Qantas passengers were furious when airport staff in Thailand demanded their passports following a cancelled flight.

The flight from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok to Sydney was reportedly delayed for seven hours before being officially cancelled late on Monday night, July 21.

Chaos ensued as travellers, mostly Australians, were faced with the choice of sleeping on the airport floor or handing over their passports to staff in order to leave the building. Many of the holidaymakers were frustrated and confused at the 'authoritarian' request.

Footage shows a stranded crowd queuing as airport personnel explained the need to collect their passports.

Two airport staff members were seen sitting on the ground, appearing to complete paperwork as passengers gathered around them.

A carton box was used to store the passports safely before holidaymakers were allowed to leave the airport and transfer to the hotel accommodation arranged by Qantas.

The filmer, Ramya, said: 'The flight was cancelled, we don’t know when the next flight is, other flights back home are full for two to three days, this one may take off in an hour or one week. We won’t know when, and we’re passport-less.'

The airline explained that requesting travellers to surrender their passports is not part of Qantas's standard policy but a requirement imposed by Thai immigration authorities to legally permit foreign nationals to exit the airport following the cancellation of an international flight.

But it is not clear why the airport staff requested the passports, which could have been used to exit via the standard immigration desks and return again with the need for a visa.

Some holidaymakers expressed shock at the policy. One said: 'I've never heard of anything like this before.'

Another added: 'That's not standard practice for flight cancellations. I wouldn't hand my passport to anyone. What if they lost it?'

A Qantas spokesman said: 'As the flight was delayed and customers needed to stay in accommodation overnight, in line with Thailand Immigration regulations, passengers were required to temporarily hand their passports to immigration officials in order to exit the airport and transfer to their hotel.

'Local border authorities are required to hold passengers' passports during significant delays in line with immigration regulations.

'We sincerely apologise to customers for the disruption and understand the inconvenience this would have caused to their travel plans. Our teams worked hard to get passengers on their way as quickly as possible, and all passengers have now arrived in Sydney.'

Qantas is Australia's largest airline and its flag carrier. Founded in 1920, it is one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Qantas operates domestic and international flights, known for its safety record, extensive network, and iconic kangaroo logo.