The board of Thai Airways has resolved to suspend Chai Eamsiri from his duties as Chief Executive Officer effective 2 October 2026, ahead of his original term ending on 31 January 2027. Chai remains a company director, and the board has appointed Samrit Saniang, a company director, to serve as acting Chief Executive Officer in his place. Asia Plus Securities said the change came after the board resolved to investigate the facts surrounding the flooding in late September 2026 and to review the crisis management process, viewing it as a negative factor that could add uncertainty to the company's strategic direction. Meanwhile, Thai Airways has restored all flights from 3 October after cutting 15 and 9 flights on 1 and 2 October respectively, compared with total Thai Airways flights at Suvarnabhumi averaging about 120 departures per day in August. It views the impact on the fourth quarter of 2026 as still limited. Employee expenses in the first half of 2026 accounted for 12% of OPEX, and every 10% change in employee expenses would change profit by 7%. InnovestX Securities maintained its NEUTRAL rating on THAI with a target price of 6.5 baht, viewing the pre-term management change as a psychological negative and noting that clarity on the management structure and direction is a key issue to watch, after Thai Airways suffered ground service problems, baggage backlogs and flight delays.
Thai Airways International Public Company LimitedBoard suspended CEO Chai Eamsiri before term end amid a fact-finding probe into September flooding and crisis management, adding strategic uncertainty.
Asia Plus Group Holdings PCL