The board of Thai Airways International on Friday dismissed chief executive officer Chai Eamsiri following the widespread mismanagement of flight schedules and severe baggage backlogs during the heavy flooding in Bangkok that started on Sept 25.
The board cited persistent operational failures, ranging from extensive flight delays and baggage handling chaos to broader ground service breakdowns, as the rationale for Mr Chai’s termination, noting that the issues have sparked a formal inquiry into the accountability of senior executive management.
Led by chairman Lavaron Sangsnit, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance, the board resolved to appoint Samrit Samniang as full-time acting chief executive officer in place of Mr Chai, tasking him with urgently resolving the operational crises plaguing the national flag carrier.
A former executive of PTT Exploration and Production Plc and a current Thai Airways board member, Mr Samrit must swiftly stabilise operations, clear backlogs and work to restore passenger and public trust, the board said.
A committee has also been established to investigate separate allegations against Mr Chai concerning the procurement of 860,000 bottles of wine valued at more than 800 million baht from a single vendor.
Mr Chai said after the meeting that he had been informed of the decision to remove him as CEO but had not been given a clear reason. He will remain a company director while the fact-finding process takes place.
The airline had previously announced the cancellation of 24 flights scheduled for Oct 1 and Oct 2 to address a backlog exceeding 10,000 pieces of luggage and cargo, with plans to resume full-scale operations by Oct 3.
THAI said following Friday’s board meeting that it would re-examine its management structure to prevent recurring disruptions. Moving forward, the company will also review its employment frameworks for ground and warehouse personnel, particularly regarding multi-tiered subcontracting and external outsourcing.
Mr Chai, who has publicly ?apologised for the chaos that hit operations at Suvarnabhumi airport, joined the national carrier in 1985, rising through the ranks to become its chief financial officer before being appointed CEO in 2023.
Thai Airways went into bankruptcy-protected restructuring in 2020, reducing its workforce by half and trimming its fleet, before achieving a turnaround in its .
As ?of June 30 this year, the airline operated a total of 84 ?aircraft covering 61 destinations in 27 countries.
Mr Chai won plaudits in the industry and from investors for his role in steering the carrier back to financial health. Its shares resumed trading ?on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in ?August 2025, after it exited its debt restructuring programme.
Shares of Thai Airways (THAI) closed on Friday at 5.70 baht, up 0.05 baht from the day before, with turnover totalling 706 million baht.