Starting November 20, 2025, travelers to Thailand will benefit from enhanced rights in the event of flight delays or cancellations.
Compensation has been doubled and new protections have been put in place for passengers stranded on the tarmac.
New regulations from the Civil Aviation Committee strengthen compensation for flight delays or cancellations, including those on the tarmac.
The Civil Aviation Committee has announced the publication of Regulation No. 101 on measures to protect the rights of passengers on scheduled domestic and international flights, which will enter into force on 20 November 2025.
Domestic flight delays and cancellations
Domestic check-in area at an airport in Thailand. Photo: beartai
Under the new regulations, compensation for domestic flight delays of more than five hours will increase from 600 baht (16.17 euros) to 1,200 baht (32.34 euros).
In case of flight cancellation, compensation will increase from 1,200 baht to 1,500 baht (40.43 euros).
Airlines may offer compensation in the form of travel credit for future travel, travel vouchers, frequent flyer miles, or other alternatives.
Compensation does not apply in cases caused by unforeseeable and unavoidable circumstances beyond the control of the airline, even if the airline took reasonable measures to avoid them.
Delays on the tarmac
Passengers on board an airplane.
The regulations also cover passengers delayed while still on board the aircraft (tarmac delay).
Airlines must treat these delays the same as other flight delays and provide adequate ventilation, temperature control, and access to restrooms.
Passengers requiring urgent medical attention must be promptly attended to in order to receive the necessary care, with airlines facilitating and providing appropriate support where possible.
If a delay exceeds three hours and no estimated take-off time has been provided, passengers must be allowed to disembark the aircraft, except in cases where doing so could compromise safety, security or air traffic management.
To remember
- Delay of more than 5 hours (domestic flights) : compensation of 1,200 baht (≈ €32).
- Flight cancellation (domestic flights) : compensation of 1,500 baht (≈ €40).
- Tarmac delays : mandatory access to ventilation, toilets and medical care; disembarkation possible after 3 hours if no take-off time is given.
- Compensation possible in credits or vouchers : travel credit, miles, discount vouchers, etc.
- No compensation in the event of force majeure (weather, security, unforeseen events).
See also:
Delayed or canceled flights: Thailand strengthens travel rights
Thai Airways to expand network and increase flight frequency
Thailand: 200,000 free domestic flights offered to foreign tourists
AirAsia: Flights up to 50% cheaper between Asia, Europe and the USA
Source: The Nation Thailand
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4 comments
I assume that, apart from the fact that many passengers are unaware of the very existence of this possibility of compensation in the above-mentioned cases, airlines are not legally obliged to automatically and automatically provide compensation to all passengers?
Unless otherwise stated, only passengers who request it will be compensated, and in this case, this is the problem, because almost all airlines (Thai and international) do not have quick and easy contact procedures on their websites to allow passengers to make such a request...
All too often, passengers have to search the airline's website to find a phone number, an email address (extremely rare!) or a messaging service that will put you in touch with an airline employee.
Most of the time (if not all of the time), you are provided with an AI-style robotic messaging system that is unable to respond to specific and particular requests or problems, leading you around in circles with empty and unproductive dialogue, or admitting that it is unable to help you and sending you back to where you started.
So, yes, it's good to double the amount of compensation, but if the path to contacting the company, simply, quickly and efficiently, still seems like an obstacle course, it doesn't help much.
Personally, having already had the case of cancellation a few times in 15 years of domestic flights (Smile, Air Asia and Nok Air) I took the trouble to go to the airport closest to my home (50 km all the same!) to resolve the problem of reimbursement in front of an employee, in the office of the company concerned...
It's still the fastest and least hassle-free procedure!
That's the theory.
In practice, I believe you can sit on it.
When you live here for years, you lose your naivety.
Don't dream and the sums are paltry, not to mention the procedures.
Prove that this bank can be good, not like Tokyo or the stock market has fallen.
The intelligence of a bank for notes is that the customer is king, respected, not usurped, not stolen, nor for any resemblance.