NEWS
DISGRACED THAI AIRWAYS CEO DENIED WRONG-DOING OVER USD24M WINE PROCUREMENT
By Staff Reporter
14-10-2026
Source: Thai Airways/Facebook
Thai Airways International has suspended its chief executive Chai Eamsiri pending a formal board investigation into procedural and financial irregularities surrounding a THB 800 million (USD24 million) wine procurement contract, alongside a parallel probe into operational failures during recent Suvarnabhumi Airport flooding.
The high-value contract covers 860,000 bottles of wine designated for the airline’s premium cabin in-flight service, with multiple governance violations at the centre of the investigation.
Key allegations include the deliberate bypassing of mandatory competitive bidding protocols mandated for Thailand’s state-owned enterprises, with the deal controversially awarded as a single-source tender without valid commercial justification.
Internal auditors and board overseers have flagged inflated unit pricing, confirming the contracted wine costs exceeded prevailing market benchmarks for airline beverage procurement.
Investigators also suspect improper executive intervention in vendor selection, compromising the independence of the official evaluation committee and favouring an undisclosed sole supplier.
Beyond procurement misconduct, authorities question the excessive scale of the one-time stock purchase. Critics argue the oversized inventory exposes the carrier to unnecessary financial risks, including elevated warehousing expenses, capital tie-up, and potential product depreciation as stored wine may degrade before onboard service.
A 41-year veteran of Thai Airways who assumed the CEO role in 2023, Chai Eamsiri has denied all allegations of impropriety, bid-rigging and abuse of authority.
He said the procurement aimed to secure stable long-term beverage supplies for premium cabins and welcomed the independent review to validate operational compliance.
Board director Samrit Samniang has been appointed acting CEO to oversee daily operations during the 30-day investigation period.
The wine procurement probe runs concurrently with a separate inquiry into the airline’s mismanagement of late September’s flooding crisis at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which triggered widespread flight cancellations, massive baggage backlogs causing severe reputational damage.
Fresh from its 2020 bankruptcy restructuring, the state-owned carrier relies heavily on premium in-flight wines and spirits to boost high-margin cabin revenue.
Thai Airways confirmed it will overhaul internal procurement controls upon the probe’s conclusion, enforcing mandatory multi-vendor bidding and independent audit sign-offs for all large-scale beverage and supply contracts.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
**IF YOU THINK THE WINE CHRONICLE IS WORTH SUPPORTING, PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO HELP US IMPROVE AND CONTINUE OUR WORK**
TRENDING│ FOCUS│ MISSION│ ABOUT US│ CONTACT
| 