Bangkok Airways
Economy Class (Y)
PG706: RGN-BKK (Yangon to Bangkok)
21 May 2018
ATR 72
HS-PZG
Seat 14B
Departure: 05:50AM
Arrival: 08:10AM

I'd arranged a 3:45AM taxi so I'd arrive at the airport well enough in advance of departure. I knew traffic would be non-existent at that time of day, but I don't like cutting things too fine. When I arrived in the hotel lobby to check out and collect my box breakfast, I found the front desk attendant asleep in one of the lobby chairs. The bell hop was awake and he quickly roused his colleague. A few short minutes later I'd been checked out and went outside to find the cab waiting for me.

The 13km ride to the airport was painless and quick. I don't typically do this, but in this case I asked the hotel to arrange a taxi for me; the trip cost 10,000 Kyat, which is roughly $7.50 USD. In contrast, the hotel offers a shuttle service for $30 USD and there were no public transport options. Taxi was a no brainer.

This lady looks how I felt that early in the morning.


Don't panic, the Colonel is in Burma


Sleeping on the job.
Tsk tsk. This man is achieving all my life goals.



In accordance with Bangkok Airways' requirement that I present myself for check-in at the airport no later than 90 minutes prior to departure, I arrived at the airport at 4:05 AM to find that the check-in counters were not even staffed yet. The check-in agents did not arrive until 4:20 AM, so I could have slept at least another 15-30 minutes. Boarding passes issued, I set off to find an espresso and my departure gate. In that order.

Departure immigration and security were a breeze.

Model of the new airport, specifically the new International Terminal


The new terminal was very well designed and reminiscent of other airports in the region. It was pretty obvious that the Burmese Government hired the same folks who designed Singapore's Changi Airport T3 to design the new terminal in Yangon. Good choice.


Have it your way


$12 for 200g of dried mango? Really?


Thankfully, the airport does not sell bush meat. I hadn't been worried about that, but perhaps I should have?
The caption reads: "We don't sell and wildlife meals at any restaurant in this airport"


After a short wait at the gate, we were ready to board the plane. The massive income inequality of Burma was on full display here. Burmese passengers on my flight were invariably sporting Louis Vuitton and Rimowa luggage in a country with a per capita GDP of $1,300.

A lovely morning on the Gulf of Martaban


The plane wasn't packed by any means, perhaps 70% full. Knowing that the ATR 72 boards from the rear, I chose a seat near the rear of the plane. It was a good choice.

Shortly after take-off, the crew started the complimentary hot meal service. On offer was Hainanese chicken rice with fruit. It was actually pretty good, and way more than you'd get on any US domestic carrier. Granted, it didn't include all the traditional accouterments of a typical chicken rice dish, it was definitely satisfactory. I hadn't eaten yet, so a hot meal was definitely welcome.


Before long, we'd arrived in Bangkok for my connecting flight. Our arrival was a bit early, which was appreciated.

HS-PZG


Another shot of HS-PZG



Thoughts
This was my first flight on Bangkok Airways, and it was a good flight. No complaints at all and the service was quite good. The ticket was quite cheap (around $100), so it was quite a good value. I'd gladly fly with them again.