A Thai Airways frontline employee has described exhaustion, limited communication and a lack of basic support during the airline’s baggage and flight disruption at Suvarnabhumi Airport over the past several days.
Thai Airways said flooding left it short of general and licensed specialist staff, contributing to baggage backlogs and widespread flight delays.
Amid the disruption, the Facebook page THAI Aviation Flyer posted a message from a frontline employee describing conditions over the past two to three days.
The employee said they had been reporting for work early in the morning and returning home close to daylight, sometimes with barely enough time to shower, change clothes and return to work.
They said frontline staff were repeatedly facing passengers frustrated by delayed flights, disrupted travel plans and delayed baggage.
The employee acknowledged that passengers had every right to be angry, disappointed and demand accountability.
They also thanked passengers who had offered encouragement to frontline workers, particularly Thai passengers who approached staff to offer support.
One of the main problems described in the post was a lack of information reaching frontline employees.
The employee said staff normally communicate through between 10 and 20 Line groups, with large volumes of instructions and operational updates shared on ordinary days.
During the current disruption, however, the employee claimed many of those communication channels had gone quiet.
“We ask for information, but no one responds. We do not know what we are waiting for. We do not know what is going to change.”
This left frontline workers unable to give passengers clear answers despite being the people directly dealing with questions and complaints at the airport.
“In the end, the people standing directly in front of the passengers are still the frontline staff. We have to answer the questions. We have to listen to the frustration. We have to explain what we can. Even when, sometimes, we do not have the answers ourselves.”
The post also raised concerns about food and water for employees working extended hours.
The employee claimed frontline workers had received little support and said some senior colleagues bought food, water and snacks with their own money to share with younger staff.
Some employees relied on leftover sandwiches that had originally been prepared for passengers.
“I simply want to share another perspective from the people working on the frontline. We did not want this situation to happen either, and we certainly did not want our passengers to have to go through it.”
“At this point, I don’t think I can continue to defend the company anymore, at least not until the situation begins to settle down.”
The employee said this was not because they did not want to work or care about the company, adding that frontline staff were sometimes simply too exhausted to keep explaining or defending the situation.
The employee apologised to passengers for the delays, inconvenience and other problems they had experienced.
They said frontline teams would continue working to the best of their ability and stressed that operating a flight requires staff across numerous departments and areas working together.
“A flight does not operate because of one person alone. It takes people from many different departments, teams, and areas of operation working together to make one flight happen.”
The employee said they believed those working on the frontline were doing everything they could and hoped operations would return to normal as soon as possible.
Related news
- Thai Airways cancels 37 additional flights through October 1
- 6 airlines let passengers hit by floods move flight or hold fare
- Tourism minister slams Thai Airways over baggage delays
The story ‘I don’t think I can continue to defend the company,’ Thai Airways worker says as seen on Thaiger News.
