曼谷航空货运仓库拥堵扩散至出口，多家航空公司限制入境货物

Photo: Thai Cargo

By Alex Lennane

9 November 2026

A backlog at Thai Airways’ cargo warehouse at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi is disrupting imports and exports, prompting airlines to restrict Bangkok-bound freight.

Airline accounts on Thursday reported more than 1,000 outstanding cargo lots and 700–800 pallets awaiting breakdown. Neither Thai Airways (TG) nor Airports of Thailand (AOT) has confirmed the current backlog or any recovery date.

AOT said today it had allocated Warehouse 4 in the airport’s free zone for oversized cargo, and was discussing additional space for international imports with Thai Airways and Customs. It was also working to improve shipment tracking, it added.

Thai Airways acknowledged on Friday that rising inbound volumes had left large numbers of unit load devices (ULDs) awaiting breakdown and storage, delaying deliveries,  and said it was adding staff and forklifts, seeking more space, and introducing a system to record cargo locations.

Missing or inaccurate storage records have compounded the problem, according to the Thai Airfreight Forwarders Association, leaving agents unable to establish when shipments can be collected. Unprocessed cargo also ties up ULDs needed for subsequent flights.

Thai Airways said it was prioritising shipments that arrived before 23 October while continuing to handle new arrivals.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce warned that delays were raising costs and disrupting production and delivery schedules for manufacturers reliant on imported materials and components. Congested working areas and delayed ULD breakdown were now affecting exports too.

Cathay Cargo has restricted Bangkok-bound freight at least until 15 November to intact ULDs that can be released without breakdown at destination, with exemptions for specified temperature-controlled and special cargo.

The chamber said Singapore Airlines Cargo had also notified customers last week of temporary restrictions on certain shipments, citing disruption to ULD circulation and outbound handling.

UK forwarder Beckchoice separately reported that a 3 November advisory from Thai Airways’ Korea cargo office noted limited acceptance of some transit and Thailand-bound freight between 4–8 November to through or unitised ULDs.

Warnings predate the latest restrictions. Teleport, Expeditors, and Geodis have all flagged congestion at the TG warehouse over the past two months, affecting inbound and outbound handling.

In its latest regional air market update, Expeditors said TG had asked airlines to reduce inbound volumes and had restricted additional charters until further notice. An earlier briefing reported a request to cut inbound cargo by 50% through 7 November.

Expeditors also reported longer queues for weighing and export handover at TG, as import breakdown delays prolonged export processing. At BFS, truck waiting times remained around 24 hours, despite some improvement following warehouse expansion.

Time-sensitive manufacturing inputs are among the goods exposed. WICE Logistics executive Chudech Kongsunthorn told Thai publication The Standard that data centre and electronics investment was driving equipment imports, alongside shipments of semiconductor and electronic parts, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals. Cargo normally released within 24 hours was taking days or, in some cases, weeks, he said.

Export delays also threaten electronics and other airfreight staples, including fresh food, flowers, gems, and medical goods.

The congestion comes amid continued demand growth on some routes: WorldACD recorded a 20% year-on-year increase in chargeable weight from Thailand to the US in the week to 1 November.

Check out today’s News in Brief podcast, on Suez returns, rates and congestion at sea, plus special guest: TIACA’s new DG Mammen Tharakan.