Pol Gen Thatchai set to lead Thai Airways probe into baggage crisis

Thai Airways International Plc is preparing to establish a new fact-finding committee to investigate the recent baggage backlog, widespread flight cancellations and the airline’s handling of ground operations during the flood crisis.

Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police and a Thai Airways director, has been assigned to chair the investigation, according to information from the airline’s board.

The committee is intended to conduct a detailed review of the events and ensure fairness to all parties involved.

Probe to examine baggage backlog and flight cancellations

The investigation will focus on the causes of the operational disruption and the airline’s response to the large backlog of passenger baggage and numerous flight cancellations.

It will also examine the management structure for ground staff, including the use of outsourced personnel through WingSpan Services Company Limited, as well as whether staffing levels were adequate to deal with the flooding crisis.

Thai Airways’ financial statements identify WingSpan Services as a wholly owned subsidiary providing specialised personnel services to the airline.

The review will assess whether manpower had been allocated appropriately to maintain operations during an emergency in which flooding prevented significant numbers of employees from reaching work.

The committee is expected to work quickly and report progress to the Thai Airways board within 30 days of its formal appointment.

Its findings are expected to cover both operational damage and potential legal issues before the board considers any disciplinary action or measures aimed at preventing a recurrence.

Chai suspended after flood-related operational crisis

The investigation follows the Thai Airways board’s decision on October 2 to suspend Chai Eamsiri from performing his duties as chief executive while the company conducts fact-finding and reviews its crisis-management procedures.

The airline appointed director Sumrid Sumneing as acting chief executive. Chai remained a member of the board. 

The suspension came after severe flooding in Bangkok disrupted Thai Airways’ operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Employees had difficulty reaching work, contributing to ground-service problems, major baggage delays, dozens of flight cancellations and the temporary suspension of cargo operations.

At one stage, around 5,000 bags remained stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport, with Chai saying on September 29 that the airline expected to clear the backlog within 72 hours.

Chai later said he had not been given a clear reason for being removed from CEO duties, although he understood that the board wanted to determine whether there had been shortcomings in the airline’s response and crisis-management procedures. Thai Airways’ stock-exchange filing formally described the action as a suspension pending the investigation.

Separate committee from wine procurement inquiry

The new fact-finding panel will be separate from an earlier committee established to investigate the procurement of 860,000 bottles of wine involving a former Thai Airways chief executive.

The baggage and flight-disruption inquiry will instead focus specifically on the recent operational crisis, the management response and ground-service arrangements before the board determines what further action should be taken.

WingSpan’s outsourced workforce model under scrutiny

WingSpan Services Company Limited, established on December 2, 2010 following a resolution by the Thai Airways board, was created to provide outsourced manpower management and recruitment services for Thai Airways and other businesses in the aviation sector.

The concept originated under former Thai Airways president Piyasvasti Amranand, with WingSpan intended to manage ground-service labour and recruit and develop personnel for various operations within the Thai Airways group, while helping the airline reduce internal staffing and management costs.

WingSpan manages ground-service personnel through further outsourcing arrangements, with workers employed on both daily and monthly pay structures.

The model is designed to reduce employment costs because outsourced workers do not require the same long-term employment contracts or receive the same benefits as Thai Airways employees. However, the arrangement also carries operational risks if sufficient outsourced staff are unable or unwilling to report for duty.

That issue has come under scrutiny following the ground-service disruption during the flooding in early October 2026, when staffing shortages contributed to problems in handling passenger baggage and other airport operations.

WingSpan was registered with capital of THB2 million and is based at 89 Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chom Phon, Chatuchak, Bangkok.

This staffing structure is among the areas expected to be examined by the new fact-finding committee, including whether the outsourcing model and manpower allocation were adequate to cope with a large-scale operational crisis.