Thai Airways International has suspended chief executive Chai Eamsiri and handed the carrier's leadership to an acting successor while the board investigates the flag-carrier's handling of severe flooding that disrupted operations at its Bangkok Suvarnabhumi hub in late September.

The decision came at a board meeting on 2 October. Directors resolved that Eamsiri will "suspend the performance of his duties" while the board conducts a "fact-finding investigation" and reviews its "crisis-management processes". Director Sumrid Sumneing assumes the role of acting chief executive with immediate effect.

The airline says the situation has "affected the aviation business and the company's reputation".

The flooding, which struck Bangkok in late September, forced schedule adjustments across Thai's hub operation at Suvarnabhumi airport. Services faced delays and airline personnel were unable to travel, compounding disruptions.

The scale of the operational breakdown was substantial. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) says the carrier had to adjust its flight schedules to "align with the number of aircraft and personnel available". Over the three days from 26-28 September, some 10,000 items of luggage were stranded.

The baggage backlog grew severe enough to require outside assistance. Ministry of defence staff were recruited to help process the accumulated luggage, while Thailand Post assisted with reconciliation of delayed bags to their owners.

CAAT director Manat Chuwanaprayoon, speaking on 30 September, identified an "urgent priority" to restore services including flight management, cargo transport and baggage handling.

"Once the situation has eased, CAAT will allow Thai Airways to provide a statement and jointly analyse lessons learned from this incident to determine long-term measures and enhance preparedness to prevent similar impacts from recurring," Chuwanaprayoon said.

The regulator's involvement signals that the review will extend beyond the airline's own governance. CAAT intends to work jointly with Thai Airways on lessons learned and on long-term measures aimed at preventing comparable operational failures.

For Thai Airways, the leadership change arrives at a sensitive moment. The suspension of a chief executive over crisis handling — rather than financial performance — places the scrutiny squarely on operational resilience at Suvarnabhumi, the single hub through which the carrier's network flows. Scheduling and baggage handling difficulties during the flood period exposed the limits of the airline's contingency planning for a hub-level disruption.

The outcome of the fact-finding investigation and the joint analysis with CAAT will determine whether Eamsiri returns to the role or the carrier seeks permanent new leadership, and what structural changes Thai Airways implements in its crisis-management framework.