Not entirely sure what's going on, but it sounds like these pilots are having a hissy fit.
This is the original article in the Bangkok Post
Pilot strike grounds Nok Air flights
Published: 14/02/2016 at 10:07 PM
Bangkok Post Online
Budget airline Nok Air cancelled eight local flights on Sunday evening after pilots went on strike, leaving some 1,000 passengers stranded at Don Mueang airport.
The airline initially gave no reason for the abrupt cancellation and only informed its passengers that scheduled flights were not ready to take off due to “technical problems”, and that it would offer full refunds to affected customers.
Nok Air chief executive Patee Sarasin later told reporters the airline was forced to cancel the flights because more than 10 pilots staged a strike after it increased audit standards for the flight operations department, bringing them into line with those of the European Aviation Safety Agency. He said some pilots did not meet the new criteria and went on strike to express their discontent.
The airline announced the cancellation of the eight flights at 3pm. All were scheduled to leave Don Mueang airport late in the afternoon to Chiang Mai, Khon Khaen, Hat Yai, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Phitsanuloke, Phuket and Ubon Ratchathani.
“Nok Air has contacted other airlines that fly on the same routes such as THAI Smile Airways, Thai Lion Air and Thai AirAsia, but all of them are full,” Mr Patee told Thairath TV.
“I am confident that there will be no problem with flight cancellations tomorrow” as Monday is a normal working day when the full administration resources and back-up plans are in palce, Mr Patee said.
He said the damage caused by the pilot protest was unacceptable and management would discuss what to do about it on Monday.
Don Mueang airport director Petch Chancharoen said the airline had to arrange accommodation for the stranded travellers if it could not find alternative flights for them and described the situation at Don Mueang airport as of 9pm as “still chaotic”.
Many of the passengers later went on to Nok Air's Facebook page to express anger at their treatment by the airline.
They criticised the airline for the delay in alerting them to the flight cancellations. Some said they did not get any message at all.
Others attacked the striking pilots, accusing them of holding the passengers hostage.
Facebook user Hikawari PS wrote: “Phuket-Bangkok flight at 10.45pm has been cancelled and there is no alert message. I have to work early tomorrow morning. What should I do? …. It is too late to book a bus - but travelling 12 hours by bus is terrible.”
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