After a few days in HKG, it was time to head to BKK. My last trip to Bangkok was in the mid 1990's and i'm sure that things have changed, hopefully for the better. Just like the last time I flew there, i was going to get aboard Thai Airways, but this time I will be in J instead of Y.
My schedule:
SFO-HKG on SQ Premium Economy - click here
HKG-BKK on TG Business - you are here
BKK-HKG on TG Business - click here
HKG-SFO on SQ Premium Economy - click here
Again I took the Airport Express to HKG but this time I did it from Central and I had an opportunity to use the free In Town Check-In service which went smoothly. I really appreciated this service since it saves time and pax don't have to worry about lugging their bags on their way to the airport.
Central HK Airport Express station.
I love this TG boarding pass.
Arriving in HKG.
There was no special line for J pax so I used the regular one and after about 10-15 min. going through security and Immigration I was at the other side. I was familiar with the Oneworld and *A lounges at HKG so I decided to spend some time at the SQ lounge.
Singapore SilverKris Lounge
The lounge was full but thankfully my sister and I were able to find some unoccupied "solo" seats in the back.
There is a small room by the entrance and then a hallway with WC's on the side. At the end of the hallway you face the bar and the area reserved for F pax is on the left side. The J section is to the right of the bar.
Bar.
Seating area.
Buffet.
The buffet is located behind the bar and offers a wide selection of food. Laksa and wonton soup were available on request and when you place the order the attendant gives you a number that you place by your seat area and is then delivered to you.
My snacks.
I had a Singapore Sling which tasted too sweet in my opinion. The laksa was delicious and is one of my favorite Southeast Asian dishes.
There was a kid crying loudly and the parents were trying desperately to quiet him down. We left the SQ lounge and made a quick stop at the TG Royal Orchid lounge.
After a few minutes it was time to go to the gate.
My plane.
Planespotting.
Boarding commenced in an orderly way with priority given to people in wheelchairs followed by premium pax.
There was nobody at the door to greet pax. I saw an inflight manager (golden jacket) pass by but he did not make an effort to engage with any pax. As a matter of fact on both TG flights I get the impression that the inflight managers are there to direct the crew and have minimal contact with pax. Eventually a crew member greets and welcomes us aboard.
Cabin.
Seat.
Pillow, blanket, headphones and a set of menus were already waiting at the seat.
Menu.
Hot towels were brought and pre-dept. drinks offered.
The J cabin fills up to about 80-90% and the doors are closed. The safety video is played and we are on our way.
More plane spotting.
Bye HKG.
Cabin after take off.
A quick visit to the WC before the meal service starts.
It's nice that TG has real towels instead of paper ones.
The FA asks for our meal and beverages choices. i chose the Thai set.
The horror of opening the tray table! Do airplanes ever get cleaned? This sight is enough to kill one's appetite. :P
Drink service starts. We were given some brown rice crackers in a bag which I later find is the same snack that is offered in the back. The FA is charming and introduces herself telling us to let her know if we needed anything else.
The tablecloth is laid down and the tray arrives.
The fish curry is a bit dry.
Cutlery.
The meal was very average. Afterwards the trays were cleared and a coconut panna cotta with red beans was served. It was good.
I took the opportunity to stretch my legs. Here is a view of the galley after the J cabin.
Soon we were ready to land in BKK.
There was a Fast Track through Immigration for pax arriving in J and you are asked to present your boarding pass when using this line. We took the City line express train to Phayathai station and from there connected to the BTS Skytrain to Chit Lom for the Intercontinental hotel.
This hotel is in a very convenient location next to the BTS (Chit Lom) station. Please bear in mind that not all stations have lifts and even escalators, so if you have big suitcases it might be a challenge to get around. The IC checks all the marks for a 5-star property with staff that is top notch and willing to please. The lobby is grandiose and the rooms are spacious. Pool is a bit on the small side, but the gym and sauna are great.
We checked in at the Club Lounge which has some amazing views of downtown Bangkok. There is a semi buffet for breakfast and the main dishes can be ordered from the "a la carte" menu. Afternoon tea is hearty with all different types of savory and sweet items. I did not partake of the evening cocktail because of oversleeping and decided to go to a restaurant instead, but i understand that it is amazing with a great selection of free flowing liquor. Maybe next time.
Exterior.
Lobby.
Room.
Gym & pool.
Club Lounge.
View from the Club.
Breakfast.
Afternoon tea.
Contemporary high end mall with modern architecture. Eathai is located in its basement and it consists of different stands selling "street" food. Open House in the top floor is a combination of bookstore and eateries.
Eathai.
Open House.
"My last trip to Bangkok was in the mid 1990's and i'm sure that things have changed, hopefully for the better." -> Once upon a time... ;)
SQ lounge buffet looks good as usual.
The laksa is always a must eat. ;)
The inflight experience is a bit disappointing with this old cabin and dry curry. On the other side the wine list and menu are quite extensive for such a flight.
Thanks Adan.
Salut Clement!
" Once upon a time... ;)"
- You don't want to know. :P
"The laksa is always a must eat. ;)"
- It's irresistible. Once upon a time when I was in Singapore I fell in love with this bowl of laksa. It was love at first sight. ;)
"On the other side the wine list and menu are quite extensive for such a flight."
- i' like your positive attitude. :P
Merci Clement. Toujours un plaisir de te rencontrer.
Greetings, Jetsetpanda. A very good morning to you, and thank you for this FR.
"Just like the last time I flew there, i was going to get aboard Thai Airways, but this time I will be in J instead of Y. "
-Ahh the old days of everyone flying 747s..
"Singapore Krisworld Lounge"
-Pardon me, but isn't Krisworld their IFE system, and their lounges are called Silverkris?
I see that lounge food hasn't been a victim of SQ's cost-cutting measures they've implemented as of late. Everything sure looks good! I imagine they can't afford to lose customers to another cost-cutting airline in the form of CX.. Competition sure is good for us consumers
"As a matter of fact on both TG flights I get the impression that the inflight managers are there to direct the crew and have minimal contact with pax."
-Odd. Laissez-Faire attitude towards passengers is almost unwarranted aboard Asian carriers, especially coming from someone whose supposed title is "manager". Maybe they're more involved in other preparations of the flight?
"Hot towels were brought and pre-dept. drinks offered."
-Cheeky promotion of their new destination there on the paper napkins. BKK-VIE on TG vs OS - now that's good rivalry.
"More plane spotting."
-HKG sees many foreign Super-whales, but it's becoming more apparent that CX made the right decision to bet on 77W & A359 instead. Can't imagine they'd do much innovation for their own Super-whale though.
"The fish curry is a bit dry."
-Is that a tiny sliver of aluminum foil I see on one of the fish slices? Quelle horreur!
Was this flight on a 77W or 773? Because I don't think they have any 77W in that configuration - certainly not ones they've sent to Europe. Were you TG-ed?
A pleasant read over breakfast. Might consider getting Thai for dinner to host a special guest. Thanks again for this FR!
Hi there Razza_Pr,
"Ahh the old days of everyone flying 747s"
- Careful with assumptions. Back then I flew on an A330. This time on my return BKK-HKG it was a 744. ;)
"Pardon me, but isn't Krisworld their IFE system, and their lounges are called Silverkris?"
- But the lounges could be just as entertaining. :P I appreciate your keen observation and It's been corrected. Thanks.
" Competition sure is good for us consumers."
- Amen.
"Maybe they're more involved in other preparations of the flight?"
- Perhaps, but a smile or a friendly nod does not take too much effort. I was also surprised at this coming from an Asian carrier.
"Can't imagine they'd do much innovation for their own Super-whale though."
- I agree. Their A350 is beautiful.
"Is that a tiny sliver of aluminum foil I see on one of the fish slices? Quelle horreur!"
-Maybe it is a touch of edible silver, just like those you find in Indian sweets. ;) Of course I did not eat it.
"Was this flight on a 77W or 773?"
- 773. I must have been TG-ed.
"Might consider getting Thai for dinner to host a special guest. Thanks again for this FR!"
- Always a pleasure. Glad I was able to inspire you. :P Thank you for your comments as usual.
"BKK-VIE on TG vs OS - now that's good rivalry."
- Nothing like a good fight among family. :P
Thank you for sharing this FR with us :).
“use the free In Town Check-In service“
- Sounds really convenient.
“I love this TG boarding pass.“
- A regularity that has now become part of a near extinct set of species.
Nice pictures from the lounge.
“My plane.“
- Now you were able to get a great view of it :).
Fantastic spotting and aerial pictures.
Thank you for the lovely bonus at the end.
Have a good one, see you.
Hi RI 777.
"Sounds really convenient."
- It really is.
"Now you were able to get a great view of it :)."
- Finally!
Thanks a lot for your comments.
Silver Kris Lounge in HKG has pros and cons.
Pros: catering is indeed very good, especially the on request meals such as laksa soup
Cons: because catering is good, way too much people gets into this lounge ^^
Pitch onboard triple7 looks very nice and TG catering is much better than CX one.
My guess you are Ambassador member
Thank you Adan
Hi Bernard,
"Silver Kris Lounge in HKG has pros and cons"
- It's not that big so it can get really crowded.
"TG catering is much better than CX one."
- At least they have real desserts. ;)
"My guess you are Ambassador member"
- i represent the marginalized and oppressed. :P
Thanks for your visit and support.
Thanks for sharing the report Adan! Nice aerial view of my hometown^^
The SQ Lounge is the best *A Lounge in HKG. The TG Lounge looks more and more meh recently lol even the HKG UA Club are better. I wish the UA and TG Lounges should be demolished and merged as *A Lounge, but I know my desire is too much…
I am a bit surprised that TG would have the angled flat seats on its B77W. I assumed they are all having the 1-2-1 Solstys J seats as its A380.
“The horror of opening the tray table!” -> I should give you alcohol swabs before^^
Agreed with you that the catering is average where the packed biscuit looks very Y. But for just a 2-hour flight personal it is acceptable.
Hi Ashley,
"Nice aerial view of my hometown^^"
- i think HKG is impressive from any angle. ;)
"I wish the UA and TG Lounges should be demolished and merged as *A Lounge, but I know my desire is too much"
- Who knows, maybe they read this FR and you gave them an idea. :P
"I am a bit surprised that TG would have the angled flat seats on its B77W."
- I think TG has a very inconsistent cabin across its fleet and that has been a major complaint from frequent flyers.
"I should give you alcohol swabs before^^"
- I always carry some too. :P
"Agreed with you that the catering is average where the packed biscuit looks very Y."
- I still can't believe that I was given a Y snack instead of nuts in a bowl. You are right, for 2+ hrs flight the catering is fine.
Thanks for passing by Ashley. Have a great 2018.