Hi Everyone. This report will cover our flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Finally off to Hong Kong for (Canadian) Thanksgiving this past fall. All our flights were aboard Thai Airways and in J with the exception of our trip to HKG which was in F (booked on Aeroplan points)

All of our trips are logged on this blog we keep rolling - including a bunch of random hotel / mini vacations we haven't posted here. Feel free to check them out - and feedback / comments / & suggestions as to what to see and where to go next are always welcome. www.2mos.ca

Anyway - off to Chaing Mai (city of lanterns)


We arrived at BKK on the City Train from Phaya Thai and made our way up to the 4th floor from the basement of the airport. Walking over to the Business Class domestic check in, there was no line whatsoever so we handed over our passports, got boarding passes and were heading through security in no time at all. Thai only lets you select seats for domestic routes at the time of check-in, so it’s a good idea to check in online first to ensure you get your preference. As a non-Thai passenger though you will still need to present the booking credit card at the airport to get your boarding pass. We had allotted ourselves ample time as we did not know what the lineups and security formalities would be like, however they were simple and within 10 minutes of arriving at the airport we were scouting out the Domestic Lounge halfway down the A Pier.


Thai's Domestic service is entirely dry - no alcohol in the lounges or onboard. That being said the domestic side of the airport is not dry (and our understanding is neither is Bangkok Air) and several airport restaurants, bars and stores are willing to sell alcohol for you to consume in the airport if you wish (and we did). The Royal Silk lounge itself is well appointed with a good selection of food, although the beverage selection is a little lacklustre. We chose to sit in the garden room – a glass atrium with its own drinks and snack buffet.

We boarded our ancient A330 and settled into Thai's old regional business class product. The seat pitch is very generous, recline is adequate but the footrest doesn’t work well for a 6' tall person. Before departure for the hour long flight we were offered non-alcoholic drinks – sickly-sweet iced tea, orange juice or water - and hot towels scented with Thai’s signature green tea scent.

The age of the aircraft was pretty apparent on departure with all manner of creaks, rattles and shakes, the mostly-empty overhead bins shaking violently in the hot Bangkok air. We were airborne quickly as the plane was pretty empty – just 14 of the 42 seats in business class were taken. As soon as the seatbelt sign was switched off the crew (4 in J) sprang into action, one distributing table linens and the others prepping meal trays. The snack on this flight was a rather strange cold plate of bare, smoked chicken slices with a beet and corn salad served inside a radicchio leaf – presentation was very nice but it was a little bland and western-flavoured for Thai. Beverages were offered and coffee and tea refilled.

Service for this hour long flight was top-notch and arrival into the small and simple Chiang Mai airport was on time.

As with all Thai flights Business Class passengers were allowed to deplane before Economy class passengers.Flying from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is a scenic and quick way to cover the 700 winding kilometers up into the mountains. It might not be as pretty and as classically Thai as the 10-hour train trip, but for the super low fare and 1-hour flight it's an amazingly efficient way to get out of the big city and into the mountains.


After 3 awesome days in Chiang Mai we were off to spend 5 days doing as little as possible hanging out on a beach.

CNX-HKT on TG Domestic J



After checking in at Chiang Mai airport, we head straight to Thai's Royal Orchid lounge. There, a group of backpackers, dishevelled from their time in the mountains, is trying to enter before us. The agent refuses when none of them have business class tickets, and asks if any have a Star Alliance Gold card. Again the answer is no, so they are turned away, slightly angry that their bro-moves weren't able to sway the cute lounge attendant.

The lounge at CNX is tiny, and the food and drink are identical to those in Bangkok. A few small dumplings, pastries, and non-alcoholic beverages. Across the terminal is a "Thai Airways Cafe", a small commissary with food straight from onboard catering. The utensils are the same, too, and when we sat down to order a beer, the waitress wheeled over an airline drinks trolley and fished them out. Strange concept for an airport bar, but probably a good way to sell off the business-class leftovers on the economy-heavy flights to Chiang Mai

Traveling in Business Class within Thailand is cheap. For as little as a $15 difference in fare, Thai gives you lounge access, priority boarding, a business seat, and inflight snack, and priority disembarkation, all welcome luxuries on vacation. However, the low cost of entry means there are some on board who feel a little too entitled by their business-class ticket.

Our flight to Phuket from Bangkok has one such passenger. Upset with his business class seat near the back of the cabin on the aisle, he asks a flight attendant if he can move to one closer up. She agrees, but asks that he wait until after takeoff to switch seats. As soon as her back is turned, he makes for the front of the cabin and sits at a window seat. Unfortunately for him, the person to whom that seat was assigned boarded shortly after, and the flight attendant asked him to return to his seat.

Once the doors were closed and the plane was taxiing, again he got up and started shopping for seats in the business cabin. The flight attendant asks him to take his seat again, and he asks whether he can take the aisle seat next to a single woman in row one. We're sitting right behind her, and by the look on her face was not at all impressed by this advance. As we turned onto the active runway, the flight attendant pointed at the middle row and firmly told him to sit down there, to which he finally complied.
After takeoff, the problem passenger returned to his original assigned seat, and promptly passed out for the rest of the flight. So much for nothing.

The flight to Phuket was similar to the one from Chiang Mai: as soon as the seatbelt sign is off, the cabin crew are up and distributing hot towels, juice, and a snack. Since our flight departed right around noon, we were served a chicken red curry rather than the smoked chicken slices and salad - a much more Thai dish.

Phuket Airport is a madhouse, dense with hapless tourists getting onto shuttle buses to far-flung resorts and being swindled by a crowd of touts that circle down on anyone looking remotely gullible. Heading to a new resort close to the airport, we grab a bottle of gin from the roadside cafe, and charter a taxi to Naithong Beach.


After 5 amazing days spent on the beach staying at the Pullman resort we were off to Hong Kong - aboard a Thai 747-400 in F

HKT - BKK - HKG - First Class on Thai - Our Best Flight Ever



When checking in for our flight from Phuket to Bangkok, we mentioned we had an onward ticket in First Class to Hong Kong, as part of a separate itinerary. The checkin agent made a few furious taps on the keyboard, then made a radio call in Thai and asked us to wait a moment. Shortly after, we were greeted by a personal concierge, who led us through a queue-less VIP customs lane, then security, and into the Thai Royal Orchid lounge. The lounge in Phuket is nearly identical to the domestic lounges in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, except that it has beer available. Outside, what seems like an entire Russian town is getting ready to board their Transaero flight back to Moscow. When called to board our ancient A300, we have to part the sea of Russkie tourists in front of the gate to make it to the door.

The A300s in Thai's fleet are some of the last ones built, and are generally in good shape. Takeoff is surprisingly quiet, with less engine noise than their A330s, and the cabin doesn't shake and creak anywhere near as much as the newer Airbus. Again, as soon as the seatbelt sign is off we get the towel service, followed by juice and smoked chicken snack - identical to the previous two domestic Thai flights.





On arrival in Bangkok, we're greeted by a Thai concierge carrying a sign with our names printed on it, and he leads us through the connection process and up to the Thai First Class Lounge.

At the First Class lounge they immediately assign you a hostess, and she leads you to your own private sitting room with a one-way glass view of the terminal. Here, she offers us a scented cold towel and brings us a glass of champagne. Food can be ordered a la carte, with nothing available to grab yourself. It's an odd to have to be waited on, but considering there is only one other pair of First Class travelers in the lounge the wait is never long. Thai offers international passengers free spa services, so Thomas booked in an hour-long massage for the wait. In the meantime, the hostess kept refilling both glasses of Piper back in the lounge, which Ben happily drank both of while waiting for Tom to return.

After the massage, we left the First Class lounge to try some of the other Star Alliance lounges at BKK. Singapore Airlines' lounge is much more informal, with a typical self-serve bar and snack area, and a much nicer view of the tarmac. With a gin and tonic under our belts, we make our way to the gate.

It's indescribably special to fly in the nose of a 747, even moreso in an exclusive First Class cabin like Thai's. We have seats 1A and 1K, huge recliners with movable ottomans and a solid 6 feet between our seats. In the middle of the cabin, the Purser sets up a rack of complimentary magazines, as well as an ice bucket for the ever-present bottle of Dom 2002 served by one of two dedicated flight attendants. Thai lets Business- and First-Class travelers pre-select a meal when flying out of Bangkok. Business class has about 12 options, whereas we were given over 50 for our first class segments. On the way to Hong Kong, Ben chose the lamb saltimbocca, and Thomas booked a mysteriously-named Thai set menu. Noting that they had loaded pre-booked meals for us, the flight attendant still offered us the menu in case we wanted to make any changes to our meal.




There was only one other couple in First on our flight, a pair of elderly Germans who found nothing on the menu to their liking. Not that it really mattered, as on the climb out of Bangkok both were already fast asleep. Once we leveled off, the flight attendants started preparing for our meal, and set the table at Thomas's seat so we could dine together. Glasses of Dom were topped up and an amuse bouche was served, followed by a soup course. Airborne soup seems like a risky proposition, but both were amazing. Tom's was a consomme containing three neatly-wrapped prawn dumplings, and Ben received the Tom Yum.





Again glasses of champagne were topped up for the main course, as well as a glass of the sommelier's suggested pairings for our entree. Airplane fish is almost always a desiccated disaster, however Tom's spicy panang fish curry was amazingly tender. Ben's lamb was perfectly cooked, fork tender, and plated beautifully.

Warm glasses of cognac were brought around after the meal, with a selection of desserts on a cart. Before landing, we finished our second bottle of Dom Perignon between the two of us, and settled into our seats for arrival into Hong Kong.


Though the flight to Hong Kong was short, Thai's First Class service was an incredible treat, especially on the 747. The A380 might have larger, newer seats and a lounge area, but the Boeing is just more stylish. Not to mention what turned out to be two flight attendants devoting their entire attention to us, and taking great pride in providing exceptional service.

On the ground and out the door we were greeted by yet another Thai concierge, who piled us onto a golf cart for the ride to the customs hall. Full of champagne and riding high from one of the best flights we've ever had, we asked him to floor it.

**Side Note: We booked the return trip BKK-HKG in First using 50k Aeroplan miles each, however we learned after the fact it's a poor dollar-to-mile ratio, as the round trip can be purchased as low as $1400 US.