Review of Thai Airways flight from Lahore to Bangkok in Economy

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Having brought you Flight-Report.com's FIRST PIA report, FIRST Shaheen Air report and the FIRST Lahore report, I am very proud to present the web's FIRST Lahore-Bangkok Flight Report !

Thai Airways

Thai Airways International is the national flag carrying airline of the Royal Kingdom of Thailand,headquartered in Bangkok with it's primary hub based at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Suvarnabhumi translates as “ The Golden Land”.
Thai Airways has has a massive Asian route network and Bangkok truly is the Heart of Asia.
Known as Thai ,Thai Airways,or Thai International, the airline was formed in 1960 with assistance from SAS Scandinavian Airlines. Thai and SAS were both founding members of the Star Alliance which was created in 1997 to provide seamless travel across the globe between partner airlines.
As a very young aviation fan living in The Netherlands in 1993,I loved collecting airline memorabilia and was starting out gathering airline information. I was once going through the Phone Directory of airline offices and Thai Airways had a large advert so I though I would write to them to request some information.
Thai has long since stopped flying to Amsterdam and moved it’s operation to Holland’s Benelux neighbour Brussels. Strange when one thinks Jet Airways relocated a decade long Brussels hub to Amsterdam !
Anyway I contacted the airline’s Amsterdam office and they sent me a huge package of brochures and leaflets ; bear in mind that in 1993,there was no Internet,Facebook,Social Media etc etc and all research had to be done by phone,by post or to receive some giveaways from family/associates who had flown somewhere. So I was in Airline Heaven ; Thai Airways went all out to keep me well informed about their products and services.
Through the brochures and the pages of the airline’s inflight magazine “Sawasdee” I learned about Thai Airways service philosophy and how important each passenger is to Thai Airways as well as learning about the Kingdom of Thailand and it's traditions,festivals,food,music,arts and fashion plus much more .
Over the years and after moving to the UK, the London office of Thai Airways have continued to send me Sawasdee magazine here and there as well as numerous brochures and giveaways. Some items below are from Customer Relations in Bangkok. An exclusive collection is shown below and includes :
A poster of the Queen in Thai livery..actually bigger than it looks !

Thai Airways Bag ( front and back )

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Sawasdee Inflight magazines

Royal Special Issue Sawasdee magazines ( tribute to King Bhumibol and the new King )

A380 Inaugural Heathrow flight seatbelt keyring
A380 cutesy Keyring
UK Bus Ticket holder
Pens
Luggage Tag
Writing Kit
Safety Card
Bangkok-Stockholm Economy and Premium Economy Menucards ( no longer offered and Premium Economy no longer exists ! )

Courteousy of a collector - Branded destination tag ( PIA also used to do these and I have a very colourful collection ! )

In 1999, Thai Airways London sent me a big hardback Thai Recipes book which I gave to my (now Late) College Tutor as a gift

Thai Airways at Lahore ; a history and review of operations

Thai Airways commenced Bangkok-Lahore service in 1994,barely a year after I first showed interest in the airline. The service used to be operated by the A300-600R but was upgraded to a daily A330-300 in the last few years. In Summer 2016 the Bangkok-Lahore-Bangkok service was operated by B777-200 aircraft and reverted back to the A330-300 from the start of the Winter 2016/2017 schedule.
Here is a look at Thai Airways Winter 2016/2017 Lahore schedule ;
TG345 BKKLHE 1925/2240 A330-300
TG346 LHEBKK 2345/0610 A330-300
The route has been very successful due to expat Pakistanis flying all over Asia and Australia via Bangkok as well as Lahore based Thai’s going home to visit family,not to mention Business Travellers who travel frequently between Pakistan and Asia/Australia as well as to build trade between Pakistan and Thailand.
Thai Airways Pakistan have also previously sponsored the annual Basant (Kite flying Festival) in Lahore and Karachi

Another unique feature of Thai Airways flights from Bangkok to Pakistan and vice versa,is that all inflight meals are Halal ( food prepared to Islamic tradition).Halal means permitted/allowed in Arabic. The meals for Thai Airways Pakistan flights are catered from Bangkok and the flights back to Bangkok carry the return sector meals. Preordering a MOML (Muslim Meal) is therefore not necessary.
Thai Airways has a dedicated Halal Kitchen facility in Bangkok which is a sign of the dedication that Thai Airways shows it's Muslim passenger base.
Thai Airways advert from the airline's Pakistan homepage

Thai Airways / Turkish Airlines / Star Alliance

As the majority of this trip is with Turkish Airlines and both Turkish and Thai are in the Star Alliance,I am able to boost my Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles account by flying this Thai Airways flight ! ( relevant fare classes apply ). Thai Airways are one of just 3 Star Alliance member airlines flying to Pakistan,the other two being Turkish Airlines and Air China . Previously SWISS,Lufthansa,Ethiopian and Sabena ( now Brussels Airlines) all flew to Pakistan although the latter two were not Star Alliance members. Swissair ( now SWISS) and Sabena actually used to be in the Qualiflyer Alliance !

Thai Airways Brand,Logo and Slogan

During its formative years, when THAI was mainly a regional airline, the aircraft carried a logo which became known as the 'dancing man', a stylised image of a Thai classical dancer. Thai Airways' original "dancing man" logo was designed by Prince Kraisingh Vudhijaya. It depicts a traditional Thai dancer.The font was also used by Scandinavian Airlines System who co-owned the airline at the time. The early livery was also very similar to the ones uses by SAS.
By the mid 1970s, when THAI had greatly extended its global reach, a new design was considered desirable, to project a more modern and international image. The design chosen, created by Landor Associates, was the purple,magenta and gold 'jumpee', which incorporated elements of traditional Thai imagery, the gold of temples and rich colours of tropical orchids as well as the headdress of a traditional Thai dancer. The Thai wording was with a capital T and lower case their onwards with an angled Thai Airways orchid style logo.
In an industry where brand is the ultimate differentiator, Thai Airways saw an opportunity to use its unique heritage to further strengthen its market position and build its reputation as a premium global carrier.
In 2005, the current Thai Airways brand and logos were introduced ; Interbrand developed a brand with deep cultural relevance, which required a full insight into the finer points of Thai culture to better understand the country and its people. Interbrand also conducted a review of the Thai Airways brand to understand the customer experience across all segments and classes. The current Thai logo is completely in upper case ( all capital letters) and is reminiscent of the rooftops of Thai temples/houses along with a perfectly aligned orchid logo.The airline's slogan is "Smooth As Silk" which highlights the effortless and seamless inflight service which Thai Airways exhibits on each of it's flights.
The Thai Airways livery until 2005 and the current livery…both outstandingly beautiful !

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Branded Bangkok Bag Tag

Thai Airways London Black Cab !

Thai Airways has many unique features in it’s onboard service which are highlighted below.

Royal Orchid Service

Royal Orchid Service is the official name of Thai Airways inflight service; the concept and philosophy behind Royal Orchid Service is service with a smile, gracious hospitality from the heart and to show high priority to each and every passenger.

The Welcome Aboard "Wai"

When boarding a Thai Airways aircraft and when being welcomed anywhere in Thailand, the official greeting is the Wai,which consists of a slight bow of the head, with the palms pressed together with the fingertips pointing upwards in a prayer like manner . The higher the hands are held in relation to the face and the lower the bow, the more respect the giver of the Wai is showing.
The Wai is traditionally observed upon formally entering a house. The Wai is also used commonly as a way to express gratitude or to apologise, a similar concept to the Italian “Ciao” for hi and bye !

Traditional Silk Airhostess Uniform

THAI is the only airline with an inflight uniform change policy for female Cabin Crew. Where a lot of airlines have different serving jackets/aprons for the inflight service, female Cabin Crew on international Thai Airways routes are required to change from their corporate purple and pink suits (for use outside the cabin) into traditional Thai dresses (as seen below ) prior to boarding of a flight. They are also required to change back into the Western Style Purple/Pink uniform prior to landing .
On Thai Airways domestic flights only the Western uniform is worn. Traditional Thai Silk dresses are only seen onboard THAI aircraft or in THAI's Premium Lounges in Bangkok. Each Airhostess has a choice of colour she can wear resulting in an onboard potpourri of colour as shown ! Airhostesses working on the left side of the aircraft have to have the Sabai strap although other Airhostesses don't !
Furthermore these Thai dresses are only seen at promotional events or at new aircraft delivery ceremonies.
Female Cabin Crew of nationalities other than Thai are not allowed to wear the traditional Thai attire.
Male flight attendants also have onboard suit jackets that differ from those worn on the ground.

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Fresh Orchids for every female passenger

Travellers who have visited Thailand will know the importance of orchids in hospitality. In a hotel room, for instance, they are placed on pillows and on towels. At restaurants, they might garnish a plate. Thai Airways similarly spreads the flowers throughout the Premium Cabins, presenting them in small bouquets on the side table at each seat in Royal First and Royal Silk ( Business Class ) , on trays delivering any requested items to guests and as corsages as part of the flight attendant uniform. ( Currently, Airhostesses do not wear the Orchid and instead wear a black ribbon following the Respected King Bhumibol’s death) The airline has even named its frequent flyer program, Royal Orchid Plus, after the . Purple Orchids symbolise Royalty and Respect in Thai culture.
Nowadays the Orchids are only given in Business Class….but please see a special treat further on !

Thailand In The Sky

Wherever Thai Airways flies, Thai traditions and culture fly with it. Thai Airways notes its inspiration in traditional Thai hospitality. “Wherever you are flying, savour Thai inspired elegance with exclusive interiors weaving together ultra luxe contemporary hospitality design, traditional motifs and textures, divine comfort and surprising innovations and service touches.” From wall murals to cabin panel motifs ( Thai’s modern day fleet has plain white cabin panels/walls),every part of the cabin is Thai inspired.
Video about travelling Smooth as Silk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00OAX_V4HQA
Home is where the heart is…And Bangkok is the heart of Asia !

After your exclusive introduction to Thai Airways, let's fly Thai Airways on their scheduled flight TG346 from Lahore to Bangkok !
My Itinerary so far - Star Alliance Dreams are made of this !

1. Manchester MAN ✈ IST Istanbul Ataturk |Turkish Airlines, A321-200, Economy
2. IST Istanbul Ataturk ✈ LHE Lahore Allama Iqbal |Turkish Airlines, B737-800, Economy
3. LHE Lahore Allama Iqbal ✈ BKK Bangkok Suvarnabhumi |Thai Airways, A330-300, Economy
4. BKK Bangkok Suvarnabhumi ✈ IST Istanbul Ataturk |Turkish Airlines, A321-200, Economy
5. IST Istanbul Ataturk ✈ Manchester MAN |Turkish Airlines, A321-200, Economy

TG346 FastFacts
Aircraft
A330-300 Airborne November 2009
Registration
HS-TES
Name
Sukhtothai ( capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom, north of Bangkok )
Previous flight Tokyo Narita to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
Next flight Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Phomh Penh and back then Bangkok to Phuket then Phuket to Hong Kong
STD/ ATD 2345PM/2352pm
STA/ATA 0610AM / 0544AM ( flightradar24 was a minute out ! )
Flight Time 3 hours 53 minutes

Airports I have seen Thai in or have flown with Thai from/to
LHR/BKK/LHE/AMS
The Thai Airways website gets top marks for ease of use and allowing online seat selection from the time of booking. I wish all Star Alliance Airlines had this facility.
Shown is my original seat 32K booked since August 2016, until someone took 32J next door……………………………………………………just 3 weeks before departure :(

After a 4 hour bus journey from my family home to Lahore and a 50 minute jumpy rickshaw journey to Lahore Airport, I simply could not wait to get onboard Thai Airways and fly to Bangkok !
TIP ; Rickshaws are not allowed into the Departures/Arrival areas of Lahore Airport . To save yourself from lugging your baggage from outside the terminal car park, please book a taxi from Central or surrounding Lahore. Uber and Careems are the two main taxi operators with vetted drivers and nice clean cars. Otherwise you can hail a normal cab which is also clean and cheap.
Just a few days before my flight, a 777-200 had operated TG345/6 and I was hoping that I wouldn't end up on an aged 777 !
Salaam Alaikum Lahore Airport !

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The Departures Board showing TG346 to Bangkok !

Tracking Info

Check In

Only passengers can enter the terminal building and you have to show your ticket to the Duty Security officer ; said officer made me chuckle when he asked where I was flying after looking at my ticket !
I then had to get my suitcase and all hand luggage scanned. Another security officer then approached me to look at my passport,asked where I was going and where I live. Friendly chit chat I never mind so long as the person is sincere which he was !
I then went to the rather empty looking Thai Airways checkin for tonight’s flight to Bangkok. There were around 2 gents ahead of me and the latter was flying to Ningbo which the check in agent's colleague found funny and mentioned Ningbo as Ning-Bo !
It was then my turn to check in and an extremely pleasant gentleman asked for my ticket and passport. The handling agent for Thai Airways in Lahore Airport is SAPS ( Shaheen Airport Services).
I was relieved that my suitcase was only 22kg considering I could barely lift it. I was further happy that I was within my 30kg baggage limit.
Thai Airways Checkin at Lahore

Every airport should have one !

Once checked in I asked if the flight was busy and was told it was fairly busy. I asked for my seat to be changed from 35K to one where the next seat was free. I was changed to 45K and thank my lucky stars for this,even though it was just behind the wing. I was told that 45J would be kept free until required. In the end ( read on) I was happy as to whom the seat had been allocated ! I was checked in by 2130pm having arrived at Lahore Airport just 15 minutes earlier.
I requested a Thai Airways baggage label and was told I don't need one. I needed one as a first flight on TG mementoe and was then given one..
My first ever Thai Airways Boarding Pass !

And first ever cabin baggage tag !

And first ever Bag Tag receipt !

I then had to clear Passport Control which was done by a lovely lady. Pakistani Immigration Officials are so polite and so friendly compared to Istanbul’s. Thereafter another security check of hand baggage followed. Upon entering the Departures hall I was delighted that Wateen ( Pakistani Telecoms Company) offered free WiFi. No signup or all that pallava ; simply press wifi and you are logged in ! I notified the family in Pakistan and the UK that I had checked in.
TG346 tonight would be departing from gate 23 ; on this gate already was a Batik Air 737-900 in it’s new livery ( having been rebranded from Malindo Air) boarding for Kuala Lumpur. I didn’t manage to get a good enough snap of the Batik Air 737-900 so here is a stock photo of the beautiful ethnic style livery !

and their cute Cabin Crew !

From April 3rd 2017, Malindo Air is reducing the daily service between Kuala Lumpur and Lahore to five flights a week . Further change sees the Boeing 737-800 replacing the Boeing 737-900ER from November 2nd 2017.
I took a few snaps of the refreshment and shopping outlets. I freshened up and realised I had left my scarf at the last security checkpoint which luckily is right next to where Departures begins. I headed back towards the security checkpoint.
I asked a security officer if I can retrieve my scarf which just happened to be lying in a tray next to us ! He advised to go ahead and a female colleague of his said that I had remembered just in time !
Lahore Airport International Departures Lounge and Shopping Area

Staff at Lahore Airport are extremely friendly and display high levels of friendliness and professionalism. However one such staff member had clearly rolled out the wrong side of bed before starting his duty today.After the Batik Air flight had long gone, I went to Gate 23 to make a further enquiry about the passenger load. I saw from the uniform that this chap is also from SAPS Handling ( who also checked me in ) and here is the conversation ;
TheWindowSeat : “ Hi Sir,are you from Thai Airways, I have a question about the passenger load”
Mr IHatePassengers ; “ I cannot help you ; please take a seat” then smiles like he has won the lottery which I found rude and condescending
I then told him that I hadn’t even asked my question and that he was being rude to which he denied being rude and then said that he is not from Thai Airways ( erm did I not ask you that to begin with?)
I then sat down next to one of his colleagues in the departure lounge in front of gate 23 ; he was actually very nice. I advised him that his colleagues way is no way to speak to passengers. Mr IHatePassengers listened but didn’t show any emotion. Perhaps he was a robot ?
I have worked for some of the world’s top airlines in face to face and non customer facing roles and wouldn’t have dreamed of speaking to a passenger in this way. But hey, if you can get away with it why not ? Thank God this guy was not handling Thai or things would have been escalated within Thai Airways. It only takes one bad egg to ruin an entire experience.
Luckily I was too happy at flying Thai to care too much. I have since logged a complaint and had no reply showing that this guy’s attitude is supported by like minded management.
I bought a refreshing Pineapple Juice,as a salute to the Tropical Paradise I would be in a few hours later. An AirBlue flight to Jeddah was departing soon and their A321 looked beautiful as it parked up on gate 22 from an inbound flight ( whereabouts unknown).
At 2232pm I saw my ride to Bangkok whizz on down onto Lahore's runway and she took around 7 minutes to taxi to gate 23. I had a ringside seat as it were and saw all of the inbound passengers coming off looking fresh and happy ; many had connected from Australia and all over Asia to head to Lahore.
I sat and looked at the A330 in awe ; I imagined the team of inflight professionals who would be flying me to Bangkok tonight and I hoped that Thai Airways would be everything I have dreamed of for over 2 decades.
My ride to Bangkok ,A330-300 HS-TES "Sukhothai" taxying to her gate in Lahore as TG345

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Coming onto stand

HS-TES in daylight silky colours !
Photo courteousy of Teerawaut Wongdee

Passengers coming off TG345

And the exciting wait to board TG346 !

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Boarding

Boarding finally commenced at 2320pm, initially for Royal Silk and the upper levels of Star Alliance. After this there was a scrum ; a huge queue with no control formed,staff made announcements by loudly shouting which rows could board. I mentioned to the Supervisor as to why tannoy announcements aren’t made and he said that this was a previously tested and failed method. Still boarding managed to take place without incident. Passengers with wheelchairs and pushchairs got priority too as is necessary with the extra time needed for boarding.
This is it ! Time to fly " Smooth As Silk "from Lahore to Bangkok !

And finally….the scene I have imagined a thousand or more times….walking through the Airbridge and seeing the Thai Airways Airhostesses welcoming passengers onboard. I then got a glimpse at the Airhostesses boarding the flight. They were both stood on either end of door L2 ; one in a dusty pink and lilac combination Silk Dress and the other in all purple. Both were very pretty and were saying Sawasdee Ka to each passenger. I noted that instead of Orchids,they were wearing black ribbons in memory of King Bhumibol’s death in 2016. I was directed to my seat and I passed the smiling Inflight Manager who also wished me Sawasdee Krub ( Krub for males and Ka for females) and I shook his hand.
Once inside the cabin,Jazz music was playing. I have seen this on youtube videos and find it odd that Thailand has such beautiful oriental sounding music and that Thai instrumental music that could be played,but hey,it still lightened the mood.
As the seat next to me was taken, I took a photo of the row behind and noted that one blanket was wrapped and one wasn’t. Incidentally on my own seat,the blanket had been used ; not such a great thing from a hygiene point of view and the only negative for the whole flight so I guess we can let that go !

Boarding continues

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I then introduced myself to my neighbour, a charming and lovely Dr who lives in Sydney but had been to Pakistan to visit his family. He would be a real gentleman and pleasure to have as a travel buddy on the flight.
Boarding was complete by around 2340pm and the Captain made a welcome announcement in Thai and English followed by an announcement from the Inflight Manager.
The safety video was shown

and we pushed back at 2342pm. Notes Shaheen Air's A330 which recently stopped flying from islamabad to Manchester and now carries out Pakistan-Saudi Arabia flights instead.

How funny…that the safety video is advising mobiles to go off…note the gentlemen in front of me though ! Not to mention myself with my Smartphone ! Classic shot !
Lights were dimmed

and then the cabin went into the standard night time dim mode.

A female Airhostess,possibly the Senior Crew member who had started an announcement, had to cut it short as we had arrived at the runway ( double bell sound in the cabin meaning crew need to take their seats for take off )!
I really think that airlines into Lahore should be mindful that the Lahore Airport runway is very close to the terminal building and announcements shouldn’t run out midway ! This has happened with Qatar Airways in 2008 where the safety video finished just seconds before take off. The concept is similar to Emirates gate 12 at Manchester Airport which is so close to the usually used Runway 2.
It was 2350pm and with gradual force, HS-TES aka TG346 began her rotation down the runway at Lahore, just after liftoff we had some beautiful views of Lahore until we headed up high into the clouds and darkness meaning no expected views of India which I had really wanted to see.

The Washrooms

The washroom featuring Thai's own brand Divana cologne…very nice and the same scent is used for refresher towelettes !

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Inflight Catering

Thai Airways no longer give out menucards in Economy Class and as such the menu for any Thai Airways flight can be viewed on the seatback or inseat video screen.
Having been raised on Pakistani food all my life,in the UK and Pakistan,then having departed Lahore ( Pakistan!) I was thoroughly surprised and excited to see a Pakistani option on offer ( and it smelt delectable ! )…needless to say ,most passengers went for the Pakistani option ! Bizarre Intercultural love for food if there ever was any !

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2 Airhostesses ( one from Boarding and another in a Lime green dress) came by with meals. As I was sat in 45K, two rows from the back of the first Economy section, " Mirchi Murgh" aka the Pakistani Chilli Chicken Option had run out.
Ms Lime Green kindly asked me and my neighbour if we could wait and she will get more meals. We waited and then a short while later she came by again and advised she won’t be long.
Waiting for the main course to take a photo for the report !

In the end we both got a Beef Piccatta in Thai Tomatoe Sauce with Linguine and steamed Thai vegetables ( which were delicious ! )
The Soya bread roll which preceeded the meal was deeply delicious and I mean that !

Linguine is hard enough to eat on the ground and is never my choice of Pasta. But to have to eat within the confines of an aircraft,believe me it was quite a challenge. I love Thai Airways cutlery,which although is plastic,has chunky handles to avoid easy breakage or snapping inside meal. The fish was quite tough to cut but tasted great all the same !
The Ginger and Matoom fruit jelly for dessert was equally delectable ( and easy to cut ! ). My neighbour dropped his fork and was given a full cutlery pack in replacement by a smiling Airhostess…now that is service !!!
The cutlery packs don’t have salt and pepper although the food is perfectly seasoned but do include toothpicks, surely a luxury in today’s costcutting age, but no salt and pepper ?!

An array of drinks were on offer but I made sure to keep the Coke and Ice topped up. My neighbour asked for a Coke Zero and didn’t get one until much later. Tea and Coffee is only served after the meal service is over.
Inflight Meal in Thai Economy from Lahore to Bangkok

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And unwrapped !

Inflight Entertainment

I was more interested in the Thai Airways and Thailand sections of the Video entertainment as the other IFE although extensive,didn't excite me as much ! Although listening to Bruno Mars 24k Magic In The Air whilst in the air was a sensational few minutes !
The pleasure of proper headsets in Economy Class….last experienced in 2005 onboard PIA !

IFE Userface

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Time to see where we are. A small annoyance of the Airshow Moving Map on this 2009 built A330 ,is that the portion of the journey that has been completed vanishes and only the remaining journey shows !

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Learn about Thai Airways's destinations from your seat !

Whilst I am no stranger to Pakistani customs and traditions,I absolutely loved this travel guide to Lahore which showed the best of Pakistani culture !

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IFE for the young and young at heart

Advert showing Muay Thai Kickboxer Buakaw Banchamek.
In the advert,Thai Airways set him the challenge to make more connections ( hit a punchbag) in 30 seconds than Thai Airways has connections from Bangkok in a day ! Nice try but you must have very very fast punching skills if ,in 30 seconds, you can beat the number of flights TG has in a day from BKK !

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Seatpocket Contents

Sawasdee Magazine March 2017

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English Language Thai newspapers in the literature racks

The seat was reasonably comfortable until Mr 44K reclined into my face ; however I was more shocked that my preferred bulkhead choice 31K of 31JK was occupied by a miserable Aussie couple who had their feet on the bulkhead wall for a long time ; whereas I had believed these seats to be bassinett seats for babies. I had then chosen 32K and someone had allocated 32J. I then allocated 35K and was then moved next to Australia’s Top Doctor on 45K !
The seat had a footrest but no power port ; this I find unusual as this same aircraft flies to major cities like Dubai,Hong Kong,Tokyo.
My lovely travel buddy agreed to swap seats with me as he is much slimmer and wouldn't be affected by a reclining seat and wanted to sleep anyway. So I was Mr 45J for a while !
Footrest whilst sat on 45J

The seatback screen was a throwback to 1999,the year this aircraft was built ; the touchscreen just about worked but the remote handset enhanced the user experience and brought us into 2017 again !

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Thai mural on Cabin wall at the back of the second Economy zone

Seats reserved for……..Cabin Crew for rest ! Complete with washed,unused and hygienic blankets !

Cabin Crew

I crown my first ever Thai Airways flight report by giving a massive shout out to the Cabin Crew ! The Inflight Manager was very happy that I am a Thai Airways fan and was deeply courteous throughout the flight. When I came out of a rear washroom, a smiling Airhostess in Dark Turquoise uniform smiled at me and handed me an A380 themed writing kit ! I found this so thoughtful and touching. Another Airhostess brought me eyeshades and yet another Royal Silk Class printed menucards. All on my request apart from the writing kit but still brought with professional aplomb and sincerity.
In the galley I was invited to try Business Class Desserts ( the yellow cheesecake with Cranberries was simply divine !).
A380 branded writing kit ; given with a touch of Thai !

Business Class Desserts on offer for me ! I only tried the Cheesecake with Cranberries which was divine but wish I had had room for the rest !

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The most touching gesture was by Ms LimeGreen uniform ; once meals had been served and lights had been dimmed and I was viewing the IFE system, I became aware of someone arrive next to my seat. I looked up and the lovely Airhostess said that she felt really bad that I hadn’t got my meal choice and that my neighbour hadn’t had his coke zero ( he had eventuallly got a full long can ! ) and that as a gesture she wanted to give me a gift, a symbol of Thailand ; An Orchid flower !
These blooms used to be given to all female passengers but are now only given in Business Class and Above so what a privilege !
We both immediately went to the galley where an orchid pinning ceremony was held and I had a photo having an Orchid pinned on me ! This truly was a matter of pride and honour. It is these touches that I have read about for decades that set Thai Airways apart from other airlines.
Some gifts from the crew including eyeshades,writing kit,menucards,

Royal Silk Menucard Listing

plus this cutey pie !!!
Cute although I am past the age of cute aircraft car balloons ! My baby nphhew can have fun playing with this :)

Inflight Literature from TG346

Midflight Coke with Ice

Looking at the best transport mode from Suvarnabhumi to downtown !

Orchid for me ( my neighbour was asleep so missed out ! )

Prelanding drinks being readied for passengers

Thailand in view ! So exciting !

Nearly there !

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Bangkok Suvarnabhumi arrivals video ! Very useful and also available to view on youtube !

At 0535am,after a lovely and exciting flight and after the cabin secure check ( and having had my suitjacket brought back to me)the aircraft began a sudden descent for Bangkok. It felt like being a long fast car that was speeding and slowing at the same time !
At 0544am,26 minutes ahead of schedule,TG346 smoothly landed at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and so would begin my Thai Holiday !
Sawasdee Thailand ! Rubbish photo but superior holiday ! And it all started onboard Thai Airways !

I am deeply grateful to Thai Airways for making my first flight a phenomena,one I will always remember. It is amazing how a great Inflight Manager can inspire happiness and confidence in the crew and in turn,aviation fans like me get “smooth as silk” inflight experiences !
The cabin upon disembarkation.

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As I collected my belongings,I told the crew members stood near me that they were amazing and I was thanked for liking them ! The crew had donned plastic gloves and were doing a "cabin sweep" checkign seatpockets and also for any personal items that may have been left behind.
Farewell HS-TES " Sukhothai"…I doubt I will fly in a Thai A330 again as the A350 comes in to replace these Asian workhorses !

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The bus to the terminal ;

After landing at BKK, I was one of very few LHE passengers who were ending their journey in Bangkok. Staff meeting the bus at terminal seemed to have have a sever case of "not woken up yet mode"..not the Airport Of Smiles,more land of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Not a good impression at all.
As I approached the Immigration Official,he jokingly asked if the Thai Bahts in my Passport were a gift for him !
I then got severe Bangkok Belly and I mean severe and went to use the washrooms.
And by the time I got to the baggage belt,right on queue…the famous Blue case !

Even though the TG961 flight from Stockholm arrived considerably ahead of our flight from Lahore, passengers were still leaving the terminal and being met in arrivals way upto 0700am !

Just what one needs on arriving into Bangkok for the first time…inspiration to visit Egypt !! erm…ok !!!
This is Gateway, the free magazine of Airports of Thailand ( AOT). The same name has been used in the past for airport magazines of Glasgow International and Frankfurt.

I thought I was back in the UK for a moment ! The first ever Boots Pharmacy I have seen outside the United Kingdom !

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The convenient way to travel from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to Downtown Bangkok…the Airport Rail Link ! THB45.00 to Phaya Thai Station ( pronounced Piya Thai )

I then caught the Airport Rail link from Suvarnabhumi to Phaya Thai Station,. At Phaya Thai Station I exited via a lift to get a taxi from the friendly taxi booking desk and saw a very smart Norwegian Airlines Airhostess (Bangkok base ) in my lift ; I told her how nice her uniform looked after only having seen it in photos. She asked if I had flown Norwegian and wished me a lovely stay in Bangkok !
I had made contact with Thai Airways ahead of arriving into Thailand and expressed my interest in Thai. A very lovely staff member arranged for this Rimowa amenity kit from Royal First Class to be waiting for me at my hotel. Now talk about an exclusive gift eh ?! Even more exclusive when you take into account the expensive asking prices for such kits on ebay. I felt like a King !

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Crackers and Water from the Crew to nibble on enroute to or at my hotel…how cute !

Flight Report Exclusive !

I was so happy with my very first Thai Airways flying experience that on one of my free days in Bangkok I went to the Thai Airways ticket office in Larn Luang Road ( which happened to be just minutes from my hotel ) to buy memorabilia from the Thai Airways gift shop located inside the Ticket Office.
I didn’t have enough cash so had to dash back to the hotel and come back to become the overjoyed owner of an aircraft model,cap and pens ! That should show my level of passion towards Thai Airways !

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Further Exclusive ! Glimpses of Bangkok - just for my Flight-Report.com friends :)
Thailand - The Land Of Smiles

My Hotel Room - Dimpy and Stimpy my room mates aka my bathtowels !

And
The Grand Palace - despite the massive complex this is on, this is the ACTUAL Grand Palace !

Wat Arun - Temple Of Dawn ( although covered in scaffolding, I can attest that the Temple Of Dawn will look dazzling once the restoration is complete.

Tuk Tuk Sir ?!

When in Thailand….

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Democracy Monument

Rama 8 Bridge