any carrier serving passengers’ destinations, rather than waiting for Thai Airways flights, to ensure belongings reach their owners as quickly as possible, chairman Lavaron Sangsnit said on Wednesday.

Compensation would be paid to all affected passengers without requiring them to file complaints, he added. The airline will also propose a special compensation package, including additional frequent-flyer miles, for board approval.

The baggage chaos exposed management missteps that led  the airline’s board to suspend chief executive Chai Eamsiri, although he said later that he had effectively been dismissed.

The board named Samrit Samniang, a director and former PTTEP executive, as acting CEO.

As well, the board appointed Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, a deputy national police chief, to investigate the incident, with findings due within 30 days, said Mr Lavaron, who is also permanent secretary for the Ministry of Finance.

Initial findings pointed to insufficient frontline staffing, with about 200 employees absent as flooding prevented them from getting to work, delays in activating emergency procedures and a failure to mobilise reserve personnel promptly.

The board has ordered a review of outsourcing contracts covering baggage handling and ground operations, including those with Wingspan Services, to identify failures involving operations, planning, personnel and management accountability, said Mr Lavaron.

Although services have returned to normal, with no further baggage backlogs and improved punctuality, senior executives will conduct on-site inspections at Suvarnabhumi Airport to address operational bottlenecks.

Mr Lavaron said the airline had also scrapped overtime payment cuts during crises and major international events to maintain frontline staffing. Further measures will address risks from extreme weather and flooding to prevent similar disruptions and rebuild public trust.