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"A vessel can carry over 10,000 tonnes while air freight can carry only 100-300 tonnes. When air cargo services were shut down, operators did not divert their goods to marine transport services," he said.

According to the Thai International Freight Forwarders Association (TIFFA), there are at least 3,000 tonnes of stranded goods at the international airport, which have suffered damage of about Bt3 billion, and logistics operators are losing business opportunities of around Bt600 million a day.

TIFFA president Suwit Ratanachinda said Thai importers and exporters were suffering from the airport's closure because around 90 per cent of them relied on air freight.

Thai exporters are being affected by their failure to deliver goods to their customers on schedule following the occupation of Suvarnabhumi Airport, which has halted all flights.

Thai National Shippers' Council (TNSC) chairman Suchart Chantaranakaracha said shippers would not gain from the airport shut-down.

A meeting between the commerce minister and the transport sector will be held at the Foreign Ministry today.

Suwit added that imported goods were being carried by plane and landing at U-tapao airport and Chiang Mai airport and transported thence by bus to Bangkok.

Some exporters are sending their products by ship and using airports of neighbouring countries like Singapore and Malaysia to dispatch them to their overseas clients.

The solution pushes up the transport costs, said Suwit.