Air Freight2 min read
By David Grant, Managing Director, GFX Thailand
THAI Cargo Terminal Operations has issued a temporary embargo on both inbound and outbound cargo at the Thai Airways cargo terminal at Suvarnabhumi, running from 30 September to 6 October 2026. The notice, issued on 29 September, points to the flooding around Bangkok: staff have been unable to reach the terminal, and the shortage has already delayed both deliveries to customers and transfers to outbound flights.
Thai Airways has said the pause is intended to let it clear the backlog and allocate the staff it has, and that it expects to restore normal cargo service as quickly as possible.
What it means this week
- Cargo cannot be tendered to the Thai Airways terminal until the embargo lifts, whatever the booking status.
- Import shipments already inside the terminal will be released more slowly while the backlog is worked through.
- The rest of Suvarnabhumi is still running. Other airlines and the other terminal operators continue to accept and release cargo.
- That is where the pressure goes. When one terminal stops taking freight, the queue moves to the others, and space on the alternatives tightens quickly.
The practical risk for most shippers is not the embargo itself but the week after it. Backlogged cargo competes with new bookings for the same capacity, so the tail of this runs past 6 October.
If you have cargo moving this week
Send us the route, the ready date, the weight and dimensions, and the date it has to arrive. We will come back with what is realistic rather than what is theoretically possible, including the option of waiting, where waiting is the better answer.
THAI Cargo asks that questions about specific shipments go to its own contact centre on 02-137-4200, or its LINE account @THAICARGOTERMINAL, which it says is staffed around the clock.
This is a fast-moving situation and the dates above are the ones in the notice as it stands. Confirm with your carrier before you act on anything here.