Flooding left Thai Asian Games athletes stranded at an airport overnight after a shortage of baggage handlers delayed their flight to Nagoya, Japan, by nearly eight hours.
Athletes and officials from Thailand’s wrestling, golf and rugby teams were scheduled to travel to the 2026 Asian Games on Thai Airways flight TG644, departing at 12.05am today, September 27.
However, flooding prevented baggage handlers from loading the athletes’ suitcases and training equipment onto the aircraft. If the flight had departed as scheduled, the teams would have had to travel without their belongings and sporting equipment.
Thai national rugby coach Navy Captain Thanwit Khrueasin said the disruption affected both the men’s and women’s rugby teams, as well as athletes from other sports booked on the same flight.
Thai Airways initially postponed the departure indefinitely, leaving the athletes and other passengers waiting at the airport overnight.
At 6.40am, the Thai Asian Games athletes and other passengers were still waiting at the departure gate, more than six hours after their scheduled departure.
Despite the disruption to the teams’ travel arrangements, Thanwit said he understood the circumstances and hoped the flooding would subside quickly so airport staff could return to work.
“I understand the situation. All I can do is hope the floodwaters recede quickly so staff can come to work and load everyone’s bags.”
The wait finally ended at 8am today, when flight TG644 departed for Nagoya, almost eight hours behind schedule.
Related news
- Thailand raises compensation for flight delays and cancellations
- Thai takraw team gets rooms after hours-long Asian Games mix-up
- Princess Sirivannavari designs Thailand’s ceremonial uniform for the 2026 Asian Games
The story Thai Asian Games teams stuck for 8 hours as floods delay flight as seen on Thaiger News.
