quirrow

Thanks for linking me to your report! Very nicely done, hope to see more of your TR of FT! Depends on the setting, though manual is usually my preferred mode inside the aircraft especially when the lights are dimmed.

NH is definitely enjoyable and more so since they are making some new improvements to F and J, like having new sleepwear, mattress pads etc...

Thanks for reading Petrus! Maybe an incentive for you to visit the Andaz at SD!

Thank you AKCuisine! Maybe I do like the food to be able to take nice photos of them!

quirrow

I am not posting about my stay in the Best Western Premier Amaranth near the airport since it was an average stay in the usual airport hotel. But those of you interested may read about the stay in my blog.


Thai Airways passenger drop-off

From my arrival yesterday night, I already knew Thai Airways' ground handling service was phenomenal. That is to be expected since the walking distance between gates and arrivals in Bangkok's massive Suvarnabhumi airport can be long and tiring. With my boarding pass already in hand, I decided to confirm with the business class check-in desks about my luggage. Similar to Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong and Singapore Airlines in Changi, Thai Airways has dedicated check-in counters for First and Business class. The First Class check-in dubbed as the Royal First is in an enclosed section with sit-down counters. Naturally there is also a dedicated security screening before immigration for the premium passengers. What makes it even more convenient is that the entrance to the Royal Orchid Lounge is just right after the immigration in this section of the terminal.


Royal First check-in section


Royal Silk class check-in desks

Although my departing flight from Bangkok was in Business Class since it was a 2-class configuration, I arrived on First Class and hence the gate agent allowed me to enter the Royal First Class lounge. While doing that I also made sure to book a massage appointment at the Royal Orchid Spa. Passengers in First Class are entitled to 1-hour full body massage but I picked a 30-minute foot massage and 30-minute head, neck and shoulder massage instead. With my departure on an early morning, the common seating area in the lounge is pretty empty but all the private rooms have already been occupied. The private rooms have an armchair, sofas, a LCD TV, and a work desk. Though there is no doors, instead it is sectioned off by a glass door. It is like constructing the rooms halfway through! Still, the nice lounge facilities in Bangkok makes it an incentive for premium travellers to come check-in early for their flight.


Lounge seating area


Buffet counter in the lounge

As I got seated, I was asked for what drinks I would like to have and if I wanted to order any food from the menu. The service in this lounge is very good indeed! In addition to the multiple sectional rooms, there is also a private dining area, an area with workstations and a buffet counter with an extensive spread of breakfast items. As I was waiting for the spa appointment I decided not to get any food first and instead just asked for a cup of iced coffee while reading some magazines from the library that the lounge had.


Library and workstation area


Dining area

Halfway through reading my copy of TIME magazine, the attendant informed me that my therapist is ready for me and escorted me to the Royal Orchid Spa opposite. The spa section is separate from the lounge but it is also nicely decorated and I was asked to sit in the waiting lounge while they get ready. They also brought me a cup of tea while waiting, but they did not keep me waiting for long and I was soon off towards the therapy area at the end of the hall. The therapist brought out blankets and the various lotions for the massage and it was as good or maybe even better than what I usually get in Bangkok. Not the best I have had but good nonetheless such that I left the therapist a tip.


Royal Orchid First Class lounge

After an hour full of relaxation, I headed back to the main lounge for some food. Just nice during this time one of the guests have vacated a private room that I was able to use. Once I got into the room and placed my belongings, a server came forward to take my order. Initially there was only a small placeholder on the table indicating the special offerings they had for the week or month (forgot the details here) but they came back with a full menu when I asked him for it. I ordered a cup of cappuccino and a bowl of congee which took sometime to be served.


Private lounge rooms


Cappuccino in the morning

The cappuccino came in an illy's coffee cup and was served in a tray that also had a porcelain bowl of condiments, a small spoon and a small vase of flowers. They certainly do well in presentation. Though I cannot really say this was the best cup of coffee I had in a lounge, but it was a very good cup nonetheless. The porridge came out piping hot after probably a 10 minutes wait and this meant I only had a short time to enjoy the porridge before I need to head out towards my gate. At this point I enquired if there will be any buggy service or anything of the sort but was met with blank stares from the agents at the reception. I guess the excellent ground handling by Thai does not mean sending passengers to the plane, and here I was expecting the full treatment!


Private toilet in the First Class lounge

With the breakfast done and out of the way, I made a quick pit stop to the bathroom and it turns out they have a nice private bathroom in the Royal First Lounge as well! My experience on the ground in Suvarnabhumi is short of exceptional, since from the moment I passed security it felt like I was in a Thai resort instead of being in an airport. The moment, however, lasts only until it is time to board the plane, since I have to make the trek all the way to another end of the airport concourse and Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport is not one of the nicest airports to walk along with all those bare concrete and tiles that are not covered with plush carpeting. While short of a perfect First Class Lounge experience, Thai's Royal Orchid Lounge and Spa is still one of the best I have ever encountered!

quirrow

TG433 Bangkok Suvarnabhumi BKK - Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta CGK
STD-STA: 0800-1135
Actual: 0827-1124
A330-300 HS-TET Kirimas
Seat 12K

Right from the comfortable confines of the Royal First lounge, it was definitely a shock to be told that departure today would be from a remote stand and that means all the passengers were taken by bus. Since I was one of the last passengers to 'board' there was no seats left and it was one of the longest bus rides ever to the plane since we seemed to travel from one end of the terminal to the other.


Thai Airways Boeing 777-300

One thing I did notice was how banks now like to plaster their advertisements on jet-bridges following HSBC's footsteps as one of the local Thai banks had a series of nice advertisements on BKK's jet-bridges.

While boarding the stairs is supposed to be a fun experience, it was not the case this time round. Due to the extreme temperature changes and humidity of Thailand, my camera lens just fogs up after getting off the bus and this did not allow me to take any good photos of the plane I would be taking. Once onboard, the cabin felt terribly warm and uncomfortable since I do believe the plane was parked in this remote area overnight. Thai's Business Class cabin on the regional configuration was in a 2-2-2 seating arrangement with angled lie-flat seats not unlike that of Singapore Airlines' on their A330s. The main difference lies in the colour scheme, while Singapore Airlines goes with earthy tones that exudes an air of elegance with leather trimmed seats, Thai Airways has gaudy purplish grey fabric seats that makes the cabin feel smaller and darker. Not a big fan of their business class cabin, but it is still very comfortable for the short 3-hour regional flight. Business class on the route is about 70% full today and I have a European seat- mate who seems to be touring South East Asia for a holiday as he was dressed in casual athletic gear.


Welcome drink at Thai's Business Class

Upon being seated, I was offered hot towels and a welcome drink. I got myself an apple juice for the morning flight and placed my bag on the floor in front of my seat which seems alright to the flight attendants. Even while we boarded on time, there was some wait before the door closed. And what came next was practically a tour of Suvarnabhumi Airport as the plane made its way to the other end of the airport for take-off. I must have seen airplanes from all 6 continents during this taxi! While I was not in a hurry, I felt like I had been made to walk from one end of the airport (the lounge) to another end (the boarding gate) to board a bus that brings me back near where I started only to taxi to a runway on another end of the airport! What a nice way to waste my time indeed!


Thai Airways 747 at BKK


Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport


JAL Boeing 767 at BKK

The weather in Bangkok was turning cloudy when we took off though it was sunny clear skies once we entered the Gulf of Siam. Meal service began about half an hour after take-off which gave me some time to explore the cabin and take some more photos from some of the unoccupied seats at the back of the Business Class cabin. I took a peek of the Economy Class cabin and noticed that the flight was nearly full in the back as well indicating healthy loads between these 2 south east Asia city pairs.


Take-off views from Bangkok


Thai Airways regional Business Class cabin

Since I had pre-ordered a business class meal online, I did not peruse the menu carefully and just played around with the inflight entertainment system while waiting for the starters. Today's breakfast menu read as follow:


I was actually glad to have pre-ordered the green curry dish since none of the main dish attracted me, especially considering I already had my breakfast of congee in the lounge. The meal was unique as it started off with the individual fruit platter first. The fruits was very nicely presented, and came with a cup of yoghurt, a plate containing jam and a smaller butter plate. However the fruits was ordinary and not that sweet, neither was it juicy.


Fresh fruits for starters

Next came my pre-ordered Thai Green Curry Chicken main course that was served in a casserole. This dish took some time to be served but it came piping hot. The taste though was authentically Thai, since it was really spicy and I would advise against ordering this dish for someone who is not used to spicy flavours. The portion was also a bit small and not unlike to what Singapore Airlines would have served on Economy Class sectors. Flight attendants also offered a choice of breads from the basket and I got myself a croissant since that concluded the meal service on this 3 hour flight. The pre-ordering of meals made the service better somewhat though I would have liked an ice cream bar or something sweet at the end of the meal. Perhaps I have been spoilt after 2 amazing First Class flights since this meal service was very good when compared to what I might have gotten on a North American Domestic First Class.


Pre-ordered chicken green curry meal


Thai Airways business class seats on the A330

I proceeded to recline my seat to a lie-flat position after the meal to just relax and enjoy the inflight entertainment. I was able to finish a movie during the flight and glanced out of the flight in time during descent to catch a shot of the islands off the coast of Java. After all Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago and what better way to invite me back home with the sight of tropical islands under the blue skies? With that it ended my succession of flights that brings me back to Indonesia from Canada. With the second flight onboard Thai Airways, I have to say they are one of the better carriers in Star Alliance, and I would not hesitate to transit in Bangkok at all when travelling in their First Class. Though this experience also points out why many more travellers choose Singapore Airlines over Thai for travels to South East Asia since Changi Airport and SIA are generally more convenient for Business and Economy Class passengers.


Islands off the coast of Java, Indonesia

quirrow

As I have replied to some of the comments in this post, I would post about the camera gear that I use to take these photos.

Camera Gear

Most of the photos are taken with a Canon EOS 5D mk2 camera. Canon has a new 5D mk3 model, and a lesser 6D model on sale in the market, as the mk2 is discontinued. On the camera, I use the 16-35mm f/2.8 lens most often, and a 50mm f/1.4 as an alternative lens. Due to these limitations, it wasn't entirely possible to take photos of subjects far away. Probably a 70-200mm lens is better for that.

Some of the photos I use an iPhone 5 camera, as I find they are more suitable especially when inside a restaurant or when a DSLR is too bulky at the end of the day.

This was the reason why I also obtained a Fujifilm XE-1 with the 18-55mm kit lens. I used this to take some photos of the TG First Cabin and considering to use the camera in the future for my TRs.

Other Trip Highlights

I splurged on 2 meals while in Tokyo and for those keen on Kobe beef or tempura while in Tokyo, you can find my review in my blog post with the links below:

Kobe beef dinner at Misono
Tempura dinner at Ten-Ichi

Other Trip Reports

I have had some other trip reports, but I am not going to list all of them here. Though I did a more extensive trip report about visiting Japan, S. Korea and the Maldives in a TR I completed earlier this year:

From Mountains to Beaches: Canada - Korea - Japan - Singapore - Indonesia - Maldives

Once again, thanks for reading and I hope you have enjoyed the report. Sorry to disappoint Petrus and SFO777 on the photos though, till next time!

drzoidberg

Love the photos of the aircraft cabin with your ultra wide angle lens. Your lens really did it justice!

I really need to upgrade to a full frame camera.

Looking forward to more TRs from you.

hawklx

Another top class TR!
As usual the photos are phenomenal, my personal favourites on FT! Oh man, those food pics...
Thanks for the joy you brought to us.

yerffej201

Again amazing pictures!
If I recall correctly you don't get a buggy if you're leaving from the d and a gates (you get escorted by an agent) if however you are going to e gates you do get a buggy

slippahs

Great trip report! Great photos. Look forward to reading the remaining installments.

quirrow

Do it, prices of full-frame cams are more affordable now, and maybe you can consider a 6d which I think is essentially a ramped-down 5d mk2... With the lower Yen, I think it costs around the equivalent of $2k in Japan...

Thank you hawklx!

Hmm, I didn't get either, and didn't really remember which gates I left from already.

Thank you slippahs! Unfortunately, that is the end of the trip report, no further segments... I will only fly the return portion towards the end of the year so until then, I have to see if there is any other interesting trips I will take...

eightblack

What a fantastic report (I just read the whole thing). And I agree with others, the photography is first class. I love Japan and always stay in the Shinjuku area - and I think the detailed coverage you provided makes it essential reading for anyone contemplating a trip to Tokyo...

We have another Master Trip Reporter in our midst. Bravo. Well done...

debonairy

Thank you for sharing your wonderful trip report. I enjoyed the posts on your blog, too.

PETER01

Fantastic TR quirrow ^^^^^

I don't know where to start commenting as the whole thing was an excellent read. Your photographs are simply stunning and breath taking, really, with a nice mix of narrative including the places you visited and your experiences on all the different aircraft. As for the food photos, amazing.

This is definitely right amongst some of the best TR's I have ever read on here, which is my favourite forum on FT.

Thank you for taking the time to post this.

Pete

quirrow

Thank you eightblack! I enjoy Japan a lot as well, travelling is just so easy within the country! As for being a master trip reporter, I think I still have a long way to go to reach writing standards that rival your own

Thank you debonairy! Writing the blog posts was more of a way to store my travel highlights

Thank you Pete! I am glad you enjoyed the photos as much as the rest here! I will most probably post more TRs as long as I have the time since I will write about my travels in my blog and it is just a matter of cut & paste into the forum

FLYGVA

Great report. ^^

Thanks for sharing it and also for the report about the BW. I consider to book the hotel myself for one night with an early departure in October and next year. I decided to stay in downtown ... The time the shuttel needs to go to the airport does not safe much time in favour of an early morning taxi or limousine.

Like the pictures of the ANA F cabin.

planes&trains

Nice TR.

Minor issue: You may want to correct the following typo on your blog

"Professionally, I analyze the economy and conducts industry analysis to enable better business decisions and as part of investment due-diligence."