Thai Airways chief executive Chai Eamsiri has been fired by the company’s board following the flag carrier’s chaotic response to the heavy floods that hit Bangkok last week, he told reporters on Friday (2nd October).
Thai PBS and other media outlets reported that the board removed him with immediate effect after meeting on Friday.
“They didn’t give a reason,” Eamsiri told reporters, referring to the board. “They want to see if there are gaps … mistakes in the work carried out.”
Thai Airways said in a filing to the stock exchange late on Friday that Eamsiri had been suspended pending a fact finding investigation and a review of its crisis management procedures. Director Sumrid Sumneing was appointed acting CEO.
Eamsiri joined the carrier in 1985 and rose through the ranks to become its chief financial officer before being appointed CEO in February 2023. He had publicly apologised on behalf of the company for the chaos at Suvarnabhumi Airport and pledged to clear more than 5,000 bags from the airline’s flights that had been left there.
The airline cut 24 flights across Thursday and Friday (1st and 2nd October) and had been forced to cancel dozens of flights overall this week. It also suspended its cargo operations.
The airport blamed the baggage issues on staff being unable to get to work when the floods hit last week. Disruption at Suvarnabhumi included huge baggage delays that required assistance from the Air Force to clear.
Thai Airways apologised to passengers, pledged to improve management procedures, and said it was preparing to operate its full schedule on Saturday (3rd October).
Thai Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul singled out Thai Airways for rebuke on Tuesday. “We need to discuss how the management needs to work more proactively,” he told reporters. “If they don’t want to do the job, then resign.”
Phancharoenworakul argued that the delays were damaging Thailand’s reputation and hurting its key tourism sector.
Bangkok was declared a disaster affected zone at the weekend after receiving 320mm of rain over three days, as much as it typically receives throughout September. The rain fell continuously for almost 48 hours, and some parts of the city remained under water on Friday.
Four people died in Bangkok, among at least two dozen killed in floods across the Southeast Asian country.
As of 30th June, the airline operated a total of 84 aircraft serving 61 destinations in 27 countries.
In 2020, Thai Airways entered bankruptcy protected restructuring, reducing its workforce by half and trimming its fleet. The airline subsequently mounted a financial turnaround, with its shares resuming trading on the stock market in August after it exited its debt restructuring programme.
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