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Luggage Chaos and Flight Delays Hit Suvarnabhumi Airport
Travellers passing through Suvarnabhumi Airport over the weekend of September 26 to 27, 2026 ran into serious baggage delays and flight disruptions. Arriving passengers reported waiting 5 to 6 hours for their luggage, while several departures were also delayed. The airport has acknowledged the problems and says it is working on fixes, but travellers flying Thai Airways through Suvarnabhumi during this period should be prepared for a rough ride.
What Happened
The trouble started on Saturday, September 26, 2026, and carried on into Sunday, September 27. Passengers arriving at Suvarnabhumi found themselves stuck in baggage claim for hours on end, and some flights had their luggage left behind at the airport entirely, unable to be unloaded and processed in time.
Why It Happened
Two things combined to cause the mess. First, flooding in several areas around Bangkok made it hard for Thai Airways ground-handling staff to get to work, leaving the airport short-staffed. Second, a number of Thai Airways baggage carts broke down, which slowed down handling of both arriving and departing luggage even further.
What the Airport Is Doing
Suvarnabhumi says it's taking several steps to get things back on track:
<table> <tr><th>Action</th><th>Details</th></tr> <tr><td>Extra staff</td><td>Working with Thai Airways to bring in more ground-handling personnel</td></tr> <tr><td>Equipment fixes</td><td>Repairing broken baggage carts and bringing in replacement equipment</td></tr> <tr><td>Information</td><td>Displaying baggage status updates on airport screens</td></tr> <tr><td>Announcements</td><td>Making regular updates in baggage-claim areas</td></tr> <tr><td>Extra support</td><td>Sending more staff to baggage-claim and service areas to help passengers</td></tr> </table>
What This Means for Travellers
If you're flying Thai Airways through Suvarnabhumi around this time, it's worth budgeting extra time for baggage claim, possibly several hours, and keeping an eye on your flight for departure delays too. Since the root cause is tied to flooding affecting staff getting to work, the disruption could continue or come back if the flooding doesn't clear up.
Keep an eye on the airport screens and listen for announcements about your baggage. If you need help, the Airports of Thailand (AOT) contact centre is available 24 hours a day at 1722.
There are also reports that Thai Airways is offering free date changes for ticket holders affected by the flooding. This wasn't confirmed in detail, so it's best to check directly with Thai Airways if you think this applies to you. And if your bags are delayed or go missing during this period, know that you're not alone, some luggage from arriving flights has reportedly been left behind at the airport, so delayed or lost-baggage claims may be more common than usual right now.
Information sourced from Bangkok Post.