Trang airport remained closed for the second day on Thursday, as work crews struggled to move the Nok Air plane that skidded off the runway during takeoff and became mired in the mud during heavy rain on Tuesday evening.
Woradej Harnprasert, director-general of the Civil Aviation Department, said on Thursday he hoped the operation to haul the Boeing 737-800 out of the mud and off the runway could be completed by 4pm.
The aircraft's undercarriage wheels had sunk 70 centimetres into the mud and that was causing problems.
The airport has been shut since the Tuesday evening when the plane skidded off the runway while beginning takeoff on a scheduled flight to Don Mueang airport in bad weather.
The closure affected four Nok Air flights on Thursday - two inbound from Don Mueang and two outbound. It also affected four Thai AirAsia flights - two from Bangkok and two from Trang.
Nok Air passengers have been diverted to alternative flights through Nakhon Si Thammarat airport. Thai AirAsia has moved customers onto flights to and from Krabi airport.