Troops are sent into Suvarnabhumi as floods cripple Thai Airways baggage handling. Passengers wait up to six hours while others fly without their bags, while exhausted crews battle a backlog officials warn could take another two to three days to clear.
Thailand has called in the military as a crippling baggage backlog grips Suvarnabhumi Airport for a third day. Defence Minister Lt Gen Adul Bunthamcharoen is heading there Monday as troops join exhausted Thai Airways staff moving stranded luggage. Flooding stopped replacement crews reaching work, while some baggage carts were unavailable. Passengers have waited up to six hours, while others flew on without their checked bags. Thai Airways has drafted office and management staff into the operation and sought Royal Thai Air Force help. Meanwhile, delayed luggage is being sent to homes and hotels. Suvarnabhumi remains open and flights continue. However, officials warn clearing the baggage backlog could take another two to three days.
Thailand’s military is being deployed to Suvarnabhumi Airport as a major baggage backlog enters its third day. Severe flooding has crippled Thai Airways ground handling and prevented workers from reaching the airport.
As a result, some passengers have waited between four and six hours for their luggage. Others have continued their journeys without their checked bags. Military personnel are now being sent in to help clear the mounting backlog. However, officials warn normal baggage operations could still take another two to three days.
Defence Minister Lt Gen Adul Bunthamcharoen announced the intervention at Government House on Monday morning. He spoke at 8.05 am on September 28 as flood operations continued across Bangkok and surrounding provinces.
Notably, Lt Gen Adul said he would personally travel to Suvarnabhumi later on Monday. He had received information directly from Thai Airways and Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Panjaroenworakul.
Military now heads to Suvarnabhumi as flood-hit staffing leaves passenger baggage stranded for days
The reports concerned passenger luggage stranded within the airport baggage system. Crucially, there were insufficient workers available to retrieve and move the bags. “Today I will be travelling to Suvarnabhumi Airport,” Lt Gen Adul said. “I have received information from Thai Airways and the Minister of Tourism and Sports regarding passengers’ luggage stuck on the conveyor belt.” He said military personnel would be brought in to assist.
The intervention adds emergency manpower to an airport operation already struggling with severe staffing problems. Meanwhile, the disruption has continued since Saturday, September 26. Flooding across Bangkok and surrounding areas prevented significant numbers of Thai Airways ground-handling employees from reaching Suvarnabhumi. Some baggage carts were also unavailable during the disruption.
Consequently, remaining ground crews faced rising workloads with fewer workers and reduced equipment. The problems affected baggage from both arriving and departing flights. Yet Suvarnabhumi itself remained open and aircraft continued operating. This created another problem because luggage kept entering an already strained handling system.
In parallel, workers who had reached Suvarnabhumi faced increasingly long shifts. Replacement employees were unable to reach the airport through flooded areas. Staff from previous shifts therefore remained at work to keep baggage operations moving. The available workforce came under mounting pressure as luggage continued accumulating.
Thai Airways now calls in extra staff and military help as passengers wait up to six hours for bags
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Panjaroenworakul later inspected conditions at the airport. During that visit, he was told some passengers had waited four to six hours. The staffing shortage had become a central problem in the baggage operation. Thai Airways therefore began pulling personnel from elsewhere within the company.
In response, office workers and management personnel were assigned to help move passenger luggage. These employees joined existing ground crews as the airline tried to reduce the backlog. Nevertheless, the scale of the disruption forced Thai Airways to seek additional manpower outside the company.
Mr Surasak said Thai Airways had requested assistance from the Royal Thai Air Force. Subsequently, Lt Gen Adul confirmed military personnel would be taken to Suvarnabhumi. Their immediate task will involve moving luggage stranded during the ground-handling disruption. The deployment adds military manpower to the airline’s existing emergency response.
Even so, officials do not expect the backlog to disappear quickly. Current estimates suggest clearing accumulated baggage could require another two to three days. Moreover, the timetable depends heavily on flood conditions improving around the airport. Normal operations also require ground-handling employees to regain reliable access to Suvarnabhumi.
Flights continue at Suvarnabhumi as Thai Airways offers home delivery for delayed passenger bags
For now, flights continue despite the baggage difficulties. The main breakdown has centred on ground handling rather than runways or passenger terminals. Earlier inspections also found that the passenger terminal had not become critically overcrowded. Nevertheless, individual passengers have faced severe disruption after arriving at the airport.
Some travellers have remained at baggage reclaim for four to six hours. Separately, others have left Suvarnabhumi without their checked luggage. Thai Airways has therefore introduced arrangements allowing affected passengers to register before leaving. Their delayed bags can then be delivered to their homes or hotels.
As part of this response, Mr Surasak proposed introducing a QR-code registration system. The system could allow affected travellers to register before leaving their aircraft. Passengers could then avoid lengthy queues at baggage service counters. Instead, Thai Airways could process and deliver their luggage later.
The proposal is intended to reduce pressure inside the terminal while baggage teams work through accumulated luggage. At the same time, arriving aircraft continue adding new bags to the system. Ground crews must therefore process new baggage while clearing luggage delayed during earlier shifts.
Military expands flood response across Bangkok and nearby provinces as camps open for vehicle parking
On another front, the military operation at Suvarnabhumi forms part of a broader flood response. Lt Gen Adul said deployments were being divided between Bangkok and surrounding provinces. In the capital, personnel and equipment have already been sent into flood-hit districts. Mobile field kitchens have also reached almost all evacuation shelters requiring military assistance.
In particular, Lt Gen Adul identified Lat Krabang and Khlong Chan among areas receiving support. Military resources are being deployed where assistance has been requested or considered necessary. Equipment and personnel remain available as emergency operations continue across the capital.
Beyond Bangkok, military deployments are also underway in surrounding provinces. Lt Gen Adul identified Sa Kaeo, Prachinburi and Samut Prakan among areas receiving assistance. Personnel and equipment are being deployed through disaster relief centres within each military region. Additionally, military camps have been opened for residents needing somewhere to park vehicles.
“All military camps are open as parking areas for vehicles,” Lt Gen Adul said.
Flood victims can contact nearby military units as Suvarnabhumi struggles with reduced baggage crews
The Defence Minister also addressed emergency arrangements for people seeking military assistance. Primarily, requests should pass through directors of the relevant disaster relief centres, he said. Military unit commanders are stationed alongside district directors in affected districts and provinces. This structure allows requests to reach personnel already coordinating local flood operations.
At the same time, residents can contact nearby military units directly. Lt Gen Adul said people could telephone whenever they knew of a military unit close to them. The Defence Minister said this remained available alongside the disaster relief centre system.
At Suvarnabhumi, however, military personnel face an unusual operational problem. The airport remained functional while flooding outside disrupted the workforce required to handle baggage. Aircraft could therefore keep arriving while available ground-handling manpower fell. That imbalance allowed luggage to accumulate despite continued airport operations.
Furthermore, the problem was not confined to passengers arriving in Bangkok. Departing travellers also encountered baggage disruption as crews struggled with the workload. Some passengers eventually continued overseas without their checked luggage. Meanwhile, unavailable baggage carts added another constraint to the reduced workforce.
Military joins Thai Airways baggage operation as officials say the scale of the backlog remains unknown
Against that background, Thai Airways moved office and management employees into the physical baggage operation. The airline also kept available workers on extended shifts when replacements could not arrive. Still, the backlog continued growing sufficiently to require outside assistance.
Monday’s military deployment therefore adds another layer to the recovery operation. Defence Ministry personnel will work alongside Thai Airways staff to move accumulated luggage. Lt Gen Adul’s planned visit also places the Defence Minister directly at Suvarnabhumi during the response.
So far, neither the Defence Ministry nor Thai Airways has confirmed how many military personnel will participate. Likewise, no official figure has been released for the total number of stranded bags. The overall backlog therefore cannot yet be measured through a confirmed baggage count.
By contrast, passenger waiting times have been publicly identified. Some travellers have faced delays reaching four to six hours before retrieving their luggage. Officials have also provided a timetable for clearing the wider backlog. They currently expect the operation could require another two to three days.
Thai Airways combines military help and delayed bag delivery as floodwaters keep workers from airport
Accordingly, Thai Airways is combining internal manpower, military assistance and delayed baggage delivery. Office and management employees have already joined the baggage operation. Military personnel are now being added. Passengers unable to wait can register their details and receive luggage later.
The proposed QR-code system could further accelerate that process. It could also move passenger registration away from already pressured baggage service counters. Meanwhile, Thai Airways would continue tracing and processing delayed bags after travellers leave the airport.
Operationally, the central difficulty remains access to the airport workforce. Floodwaters prevented many employees from reaching Suvarnabhumi despite the airport itself remaining functional. Consequently, baggage capacity fell while flights and luggage continued moving through the airport.
As conditions improve, normal staffing should gradually return. Until then, military personnel will supplement Thai Airways workers attempting to clear the accumulated baggage. The airport will simultaneously continue handling arriving and departing flights.
Troops reinforce Thai Airways at Suvarnabhumi as wider military flood relief continues across region
More broadly, the deployment comes while military units remain engaged across flood-hit areas. Personnel are operating in Bangkok, Sa Kaeo, Prachinburi and Samut Prakan. Field kitchens are supporting evacuation shelters, while military camps are providing vehicle parking.
Inside Suvarnabhumi, however, the immediate mission is more specific. Military personnel will help retrieve and move luggage stranded during the baggage-handling breakdown. Thai Airways employees will continue working alongside them while the airline processes delayed bags.
Bangkok airports open and flights running but there are delays and baggage issues at Suvarnabhumi
Bangkok flooding eases as front moves to Myanmar but Governor warns city needs 2-3 days to recover
The operation follows three days of disruption triggered by severe flooding across Bangkok and surrounding areas. Suvarnabhumi remains open, but baggage handling has suffered from staff shortages and unavailable equipment. Passengers have consequently faced waits reaching six hours.
Now troops are being brought into Thailand’s principal international airport to help attack the backlog. Thai Airways has already mobilised its own office and management staff for the same task. Even with that reinforcement, officials expect baggage clearance could take another two to three days.
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