Thai Airways » User reviews

NeilARichardson flew Thai Airways Economy, on a B747-400 (Config. 1) (02/01/2012 18:23)

Thai to refit 12 B747 aircraft....... I have just experienced the new refit and can confirm I will never fly Thai Economy every again. Yes on the plus side you can experience average quality built in entertainment system, but at the experience of any leg room. The newly fitted seats include a large metal box beneath each seat that prevents you from extending your legs. A truly awful experience !!!! Having flown Thai (business & Economy) over the last ten years, some 40+ flights where the service has always been excellent despite an ageing fleet. What a disappointment.

OzJohnno flew Thai Airways Royal Silk (business class), on a B777-200ER (10/10/2011 05:53)

We travelled with Thai to Paris via Bangkok on 31/8/2011 and returned on 30/9/2011.

Boarding in Brisbane and transfer in Bangkok went very smoothly. Service on board both flights was excellent with very good food and beverages. The glass of champagne on boarding is a nice touch.

The seats on the two flights were as different as chalk and cheese. On our first leg their "new" business class seats that don't fully recline are only good for watching their IFE - which was quite good. They are almost impossible to get a good nights sleep on. They are too narrow to turn in and being semi-flat at only 160-170 degrees you consciously feel as if you're slipping out. Transfer arrangements and their Royal Silk lounges in Bangkok are very modern with the opportunity to have a relaxing shower in-between flights.

The flight to Paris (TG930) may be on an older configured 777 but the business class seats recline fully flat and thus provide you with a good nights sleep. The food and service was again excellent and I just wish they'd use those type of seats in all their long haul aircraft. For the price Thai provide a very competitive business class service.

TominScotland flew Thai Airways Economy, on a B747-400 (Config. 1) (18/07/2011 08:39)

This review refers to a multi-sector trip with Thai from London to Hanoi via Bangkok and return. For both legs, I was transfering from/ to a domestic UK flight. On the outbound, I checked in in Belfast with bmi and, despite a common flight reference and Star Alliance all the way through, was not permitted to check my bag through so had to collect and re-check at Heathrow. This was a hassle but not a major problem. Check in was routine although there was some lengthy discussion about my visa eligibility in to Vietnam. As a Star Alliance Gold member, I enjoyed the SAS London Lounge in T3 and then headed to the plane. Boarding was delayed by about 75 minutes because of a light problem but once on board, seated in 44C,an aisle seat on one of Thai's revamped 747s with seatback IFE. Seat was fine, with reasonable economy legroom although the IFE box was a bit in the way. Flight was routine despite the delay and arrived only 45 minutes late. Meals were good and well presented. Service is attentive for economy, delivered with good humour and energy.

The connecting flight to Hanoi was on a A330-200. We were bused from the gate as is the case for all regional flights from Bangkok. The cabin is quite tight and, in economy, is 2-4-2 so a good bet is to go for one of the 2s - I was in an aisle seat in 35B. Cold snack box during the 90 minute flight which was fine and arrived a bit early. I did have visa problems in Hanoi due to an error by the organisation I am working for there and was in danger of a quick return to Bangkok. The Thai representative in Hanoi was wonderful and arranged for a local travel agent to sponsor me in (at a moderate cost).

The return was the same route except the domestic sector was with BA to Glasgow. Even though the BA ticket was not linked to my TG ticket to London, the helpful girl at check-in in Hanoi tagged my bag all the way through and held my breath for the next 18 hours (figuratively) to see whether it would follow me all the way through. The lounge in Hanoi is shared by a number of carriers and is improving...... The connecting flight to Bangkok was on the same type of aircraft as before and again I had an aisle seat. Bussed to the terminal in very hot and humid conditions.

Spent the waiting period in Bangkok in the Thai Business Lounge by Gate 3, one I know for certain accept bmi Gold. This is quite small but serves a purpose with a reasonable choice of drinks and free wifi. The treck across the airport to a C gate for the flight would have been wonderful exercise if I had not cut the timing a bit tight!!

I had the same seat on the way back to London and, with one free next to me, slept really well after a great Thai Red Curry for dinner. No individual IFE on this older 747 (something Thai really needs to address) but as I slept for 8 hours did not both me. Really appealing breakfast and arrival in Heathrow some 30 minutes early. Service delightful again. Endless queues at every stage of the transfer to and through T5 but plenty of time for my BA connection. Glasgow flight routine with the option of a second breakfast. Arrived in Glasgow and, low and behold, my suitcase came trundling out, albeit last!!

I can say that if using an Economy product, there are many worse options than Thai. The seats are fine for class with reasonable legroom. Service is warm and helpful and the food is good. The IFE does need updating on some aircraft.

Listener flew Thai Airways Royal First Class, on a B747-400 (Config. 1) (06/10/2010 20:53)

BKK to FRA 747 First Class (daytime flight) connected from SIA and greatly appreciated meet and greet service as flight from SIA was at one of the farthest gates at BKK. Golf Cart to Thai's amazing First Class lounge, utilized all of the services including massages. Boarding: For those who haven't departed BKK in Thai First if you're in the lounge they wait to board Royal First Class passengers last once all other passengers are on board. There's no one at gate security check or on the bridge to aircraft. Staff escort you from lounge through security and right to gate of aircraft. Same 747-400 and pod seats as inbound flight the week before. Arrival: Was met by a very nice gentleman from ground crew who escorted me for my connecting Lufthansa flight to Sao Paulo though he wasn't aware of the Lufthansa First Class lounge in Main Terminal so we backtracked back to lounge. Great service and helpful at every turn!

Listener flew Thai Airways Royal First Class, on a B747-400 (Config. 1) (06/10/2010 20:46)

Always enjoy service on Thai Airways First. Unfortunately they no longer service JFK so routed through Frankfurt with Lufthansa and used their First Class lounge during 9 hour layover. Seat is comfortable for relaxing, eating, working and enjoying films. To sleep a fitted sheet covers the entire length of the seat though it might be nice if they had a mattress pad instead. Sat in 1A outbound 1K on return flight. Both are great seats at the nose of the 747 so quiet and private with no one passing by. Great food but no a la carte section on the menu like other airlines. Good assortment of films and entertainment. Had to have the system rest twice but by the second time it was working just fine. Relaxing cabin and very attentive service by cabin crew, they couldn't have ben nicer or more helpful. Best part at the end is being met by ground-staff and whisked away in purple golf cart to First Class lounge.

chuchuchu flew Thai Airways Economy, on a B747-400 (Config. 1) (01/07/2010 15:34)

HKG to BKK Recently I flew from Hong Kong to Bangkok and back in Thai Airways' economy class. Last time I flew with it was 10 years ago. I do not expect too much as it was B747-400 aircraft which was quite old and equipped with no PTV at all.

SEATS: I had nearly forgot how comfortable that I can travel in economy. With revenue driven nowadays, airlines always think of how to maximize the total capacity by adding more seats into the aircraft, except from Thai airways. It offered 33' pitch in between their seats and provided wide legrooms that I haven't seem for a long time. I did not have to consider the one sitting at the back by inclining my seat throughout the trip.

FOOD: I thought nowadays airlines had skipped the snacks and drinks before lunch/dinner with budget cutting purposes. Surprisingly that they offered nuts and a wide range of drink selection. I could also ordered drinks with multiple attempts. Dinner was delicious and CA kept offering you more drinks. Red wine was the best choice among the selection.

SERVICE: CA was efficient and hard working. I could never think of they are able to distribute snacks/drinks and then dinner/drinks within such a short 2 hours time. Compared to other 5 stars airline, Thai airways service is much more better.

OVERALL: The food is nice. The 33' pitch seats left imprint in my memory. Good service and smile from CA

WOLFEEE flew Thai Airways Royal First Class, on a B747-400 (Config. 1) (30/04/2010 05:07)

roslynb flew Thai Airways Royal First Class, on a A340-600 (26/04/2010 01:54)

I was seated in 1A which is great for a day flight but i do prefer 2C for night flights just a little quieter. the food was dreadful. the champagne not cold and on asking for a glass before landing it was flat.

AnnStimson flew Thai Airways Royal Silk (business class), on a B747-400 (Config. 2) (23/04/2010 17:49)

Flew Royal Silk from LHR to BKK and on to AKL and return. All flights left on time and priority boarding was speedy. Welcomed with a class of champagne and a newspaper. Meals on all flights were not much better than economy meals I have had on other airlines. Main courses already in dishes and put all together on a trolley and handed out from this, no individual service. Good choice of wines and my glass was filled as often as required. Lie flat angled seat was not very comfortable and sleep eluded me. AVOD did not have a good choice of movies and no noise canceling headphones just normal economy headphones with a cotton cover over the earpieces. Royal Silk lounge in Bangkok was comfortable and I enjoyed a free massage and a shower but once again choice of food very poor and limited. Will not fly Thai again

raipol49 flew Thai Airways Royal Silk (business class), on a B747-400 (Config. 1) (22/04/2010 09:19)

Thai Airways B747-400 / B777-200 ER Business Class Flights TG 917 / TG 993 LHR-BKK-SYD

BACKGROUND: Thai Airways currently operates twice daily (lunch time and evening) from London Terminal 3 to Bangkok with good connections in BKK to various points in Asia and Australia. TG 917 is the evening departure.

CHECK-IN HEATHROW: We arrived approx. 2 hrs before the 21.35 departure and there was no queue at the business class (Royal Silk) counter. The pre-booked seats 17J/K could even be improved to 16J/K. Row 16 is the first row in the second section of the upper deck and provides the most space and can’t be pre-booked since it is normally reserved for passengers with senior status in the frequent flyer program. So, check-in undertaken by SAS staff, was a breeze and the suit case check through to Sydney. There was also hardly any queue at the fast track security and within minutes we were on the way to the lounge.

THE LOUNGE IN HEATHROW: Thai is using the SAS lounge in Heathrow which is quite spacious and laid out over two floors. The lounge contains the usual amenities which one would expect. The bar contained the usual drinks stock and some hot and cold food was available. The furnishing of the lounges has clearly a Scandinavian ambiance. Since the Thai flight is the last departure of the day lounge staff started already clearing up before the flight was called.

BOARDING LHR: There was quite a long walk from the lounge to the boarding gate. Here after a few minutes wait we had priority boarding as business class passengers. Once on board on the upper deck we were shown our seats and our coats were taken immediately and a glass of champagne, orange juice or water was offered. The aircraft pushed back on time.

THE SEAT: The aircraft was in a 26 seat lay out (2-2) on the upper deck which meant it was furnished with the new business class product. The seat is angled lie-flat and felt comfortable for dining as well as sleeping. Blanket, pillow, head phone as well as an amenity kit were already placed on the seats. The cabin looked clean and well looked after.

WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE: The upper deck in a Boeing 747 is certainly the place to be. It is quieter and has an intimate feeling. On the upper deck one has additional storage space with the side cupboards next to the window seats. Also passengers with children are usually seated on the main deck. Row 11 (first row) should be avoided since they are next to the toilets as well as row 19 which is next to the galley.

THE FLIGHT: Once the plane had reached cruising height the cabin crew prepared for dinner starting with a traditional Thai fish cake as an appetizer. The main menu offered a choice of western as well as oriental dishes and included salad, main course, cheeseboard and dessert. The dishes were well presented. There was also a good choice of red and white wines as well as a selection of teas. Approx. 2 hrs before landing in Bangkok an additional light meal (western or oriental) was offered. Service was attentive and the crew very friendly and at the end of the flight the serving crew member gave a personal thank you which sums up the good service provided.

IFE: The aircraft was equipped with AVOD. There was a good choice of films in various languages, music and games.

STOP-OVER IN BKK: The flight arrived on time in concourse C and for the approx. 3 hours stop over we made our way to the Thai Royal Silk lounge on the same concourse of the airport. Thai operates two lounges on either side of concourse. However, one was closed and therefore the one open in this part of the terminal was quite crowded bearing in mind it is also in use for all Star Alliance members and it was late afternoon with a lot of departures scheduled during the next 2-3 hours. The lounge provides all the amenities one would expect with good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, hot food, news papers and magazines. In the business section there are a number of pcs with free internet available and this part of the lounge was also very busy. All in all the lounges appeared long and narrow does not look very spacious. Having seen a sign in the lounge for free massage for first and business class passengers we made our way to the Royal Orchid Spa which was nearby. Business class passengers are entitled to one free 30-minute neck and shoulder or foot massage. Since it was not busy we had no problem getting a neck and shoulder massage. Afterwards tea is offered in the very quite and nicely furnished reception area. This was definitely was a good way to kill stop-over time.

BOARDING BKK: After the massage we made our way to gate C10 which is at the end of concourse C and quite a good walk from the Spa. Here we had again priority boarding as business class passengers. Once on board we were shown our seats (row 12 = second row) and our coats were taken immediately and a glass of champagne, orange juice or water was offered. The aircraft pushed back on time.

THE SEAT: The aircraft in use for this flight to Sydney was a B-777 200ER with a 30 seat (2-2-2) lay out in Royal Silk class and furnished with the new business class product. The seat was slightly different but angled lie-flat and felt also comfortable for dining as well as sleeping. Blanket, pillow, head phone as well as an amenity kit were already placed on the seats. The cabin looked again clean and well looked after.

WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE: The first row (row 11) on this aircraft gives one slightly more space but lighting is affecting the tv-screens which are fixed on the wall in front. Row 16, the last row, is relatively noisy since it borders the galley.

IFE: The aircraft was equipped with AVOD and the program was the same as on the LHR-BKK sector. A nice additional channel in the IFE provided on this aircraft is the opportunity to watch take-off and landing through a nose mounted camera.

THE FLIGHT: As on the flight before once the plane had reached cruising height the cabin crew prepared for diner starting again with a traditional Thai fish cake as an appetizer. The main menu offered again a good choice of western as well as oriental dishes and included salad, main course, cheeseboard and dessert. The dishes were again well presented. The wines as well as champagne were the same brands as on the previous flight. Approx. 1 ½ hrs before landing in Sydney the cabin was prepared for breakfast which also included a western or oriental choice. Again service was attentive through out and at the end of the flight the serving crew member gave a personal thank you which sums up the good service provided. The flight arrived in Sydney slightly early.

ARRIVAL IN SYD: Arrivals here have become a bit of a pain in particular when a few planes arrive at the same time. We were lucky this time. The crew distributed express cards which helped to speed this up at immigrations and customs. The luggage from London was already on the belt once we cleared immigration and reached the customs hall. However, it still took about 60 minutes to reach the arrival hall.

VERDICT: Both flights left and arrived on time. The aircrafts were clean and the AVOD provided good entertainment. The seats were comfortable for sleeping and after diner we had on each flight a couple of hours a good sleep. The lounge facility in Bangkok was average. However, with the opportunity to use the spa transit time passed quickly. Service all around was very good and both crews were attentive and very friendly.

the1beard flew Thai Airways Economy, on a B747-400 (Config. 2) (02/04/2010 08:47)

Poor effort every time. They need a new fleet and a better check in system.

luv2tvl flew Thai Airways Economy, on a B747-400 (Config. 2) (19/03/2010 16:35)

I love TG, it is one of my favourite airlines. Of course in Asia I rank SQ and CX as the best and PR as the worst. My recent flight from BKK-HKG was excellant, albeit on an older 747. The FA's are so nice and you can feel they care. The food is always good, and ample. Getting Gold status really helps, the lounge in BKK is superb. Also flew BKK-HKT and loved the domestic lounge.

asiatraveler flew Thai Airways Royal Silk (business class), on a A340-500 (03/01/2010 01:05)

My first time with Thai Business Class, had high expectations and was sadly disapointed. Some of the seats was reperad with "metal tape" and the plane looked a bit wered out. Staff onboared looked tired and did not do a lot to make you feel welcome. Wine selction limited and the food fare from great. Needless to say I will not choose Thai again, since there is so many other good options.

MaggieS1 flew Thai Airways Royal Silk (business class), on a B777-200ER (21/09/2009 04:37)

I've been flying with Thai for some time now and am very satisfied with their J Class offering.

I agree with everyone regarding 'sliding down' and being a bit taller than average cannot use the foot rest. I generally just put a blanket on the floor to support my feet. It's not the widest J class seat on offer but I generally sleep pretty well.

It's all about value for money and Thai price their product very competitively. I also think that the crew are very good.

Promporn flew Thai Airways Economy (23/06/2009 04:23)

A330-300 from Bangkok to Perth, and Perth to Phuket. Seating pitch and width is ok, but no personal television. Depending on your seat, you may or may not be able to see the big screen or even the small hanging screens properly. Food is edible. Service really depends on the particular crew member, some are good, some are horrible!

ThomsonHung flew Thai Airways Royal First Class, on a B747-400 (Config. 1) (27/02/2009 08:37)

very old seats

EdmundCarew flew Thai Airways Economy, on a B777-300 (Config. 1) (15/02/2009 09:16)

Excellent seat. Felt very roomy: I had a 'B' seat, next but one to a window.

RemoVignati flew Thai Airways Royal First Class, on a A340-600 (08/12/2008 13:26)

I always get seat 2A that is not intrusive even is just in front of Business class The seat is easy to to adjust

Topaz05 flew Thai Airways Economy (short haul) (14/10/2008 07:49)

Flew return Hong Kong-Bangkok flight last week. The Thai Airways flight I was in originated from Incheon International Airport in Korea with a stopover in Hong Kong.

By the time I checked in at Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok airport, all the good seats were taken. I was at the tail section and seated on an aisle seat. (Same thing happened on my return trip four days later.)

The inflight service was good. The staff were gracious and were eager to please. They were quite accommodating in providing unlimited drinks. One gentleman sitting near me asked for his glass of Scotch to be refilled twice. Good thing he can hold his liquor. The food was very Thai, which whetted my appetite for local cuisine before reaching the destination.

The seat was very comfortable with an adequate legroom. Onboard entertainment was limited as there was no personal tv, but it did not really matter on a short-haul flight like this one.

Overall, it was a pleasant journey.

Mixing-with-the-best flew Thai Airways Economy (short haul), on a A300-600 (Config. 1) (13/10/2008 05:10)

Great economy flight.. plenty of room, more so than other carrier flights to BKK. Service was very good, food was fine. Only drawback - no personal TV, but for such a short flight, its not vital. I took a window seat - 50K - easy to rest and take a nap.

firstclassboi flew Thai Airways Royal First Class, on a B747-400 (Config. 2) (02/10/2008 12:14)

Thai First Class promises a lot but sadly delivers little. The priority check-in is generally not as promised and you are often overlooked when the staff spot one of their own Royal Orchid Gold members. Great if you are one, less so if you are paying a First Class fare and pushed aside while they are checked-in in preference. I personally don't like the First Class lounge in BKK as I like to help myself to food and drink from a buffet/bar rather than take an educated guess as to what they may offer and order from the staff. Thai say that they will take you from the lounge to the gate but on each occasion I have asked I have just been directed with a very general arm pointing in one direction or another. The seats are the same as those on Malaysia Airlines and are comfortable for sitting and sleeping. The food is of good quality, similarly the champagne, whilst oddly the wines are very poor. On the whole there is no wine list presumably in a cost-cutting measure which necessitates each wine being brought to you to look. I now stick with champagne for the entire flight as I have never found a wine that I like. The crew seem to lack an understanding of wines and happily pour wines in which the cork has deteriorated, tainted the wine, and then cork debris floats in your glass. You can see why I stick to champagne! Good seats, but an inferior product and a crew that is anything but as smooth as silk. The Thai (nationality) friendliness is nowhere to be found on Thai Air. Don't start me on customer relations as they simply don't reply. Pathetic given the money I spend on their product.

777lover flew Thai Airways Royal Silk (business class), on a A340-500 (30/09/2008 06:07)

This cabin is quite spacious and the service is great. I flew it from LAX-BKK and couldn't have had a more enjoyable 16+ hours in a plane.