Flight Cancelled? Your Rights: EU261, UK261 and Thailand

When an airline cancels your flight, or refuses to let you board because it sold too many seats, it doesn't just owe you an apology. Depending on where your flight departs and which airline operates it, you can choose between a refund and another flight, the airline must look after you while you wait, and you may be owed a fixed cash compensation. This guide sets out the three sets of rules travellers to and from Thailand meet most: Thailand's own rules from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), the EU rules (EU261) and the UK rules (UK261). Each rule links to its official source below.

The short answer

You choose: a refund, or another flight to your destination. Under all three sets of rules, the airline must offer both.
While you wait: food and drink, a way to communicate, and a hotel with transport if you have to stay overnight.
Flights from Thailand: compensation of THB 1,500 for a domestic flight, and THB 2,000–4,500 for an international flight depending on distance, unless the airline told you at least 3 days (domestic) or 7 days (international) before departure.
Flights from the EU or UK: €250–600 or £220–520, depending on distance, unless the airline told you at least 14 days before departure.
No compensation when the cancellation comes from extraordinary circumstances the airline could not avoid, such as bad weather. You still get the refund or new flight and care.
Bumped from an overbooked flight? You have the same rights as for a cancellation, with compensation straight away.

Which rules apply to your flight

Thailand (CAAT Regulation No. 101): domestic flights, and international flights departing Thailand on Thai or foreign airlines. In force since 20 May 2025.
EU (EU261): every flight departing an EU airport, on any airline, and flights from outside the EU into the EU on an EU airline.
UK (UK261): every flight departing a UK airport, on any airline, flights into the UK on a UK or EU airline, and flights into the EU on a UK airline.

A flight counts as cancelled when it doesn't operate as planned. Under the CAAT rules this includes a plane that takes off but has to return to the departure airport and stop the flight, or passengers being moved to another flight or other transport. Under the EU rules, a departure brought forward by more than an hour also counts as a cancellation. Only delayed, not cancelled? See your rights when your flight is delayed.

Flights from Thailand: CAAT rules

Care while you wait. When the airline cancels your flight, it must give you:

food and drink, or a meal voucher, suited to the mealtime and how long you wait,
a way to communicate, such as phone calls or email,
a hotel for at least one night, with transport between the airport and the hotel, if the new flight leaves a day or more later.

Refund or another flight. The airline must let you choose between:

a full refund of the fare and fees for the part of the trip you didn't fly,
another flight to your destination, or to a nearby one, at the earliest opportunity or on a later date you choose, on the same airline or another, at no extra cost (if it lands at a different airport, the airline pays your transport to the original one),
other transport to your destination, if the airline can arrange it.

Compensation:

Domestic flights: THB 1,500, paid as soon as the flight is cancelled.
International flights: THB 2,000 for flights up to 1,500 km, THB 3,500 for 1,500–3,500 km and THB 4,500 for flights over 3,500 km, paid within 14 days.

The airline doesn't have to pay compensation if it can prove that:

it told you about the cancellation, and your other travel options, at least 3 days before departure for a domestic flight or at least 7 days before for an international flight;
it told you later than that, but the new flight gets you to your destination no more than 3 hours earlier or later than the original; or
the cancellation came from extraordinary circumstances it could not avoid even with all reasonable measures.

The notice has to go to the contact details you gave when you booked. The airline may offer a credit shell, travel voucher or miles instead of cash, but it must explain the conditions and get your consent first. Cash refunds are due within 14 days if you paid in cash and within 45 days if you paid by credit card, counted from when the airline receives your refund form, or within 60 days if you booked through an agent.

Flights from the EU: EU261

Refund or another flight. You choose between a refund of the full ticket price within 7 days (with a flight back to your first departure airport if you were partway through the trip), another flight to your destination as soon as possible, or another flight later at a date that suits you. If the new flight lands at a different airport serving the same city, the airline pays the transfer.

Care while you wait. Meals and refreshments in proportion to the wait, two phone calls or emails, and a hotel with transport if the new flight leaves the day after or later.

Compensation:

€250 for flights of 1,500 km or less,
€400 for flights within the EU over 1,500 km and other flights of 1,500–3,500 km,
€600 for all other flights.

No compensation is due if:

you were told about the cancellation at least 14 days before departure;
you were told 7 to 14 days before and offered a new flight leaving no more than 2 hours earlier and arriving less than 4 hours later than planned;
you were told less than 7 days before and offered a new flight leaving no more than 1 hour earlier and arriving less than 2 hours later than planned; or
the airline proves extraordinary circumstances it could not have avoided.

If the new flight gets you there within 2, 3 or 4 hours of the original arrival time (depending on distance), the airline may halve the compensation to €125, €200 or €300. It is the airline that must prove when it told you. Compensation is paid in cash or by bank transfer or cheque; vouchers only if you agree in writing.

Flights from the UK: UK261

The UK kept the same rules after Brexit, with amounts in pounds. You can choose a refund for the parts of the ticket you haven't used, or another flight as soon as possible or at a later date. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says you may have the right to be booked with another airline if it gets you there significantly sooner. Care (food, drink, a way to communicate, and a hotel with transport if you are rebooked for the next day) continues until the airline can fly you, however long that takes and whatever caused the cancellation.

If you were told less than 14 days before departure, compensation is:

£220 for flights under 1,500 km,
£350 for 1,500–3,500 km,
£520 for flights over 3,500 km.

It can be halved to £110, £175 or £260 if the new flight gets you there less than 2, 3 or 4 hours late, and it is not due if the new flight's times stay within the same limits as the EU rules above. There is no compensation for extraordinary circumstances such as extreme weather or strikes by airport or air traffic control staff.

Bumped from an overbooked flight

Airlines sometimes sell more seats than the plane has, or swap to a smaller aircraft. All three sets of rules say the airline must first ask for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for benefits you agree with the airline. If too few people volunteer and you are refused boarding against your will:

Thailand: you have the same rights as for a cancellation (care, refund or another flight, and compensation of THB 1,500 domestic or THB 2,000–4,500 international), and the airline must pay straight away.
EU: immediate compensation of €250, €400 or €600, which the airline may halve if your new flight arrives within 2, 3 or 4 hours of the original time, plus a refund or another flight, and care.
UK: £220, £350 or £520 (or £110, £175 or £260 if your new flight arrives within 2, 3 or 4 hours), plus a refund or another flight, and care.

These rights only apply if you checked in on time: by the time the airline told you, or, if it didn't give one, 45 minutes before departure (1 hour for international flights from Thailand). An airline may refuse boarding for reasons of health, safety or security, or if your travel documents are not in order. That is not covered.

How to claim

At the airport: ask for the written notice of your rights; under the CAAT and EU rules the airline must give one to every passenger whose flight it cancels or who is refused boarding. Ask for meal vouchers or a hotel, and if you get nothing, keep the receipts for reasonable costs.
Choose: a refund or another flight. Accept a voucher instead of cash only if you want one.
Afterwards: claim compensation from the airline in writing, with your booking reference and the message telling you about the cancellation, because the date you were told decides whether compensation is due.
If the airline refuses or doesn't answer:
- Thailand: file a complaint with the CAAT at complaint.caat.or.th.
- EU: after 2 months without a reply, or if you're not satisfied, complain to the national authority in the country where it happened.
- UK: after 8 weeks, or after the airline's final answer, go to the airline's alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme, or to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team if it has none.

Before you go to the airport

See whether a strike or closure already affects your trip on the disruptions page, or check your flight for its safety, baggage and the rules that cover it.

This guide explains the rules; it is not legal advice. Your airline's conditions of carriage and the authority's decision on your case have the final say. The sources are listed below.