Thai Chamber Urges Upgrade of Suvarnabhumi Air Cargo System
Thai business leaders urged the Transport Minister to unlock and upgrade the Suvarnabhumi air cargo system, proposing short‑, medium‑ and long‑term measures to ease chronic congestion. They said air cargo handled about 5.53 trillion baht of trade in the first seven months of 2025, with exports worth roughly 2.42 trillion baht, and that delays caused by weather and procedural bottlenecks had disrupted supply chains. The chamber’s recommendations focus on improving X‑ray screening, expanding cargo yards, boosting manpower and equipment, and strengthening inter‑agency coordination.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Chambers of Commerce met with Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakan on October 5, 2025, to present a report and recommendations titled 'Enhancing the Efficiency of Thailand’s Air Cargo System: A Case Study of Congestion at Suvarnabhumi Airport'. They outlined short‑, medium‑ and long‑term measures to relieve bottlenecks, especially for goods that are difficult to screen with X‑ray, and to expand cargo handling capacity, manpower, equipment and inter‑agency coordination. The chamber noted that air cargo accounted for about 5.53 trillion baht in trade from January to July 2025, of which exports amounted to roughly 2.42 trillion baht, or about one‑third of Thailand’s total export value. Key products include electronics, agricultural and food items, and high‑value goods requiring speed and reliability. The congestion stems from multiple factors—limited cargo yard space, staffing, equipment, security checks, procedural workflows and poor coordination—exacerbated by heavy rains that caused flight delays and cancellations, leading to cargo backlogs and an eventual embargo that Thai Airways lifted on September 30. The chamber has been monitoring the issue since the fourth quarter of 2022 and, after a June 2025 resolution, prepared the proposal for presentation to the deputy prime minister and transport minister.
