Thai Asian Games teams stuck for 8 hours as floods delay flight

Thai athletes and teams from the Asian Games were stranded at an airport for eight hours due to flooding that delayed their flight to Nagoya, Japan. Thai Airways flight TG644, set to depart at 12.05am on September 27, was delayed by nearly eight hours as baggage handlers were unable to load the athletes' suitcases and training equipment due to the flooding. If the flight had left on time, the teams would have had to travel without their belongings and sporting equipment.

The disruption affected not only the men's and women's rugby teams but also athletes from other sports who were booked on the same flight. Thai national rugby coach Navy Captain Thanwit Khrueasin expressed his concern, noting that the entire team and other passengers had been waiting at the airport overnight, more than six hours past their scheduled departure. Thai Airways initially postponed the flight indefinitely, leaving the athletes and passengers at the departure gate.

Despite the inconvenience, Thanwit expressed understanding of the situation and hoped that the flooding would subside quickly so airport staff could return to work and load everyone's bags. The wait finally ended at 8am, when flight TG644 departed for Nagoya, finishing almost eight hours behind schedule.