fumitani

I can answer question #1 for you it's Pomelo or in Thai it's called Som-O

I ditto pics of F/A's please

jacob_m

1) Thanks fumitani! I had actually forgotten the name of the fruit, but I recognised the name when I saw it.
It was quite good, tasted a bit like grapefruit.

2) If we are talking about Singapore Airlines girls (which I presume we are) I unfortunately don't have any pics of the nice one who served me on the SIN-BKK flight.
But there is actually a nice girl on the first SIN-KUL photo, if you are eager to see some SQ girls.

jacob_m

I stayed overnight in Bangkok at the Radisson hotel. The main benefit of this hotel was its location in the outskirts of the city centre close to the highway, which enabled a quick access to and from the airport.
As quite a few Scandinavians go to Bangkok I also hoped that the hotel would be aware of the upgrade benefit I have as an SAS gold card holder, and in fact they were!
Upon arrival I was upgraded to a room on the executive floor, which meant the 22nd floor. Not sure what the difference was between an executive room and a standard room, but at least I had a spectacular view from my room and there was also a small executive lounge I had access to with free coffee and soft drinks (I don’t know what they had in the evening).

At noon the following day I checked out of the hotel and went back to the new Suvarnabhumi airport.
The only thing I got to see of Bangkok was the view from the executive lounge, but I had been to Bangkok before and had no interest in spending any time there on this trip anyway.

Pics
Bangkok seen from the Executive lounge in the hotel

Thai Airways Royal First class check-in area

At the airport there were several entrances from the taxi drop off area, I noticed there was a large sign saying “Royal Silk/Royal First" above one of the entrances to the very left, so that’s where I went.
Once inside I was greeted by a young man who asked me in what class I was travelling and I replied “first class”. He also asked what airline I was flying and to what destination, and when he was certain I was a Thai Airways first class passenger he immediately offered to take my trolley and escorted me to the first class check-in area, a secluded area to the very left of the main departure hall.
The first class check-in area looked very nice, very bright, clean and modern, you could see the place was very new.
He escorted me to a desk where I was greeted by two female check-in agents who asked for my ticket and passport. They were both very nice and professional but also confident enough to joke with me a bit. Overall the check-in was very pleasant!
When they had checked my ticket and asked me the usual questions they asked me to have a seat in one of the nice armchairs opposite the desk while they completed the check-in process.
The porter from the entrance put the luggage on the scale, and I honestly have no idea what happened to my luggage afterwards, but I did not see a baggage belt by the desk.

After a little while one of the check-in agents then came to my seat and handed over my ticket, passport and boarding pass and told me she would escort me to the lounge. Nice!!
She first escorted me to the airport tax counter for premium passengers where I paid the departure tax, and then to the passport control (also a dedicated one for premium passengers). We then took the escalator one floor down to the lounge entrance.
The young check-in agent who escorted me was very nice and pleasant and I took the opportunity to ask her a bit about the new airport and the facilities available.
At the lounge entrance I thought the escort was over, but not quite! This was actually the entrance to the Royal Silk lounge, but since I was in F I should obviously use the Royal First class lounge, which wasn’t really there.
A man was standing by the entrance to the Royal Silk lounge with an electrical car (similar to a golf cart) and the girl told me he would take me to the first class lounge. Wow!! ^
I said good-bye and thanks to the girl and took a seat on the electric car, and off we went! We passed the entire Royal Silk lounge before reaching the entrance to the first class lounge. Very nice!!
So far I had been at the airport for around 10 minutes, and I had already got help with my luggage by a porter, got escort from check-in through all the airport formalities, and been taken to the lounge by an electric car. Not bad!!

Pics
The entrance to the Thai Airways Royal First class check-in area
Inside the nice First class check-in area
One of the nice armchairs where you can sit and wait

Thai Airways Royal First class lounge, Bangkok

I was greeted at the entrance and showed the lounge attendant my boarding pass, but considering my arrival at the lounge "by car” it was not too hard to figure out I was entitled to go inside.

The brand new Thai Royal First class lounge looked very nice and very new, I really got a very good first impression.
It was not at all crowded and there were plenty of armchairs and sofas and even separate rooms with seats if you wanted to get some privacy or if you were a group of people.
I had a seat in one of the sofas and was immediately approached by a lounge attendant who asked me if I wanted anything to drink, a minute later I had a glass of Moet & Chandon on my table.
Next I went to check out the food offerings, I had not had any lunch yet. There was a separate room with a buffet: some sandwiches, cold cuts, fresh fruit and nice desserts.
I took a plate but was approached by a woman who offered to help me, apparently they want you to just tell what you want and then let them place it on a plate for you, and afterwards they also bring it to the table with a napkin and cutlery.
I almost prefer to do these things myself, but OK, I’m really not complaining.
I still had plenty of time before departure so I had another glass of Moet and some more to eat.
They had some nice fresh fruit on offer for example and it was partly the same as I had got on the SQ flight from Singapore the night before, so now I knew what it was.
I also tried some of the nice desserts, delicious!! Finally I ordered a cup of coffee which arrived on a large tray decorated with a flower.

Overall the lounge was very pleasant and the staff was excellent. It was very nice to be in a lounge which had not been in use for more than two months, something you could really notice.
There was also a business centre in the lounge with free internet which I visited later. Next to the business centre they also had a very good selection of newspapers and I even found copies of the four major Swedish newspapers (albeit 1-3 days old). I had not read a Swedish newspaper for over one and a half month so one of them ended up in my bag to read on the flight.
I did not see any signs about free massage though, and I had read there should be spa facilities available for first class passengers as well, although I didn’t ask.
My guess is that they are focusing on the core facilities first (food, drinks, internet etc) as the lounge is still very new, I think the girl who escorted me mentioned something about it as well. There was actually a part of the lounge on the way to the restrooms which seemed empty with no signs on the doors, so perhaps that’s where they are planning to have more facilities in the future.
After around two hours in the lounge I left to have a look around the new airport.

Pics
Inside the Thai Airways Royal First class lounge
The bar in the lounge
Cocktail sandwiches and fresh fruit to eat, and a glass of Moet & Chandon!
More fresh fruit, delicious desserts, and another glass of Moet
Coffee
One of the nice lounge attendants
The main entrance to the lounge

Suvarnabhumi airport

After leaving the lounge I followed the signs for the main transit hall and the tax-free shops, I had to take an escalator to get there.
There were plenty of shops there, the shopping area was quite large and actually not bad at all.
Although I can see the point people are making about the airport being a bit sterile, even though Don Muang was not the most modern of airports it did at least have some atmosphere.
Suvarnabhumi on the other hand might be modern and does have quite a few nice-looking shops, but it lacks the nice atmosphere and the terminal could just as well have been located anywhere else in the world.
They have one of those Thai houses inside though, similar to the ones they had at Don Muang, which makes it feel at least a little bit like Thailand.

Pics
The transit area at the new airport
Plenty of shops in the transit area
The C-pier

Bangkok-Hong Kong, flight TG 606 operated by Thai Airways
Departure: 16:00
Arrival: 19:45
Aircraft: Boeing 747-300
Class: First Class
Seat: 04K

My flight departed from the C-pier which was very close to the shopping area, only a short walk.
Security took place at the entrance to the pier and afterwards there was an escalator down to the gate level.
The gate to Hong Kong was already open and before entering the gate area they asked for my boarding pass and passport, so the gate area is actually a restricted area.
There were two doors at the end of the gate, one marked first class and business class, and the other one marked economy class.
When the boarding started around 20 minutes before departure priority boarding was offered and we also used the appropriate door to get onboard.

Pics
The Boeing 747 at the gate in Bangkok
The gate area
There is a separate exit for first class and business class passengers

Once onboard I was greeted by the purser and escorted to my seat where he also offered to take my jacket.
The aircraft was an old Boeing 747-300, one of the oldest (if not the oldest) aircraft used by Thai Airways. Even though the seats are both wide and comfortable with plenty of space and legroom they feel very old-fashioned by today’s standard. They don’t even have personal TVs onboard, not even in first class.
The flight time to Hong Kong was quite short though so it really didn’t matter that much, but on a longhaul flight it would have been a bit different.
On the other hand Thai only uses these planes on short routes and use the new Boeing 747s with the new first class seats on the more important longhaul routes.
I had actually kept my fingers crossed for a last-minute aircraft change to experience the new first class, but unfortunately no luck. Well no big deal, after all I was still in first class onboard, and the old seats are comfortable enough.
A nice thing about the Boeing 747-300 though is that they have a small table in the middle of the first class cabin where they put newspapers and magazines during boarding.
Later during the meal service they use it for all the bottles and glasses so they don’t have to go back to the galley every time they need something. It actually looks pretty nice, like having a private bar in the cabin, and it means you can also have a look yourself what they have on offer.
I guess during longer flights they also use the table as a small self-service buffet.

Before departure drinks were offered, and by now I probably don’t even have to mention what I asked for.
I forgot to ask which one they served though, and I never saw the bottle, but in the Thai forum they talk a lot about Dom, so that’s probably what it was.
The crew also decided to keep the plane on the ground for some time to wait for some delayed connecting passengers, we actually didn’t push back until 4.40 pm, 40 minutes late.
I think they waited for something like 10 passengers, well nice for them, but not quite as nice for the rest of us 300 passengers already sitting onboard.
Well the positive thing about the delay was that I had time for more bubbles.
We were finally airborne around 4.50 pm and we were told they had some marginal in the timetable so we would only arrive a few minutes late in Hong Kong.

Pics
Welcome onboard!
The First class cabin on the Boeing 747
Plenty of newspapers and magazines
A glass of champagne before take-off
Lining up for departure with the huge terminal building in the background

Meal service

During the flight they offered a full meal service in first class.
I was really surprised (positively surprised) how much food they served on the flight, despite a flight time of only about 2h 20 min.
They actually served a five courses dinner onboard with appetizer, soup, main course, cheese, and dessert. Very impressive!! ^

Pics
The First class menu

After the seat belt sign was off the meal service started with more drinks and nuts and at the same time they handed out the menu in a nice folder.
There was no drink list though, but there were several options of both wine and spirits and the flight attendants always showed the bottle before serving.
The appetizer was spring rolls and crab claw served with some sauce, yummy!!
Afterwards the tables were prepared with tablecloths and cutlery and they took the meal orders.
I had the vegetable soup followed by the Japanese salmon teriyaki which was fantastic!!
After the main course I was offered a large and pretty impressive fruit and cheese plate with crackers, and finally they offered chocolate fudge cake, chocolate pralines and coffee.
I also asked for a glass of whiskey, and they had Chivas onboard, my favourite!
Overall it was a very nice meal service, very impressive for such a short flight time.
Although the crew tried to be efficient to manage all of it the meal service never felt rushed, I had plenty of time to eat all five courses without any stress.

Regarding the service onboard the flight attendants were very nice and friendly, just like the Thais are in general, however they never made an effort to learn our names. I was not addressed by name onboard one single time, not even when they had the passenger manifest in front of them.
On the other hand it was only a short flight, and I actually prefer that they use their time to provide good service rather than wasting time learning my name.
When it came to service they really tried hard and they should definitely get some credit for their efforts, even though the service was not as polished as e.g. Singapore Airlines.
Overall it was a very nice and pleasant flight, even though the interior of the plane was not really top-notch the service well made up for it, I left the plane as a happy customer!

Pics
Red wine and nuts after take-off
Appetizer
The table setting
Soup
Main course
Cheese and fruit
Chocolate fudge cake, coffee, a glass of Chivas, and chocolate pralines
The table in the middle of the cabin with the drinks
Soon there!

Arrival in Hong Kong and the Thai Airways First class arrival service

Despite the very late departure from Bangkok we landed only 15 minutes late in Hong Kong, so the captain was right when he said they had some marginal in the schedule.

In Hong Kong Thai offers a very nice arrival service for first class passengers.
Being in first class we were of course allowed off the plane first and at the gate there were employees with “Royal First” signs calling for first class passengers.
I approached one of them and they asked for my name and checked my name on a list. I was then told I would be taken to immigration by an electric car. Each car could take three passengers and I ended up in the first one and left the gate before most other passengers had even left the plane .
Anybody who has been to Hong Kong knows the huge walking distance in the terminal, and our plane really parked at the end of the Y-pier, so this arrival service was very appreciated.
But it did not just save us the walk, it also meant we arrived early at immigration which definitely saved me a considerable amount of time, a large group of passengers arrived at immigration just a minute after us, several planes seemed to have landed at the same time.
The priority luggage was already on the belt so I was on my way to Hong Kong within 30 minutes or so after getting off the plane. Not bad!!

Pics
The electric car in Hong Kong that took all first class passengers to the immigration

And finally:
An updated map of my travels so far!

Kiwi Flyer

You managed to sample both champagnes pre-departure? ^

SMART51

No i am referring to this

The guy just smiled and disappeared, and seconds later he was back with one of the nice-looking flight attendants who sat down on my lap, and the result…well one hell of a crazy photo!!!
But sorry guys, I understand your curiosity, but no I’m not going to publicly embarrass myself on the internet, I’ll keep that photo to myself (although it’s definitely part of my permanent collection now

jacob_m

Hmmm... I think that's actually a printing error! It should say Dom the second time as well, I think I only had Dom on that flight, but I did have Krug on the SIN-BKK flight (as well as on a few other flights).
I'm actually quite surprised I remember all this, which one I had on which flight (actually I really don't remember, I'm reading from my notes ).

Well done noticing the mistake though, I actually try to read through what I have posted to correct errors and spelling mistakes, but I didn't see that one. ^

I have already told I am not going to upload that photo, twice!! So please leave it!!
I only mentioned it because it's a fun story!
I have uploaded 430 photos now, with still a few more to come, so hopefully there should be something else to look at...

fumitani

You are certainly welcome I see you had it on your SQ flight in the lounge and on TG ^

Waiting for your next flight read now. Hopefully I'll be able to write a trip report good as yours :-:

SMART51

Sorry Jacob i was only teasing i respect your privacy.

jacob_m

Apology accepted! But just leave it now, it is a private photo that was never intended to become public, and it will stay that way.
I really want to focus my energy on finishing the report instead and make it as good as possible until the very end, especially since I have been writing on it for over two weeks now a couple of hours a day, and obviously start to feel a bit tired.

SMART51

All who have read your report myself included do appreciate the effort and the energy you put in it.

Promise i will never mention that thing again.

Keep on the good work and thank you again.

Moomba

Maybe there is something to be said for writing these things as you go.

Although the down side of that is you eat up some of you travel time writing reports and uploading pictures. Many of my posts took over 2 hours to put together in hotel rooms of an evening.

I would like to echo SMART51's comments about your report being appreciated. It has generated a lot of interest and deservedly so IMHO.

Keep going you must not be too far from the end now.

I was glad you finally got to the SQ portion, as you know I was one of those eagerly awaiting those posts. ^

Kiwi Flyer

I try to write as I go, but mostly in airport lounges - better things to do of an evening I am sure if I left it to write until afterwards I would start getting confused - which flight was this thing I remember, the one I am writing about or from a subsequent trip?

jacob_m you're doing a splendid job, sounds like I will have some more reading for my next flight ^

upgrade lover

jacob_m Keep up the great work^ ^

I know how much time you have put into this report! It is truly one of the best

Yesterday, when the board was very slow I was upset because I could not get to your next installment.

Your efforts have not gone un-noticed and they are really appreciated. This is really a trip of a lifetime and I for one, am getting vicarious pleasure reading about your journey

jacob_m

As we discussed earlier there really are pros and cons of both options.
I'm quite happy I didn't spend my time in for example the South Pacific typing menus and uploading pics, a time-consuming and boring job.
On the other hand writing it back home means you have to write all of it at the same time and you may forget details, but instead you can do it properly and you don't waste time at the destinations/in the lounges.

Two hours is probably what I also spend on average on each post.
It really takes a good amount of time with the pics, to upload, include the links in the report, and finally check that everything works.
With 132 replies and soon 10,000 views I am certainly not complaining about a lack of interest!!!
I am absolutely amazed to see the interest it has generated and the amount of comments I have got so far, which is very nice and very appreciated!! ^
It is a pleasure writing it (otherwise I wouldn't do it), just takes a bit of time.
Probably 5-6 instalments left depending on how I decide to structure it.

sporadic

^ ^ Can't wait. Stories of more girls. ^ ^