Amazing Thailand
Jan 4, 2000 | 5:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6,932
Amazing Thailand
The long flight
It had been over a year since my last trip to Thailand A last-minute relaxation of inventory allowed me to buy a round-trip H fare from Seattle through Tokyo to Bangkok with upgrade to business class. The aircraft was a 777 on all four segments. The route was advertised as having the new First Suites, but I was just concerned about the new, more comfortable business-class seats since I doubted I would be seeing the interior of the first-class cabin.
Andrew picked me up at 11 a.m. for the 12:35 flight. The airport drive was extremely congested, so he drove to general parking and went in with me. One inside we wondered where all the people were who were congesting the drive. The airport itself was uncrowded. I was first in line for the one agent on duty at the 1K/FC checkin line. He saw that I had seat 15H and made sure that that seat was able to recline fully, since it was the last row of business class. Even so, he offered me 14B or H if I preferred. I had good memories of seat 15H from the CDG-IAD flight Hunnybear and I took last year, so I stuck with it.
I decided to pop into the 1K room to visit the angels and see if I could score a vaunted double-upgrade on one of the segments. No dice: the cabin was full by that time. I said goodbye to Andrew and stood in the single boarding line. Seattle does not have dual jetways to board 777s like most airports. Boarding was through the door in between the two halves of the business-class cabin, so economy passengers continued to file past the customers in rows 11-15 throughout the boarding process. One interesting thing about the 777 with First Suites: there is no row 10! The front of the plane has three rows of First Suites (1-2-1),then two rows of business-class, rows 8 and 9 (2-3-2), then rows 11-15 of business class (also 2-3-2). I have reservations in row 10 in March on my trip to Prague. I wonder what happens if I draw one of these aircraft?
My seat opponent was waiting when I boarded. He was a sleepy, chubby Hong-Kong Chinese who smiled pleasantly but didnt say much during the flight. A hermetically sealed blanket and freshly laundered pillow were waiting on my seat. Preflight drinks were offered, but only champagne or orange juice. Water was available on request. I requested it. We had the good seats with massager, footrests, personal videos, laptop power, and noise-reducing headsets which were passed out along with an amenity kit.
I poked my nose into first-class to look at the First Suites. I must say they dont look particularly comfortable compared with the previous generation of FC seats. They looked narrower. Only one employee was in FC. Business was full, with six employees. There were at least two 1Ks in coach according to the manifest.
We took off about 15 minutes late due to flow control. Channel 9 was available on this leg. There was a nine-channel video selection with two separate programs that repeated one after the other throughout the flight. Service was very friendly, especially toward me. One of my flight-attendant friends had emailed the crew that I was on the flight and asked them to be especially nice to me. Well, they were. The crew was very friendly, especially Megumi, who made sure I had everything I needed.
I always get the Japanese obento selection when I fly business-class Transpacific. It was yummy and consisted of a selection of a dozen tastes of different cold foods. I had a good cold sake along with it. After dinner came a plate of cheese (unimpressive slices of cheddar and brie) and fruit (grapes). Chessecake was also available. Godiva chocolates came around thereafter. One surprising thing about this leg was that they had only one hot-towel service on a 10-hour flight.
Despite our late takeoff we arrived early at Narita. I made the quick U-turn to reenter security and then asked everybody I could about an upgrade but was given the party line: no double upgrades. I went up to the lounge and asked if a 1K could go into the Fuji lounge. No, first-class only. I parked at a window table in the RCC with a telephone and connected to the Internet in Japan for the first time ever! Really, it was just like being at home once I found out that I had to dial the 03 area code before each call.
The layover was about two hours, then flight 875 was called for boarding at gate 35. Here they did have a separate entrance for first and business-class. Once inside the jetway, though, it changed to a separate entrance for first class only! I went to my familiar seat. On this leg the blankets were not hermetically sealed. I ordered the obento once again, a completely different one this time but also delicious. I slept most of this trip after watching Double Jeopardy. My seat opponent for this leg was a friendly Canadian coming from Honolulu. We chatted for about five minutes but the we were both too tired. The business-class purser, Matthew, came around and asked me to let him know if there was anything he could do for me. I said he could get me an upgrade. He said he thought that would be difficult on this flight. I checked the manifest just before deplaning and found that FC was full, all paying customers except for one positive-space employee.
We arrived on time in Bangkok. Immigration was a breeze. Right away I encountered the curious Thai way of being. They tagged my bag as first class in Seattle, but I didnt see it among the first few bags to come off the conveyor. Then I realized there was a sign at the end of the belt saying First Class Bags. I went over and sure enough, there was my bagright in the middle of a huge pile of first-class bags. I had to stretch and lift mightily to extract it from the middle of the pile. It was an attempt to provide good service to first-class customers, but not exactly executed in a convenient way. Welcome to Thailand.
I took a hotel limo to the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (650 Baht). It was only a 15-minute drive and was charged to my room. The staff at this Luxury Collection hotel greeted me with many smiles. I signed in for the $110 rate I had reserved (including full breakfast buffet) and headed up to a moderately large room on the 28th floor with a view of the city. It was so smoggy the next morning I couldnt actually see much city, but its the thought that counts. Waiting for me was a plate of shelled peanuts and a delicious assortment of tropical fruit. I ate three rambutans, a longan, and a mangosteen but left the mini-bananas and the other fruit that was available in the US. I decided to walk around and soak up the atmosphere before bed. I passed the amazing sidewalk food carts with everything from barbecued pork to roasted insects. I still ahvent tried any of those.
Next: on to Phuket
It had been over a year since my last trip to Thailand A last-minute relaxation of inventory allowed me to buy a round-trip H fare from Seattle through Tokyo to Bangkok with upgrade to business class. The aircraft was a 777 on all four segments. The route was advertised as having the new First Suites, but I was just concerned about the new, more comfortable business-class seats since I doubted I would be seeing the interior of the first-class cabin.
Andrew picked me up at 11 a.m. for the 12:35 flight. The airport drive was extremely congested, so he drove to general parking and went in with me. One inside we wondered where all the people were who were congesting the drive. The airport itself was uncrowded. I was first in line for the one agent on duty at the 1K/FC checkin line. He saw that I had seat 15H and made sure that that seat was able to recline fully, since it was the last row of business class. Even so, he offered me 14B or H if I preferred. I had good memories of seat 15H from the CDG-IAD flight Hunnybear and I took last year, so I stuck with it.
I decided to pop into the 1K room to visit the angels and see if I could score a vaunted double-upgrade on one of the segments. No dice: the cabin was full by that time. I said goodbye to Andrew and stood in the single boarding line. Seattle does not have dual jetways to board 777s like most airports. Boarding was through the door in between the two halves of the business-class cabin, so economy passengers continued to file past the customers in rows 11-15 throughout the boarding process. One interesting thing about the 777 with First Suites: there is no row 10! The front of the plane has three rows of First Suites (1-2-1),then two rows of business-class, rows 8 and 9 (2-3-2), then rows 11-15 of business class (also 2-3-2). I have reservations in row 10 in March on my trip to Prague. I wonder what happens if I draw one of these aircraft?
My seat opponent was waiting when I boarded. He was a sleepy, chubby Hong-Kong Chinese who smiled pleasantly but didnt say much during the flight. A hermetically sealed blanket and freshly laundered pillow were waiting on my seat. Preflight drinks were offered, but only champagne or orange juice. Water was available on request. I requested it. We had the good seats with massager, footrests, personal videos, laptop power, and noise-reducing headsets which were passed out along with an amenity kit.
I poked my nose into first-class to look at the First Suites. I must say they dont look particularly comfortable compared with the previous generation of FC seats. They looked narrower. Only one employee was in FC. Business was full, with six employees. There were at least two 1Ks in coach according to the manifest.
We took off about 15 minutes late due to flow control. Channel 9 was available on this leg. There was a nine-channel video selection with two separate programs that repeated one after the other throughout the flight. Service was very friendly, especially toward me. One of my flight-attendant friends had emailed the crew that I was on the flight and asked them to be especially nice to me. Well, they were. The crew was very friendly, especially Megumi, who made sure I had everything I needed.
I always get the Japanese obento selection when I fly business-class Transpacific. It was yummy and consisted of a selection of a dozen tastes of different cold foods. I had a good cold sake along with it. After dinner came a plate of cheese (unimpressive slices of cheddar and brie) and fruit (grapes). Chessecake was also available. Godiva chocolates came around thereafter. One surprising thing about this leg was that they had only one hot-towel service on a 10-hour flight.
Despite our late takeoff we arrived early at Narita. I made the quick U-turn to reenter security and then asked everybody I could about an upgrade but was given the party line: no double upgrades. I went up to the lounge and asked if a 1K could go into the Fuji lounge. No, first-class only. I parked at a window table in the RCC with a telephone and connected to the Internet in Japan for the first time ever! Really, it was just like being at home once I found out that I had to dial the 03 area code before each call.
The layover was about two hours, then flight 875 was called for boarding at gate 35. Here they did have a separate entrance for first and business-class. Once inside the jetway, though, it changed to a separate entrance for first class only! I went to my familiar seat. On this leg the blankets were not hermetically sealed. I ordered the obento once again, a completely different one this time but also delicious. I slept most of this trip after watching Double Jeopardy. My seat opponent for this leg was a friendly Canadian coming from Honolulu. We chatted for about five minutes but the we were both too tired. The business-class purser, Matthew, came around and asked me to let him know if there was anything he could do for me. I said he could get me an upgrade. He said he thought that would be difficult on this flight. I checked the manifest just before deplaning and found that FC was full, all paying customers except for one positive-space employee.
We arrived on time in Bangkok. Immigration was a breeze. Right away I encountered the curious Thai way of being. They tagged my bag as first class in Seattle, but I didnt see it among the first few bags to come off the conveyor. Then I realized there was a sign at the end of the belt saying First Class Bags. I went over and sure enough, there was my bagright in the middle of a huge pile of first-class bags. I had to stretch and lift mightily to extract it from the middle of the pile. It was an attempt to provide good service to first-class customers, but not exactly executed in a convenient way. Welcome to Thailand.
I took a hotel limo to the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (650 Baht). It was only a 15-minute drive and was charged to my room. The staff at this Luxury Collection hotel greeted me with many smiles. I signed in for the $110 rate I had reserved (including full breakfast buffet) and headed up to a moderately large room on the 28th floor with a view of the city. It was so smoggy the next morning I couldnt actually see much city, but its the thought that counts. Waiting for me was a plate of shelled peanuts and a delicious assortment of tropical fruit. I ate three rambutans, a longan, and a mangosteen but left the mini-bananas and the other fruit that was available in the US. I decided to walk around and soak up the atmosphere before bed. I passed the amazing sidewalk food carts with everything from barbecued pork to roasted insects. I still ahvent tried any of those.
Next: on to Phuket
Jan 4, 2000 | 11:51 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 3,383
I can't wait to read more, too.
The Fuji lounge at the UA satellite in the NRT Terminal 1), I think, is not a Star Alliance lounge. (I may be wrong.) It is a shared lounge for 1st class passengers. The same as another 'Fuji Lounge' at the NW satellite in the NRT Terminal 1.
NH has Fuji Lounges at Terminal 2 for 1st class passengers. I am NH Platinum (Star Allinace Gold) and am usually allowed to use a Fuji Lounge (they'll give you an invitation card when checked in) but I usuall go to a business class lounge because Fuji Lounges have only one modem outlet.
The Fuji lounge at the UA satellite in the NRT Terminal 1), I think, is not a Star Alliance lounge. (I may be wrong.) It is a shared lounge for 1st class passengers. The same as another 'Fuji Lounge' at the NW satellite in the NRT Terminal 1.
NH has Fuji Lounges at Terminal 2 for 1st class passengers. I am NH Platinum (Star Allinace Gold) and am usually allowed to use a Fuji Lounge (they'll give you an invitation card when checked in) but I usuall go to a business class lounge because Fuji Lounges have only one modem outlet.
Jan 5, 2000 | 11:15 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,337
I also get the Obento whenever flying to Japan. It's the most interesting meal there is in the air. 
We may not hear from the Lion in Phuket since modems don't work well in beachside straw huts.
We may not hear from the Lion in Phuket since modems don't work well in beachside straw huts.
Jan 5, 2000 | 7:20 pm
#9
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6,932
Ha! You thought you could get rid of me that easily?
As far as I know, 1K's generally don't have special access to FC lounges. This is a competitive disadvantage as regards OneWorld I believe.
Tropical paradise
I asked for a wakeup call for 9 so that I could leave the hotel at 11 for my 1 p.m. flight. I was told it could take up to 45 minutes to get to the airport if traffic was bad. Several of the hotel staff asked me if I would like to reserve the hotel limo (1000 Bahtwhy does it cost almost twice as much to go to the airport as [/I]from[/I] the airport?) but I told them I would take a taxi (350 Baht). It turned out the wakeup call was not necessary since I awoke well rested at 6:20 a.m. Bangkok time (3:20 p.m. the previous day Seattle time). A poet once said morning arrives in Bangkok like a greasy gray rag pushed into the corner of a room. I thought of that as I looked out my floor-to-ceiling window at the first quarter-mile of the city, which was all I could see because of the smog. Imagine what this city would be like with California emissions controls, I thought.
I did emails and FlyerTalk, then went down for my complimentary breakfast buffet. What a nice surprise! This is the best free breakfast Ive ever seen. They served a full array of pastries, fruits, and cereals; Asian favorites like the dreaded hot congee; Thai favorites such as Thai Omelet and chicken stir-fry; and of course American fare: eggs benedict, carved turkey and ham, French toast and waffles, and eggs made to order. Coffee, orange juice and water were all included, as was tax and service. This breakfast would cost $25-30/person in most luxury hotels, so its really a tremendous benefit to have it included in the rate. Unfortunately on the way back I get up too early to enjoy it, but they also have complimentary cocktail hour in the evening. And I think United will feed me.
I got a bit antsy and checked out a little early. I confirmed that Thailand has actually lowered their VAT to 7% from 10%! Unheard of, lowering a tax! The only glitch in checkout was that I was charged 10 Baht (27 cents) each for three local calls. The sign in the room said local calls were complimentary because I was on the Executive Floor. The clerk happily removed them and put the whole bill on my MasterCard (American Express continues to lose all my foreign business because they charge double the commission on foreign purchases that FirstUSA and Bank of America do).
I asked the bellman to call me a taxi and asked how much it is. He said 350 Baht ($10), which is what I expected. I asked if that was flat rate or a meter charge. He tried to understand me and asked if I wanted a taxi who would use the meter. I said it didnt matter, just find me a good taxi who would not cheat me. He did as I checked out and loaded my bags into the taxi. I was about to leave when I noticed I had left a plastic carry-bag with the two bottles of wine I was given on my flights (one on each leg; a consolation prize for not getting the vaunted double upgrade). The bellman asked my room number and dashed up to get it for me. He soon returned with the bag, smiled, and disappeared before I could figure out how much to tip him. The Thai people honestly do not expect tips, but appreciate it when they are given. In this hotel, 10% is added to the bill for service, but its OK to tip extra if you want to.
I tried to establish with the taxi driver whether the 350 Baht for the trip included the toll. He didnt speak much English at all, so I smiled and resigned myself to a rip-off I had experienced before in which the taxi driver asks the passenger to pay the toll, then asks for the entire agreed-upon amount upon arrival. It was only a buck. Sure enough, as we sped through the light traffic to the toll booth, he asked me for 30 Baht to pay the toll. I handed him some coins. But when we arrived at the airport he asked for 320 Baht! An honest taxi driver in Bangkok. Not only that, but he didnt have any change. When I tried to give him 400 Baht, he shook his head and took only three 100-Baht notes from me. I opened my change purse and had no coins left and he smiled and said OK. A Bangkok taxi driver accepting less than we agreed! This must be a high-profit-margin trip. I gave him about six one-Baht coins I had and we called it a morning.
I had made a reservation last night on the 1 p.m. flight to Phuket using United Connection software. There are two secrets to domestic travel in Thailand. First, always fly business class on Thai Airways. They fly widebodies on one-hour flights, have fabulous service, and charge only 500 Baht ($13) more for business class than coach. You also get full status miles on Star Alliance for flying business class and only half for flying coach. Second, Thai has no advance-purchase discounts or last-minute penalties, and they dont do advance seat assignments, so you may as well just buy your ticket at the airport for maximum flexibility. I got into a very short queue at the Thai ticket counter (which is separate from the checkin counter and across the lobby on the side closest to the airport drive). The agent found my reservation, sold me a ticket, entered my United 1K number, and put the 2830 Baht ($76.50) on my MasterCard.
I walked across the lobby to the Royal Executive checkin, where there was no line but a family was trying to tear their kid away from playing with the red carpet and rope in front of the counter. When they did, I checked my one bag to Phuket, got an aisle seat, and was asked to please wait in Executive Lounge. I headed for a big sign saying VIP lounge, just steps away, and plunked myself down to read while I waited the hour and a half till boarding. I was a little bit of a nervous Nellie about the non-existent traffic, I guess.
The domestic Thai lounge is a nice big room with complimentary soft drinks and light snacks, but nothing like the international lounge with full bar and quite an assortment of eats. Still, its a nice place to wait. When it was time, I headed down a secret back corridor to an exit just before security. Theres actually another door that real VIPs can go through to bypass security entirely. I dont suppose theyre worried about the Prime Minister blowing up a plane. Just before security there is a red metal cylinder with a round hole in the top mounted at a 45-degree angle from the floor. A large sign over it says Clear Gun. I still have no idea what that is or what its used for.
There was no separate line for business class, so I just go in the queue and boarded the Airbus 300-600. I has seat 12B, which was the second rowperfect. The bulkhead seats on this plane are slightly narrower than the rest due to the curvature of the nose. Apparently they dont assign them, or assign them last, because they were the only empty seats in business. Immediately upon being seated, I got a thick hot towel, choice of newspapers, and a welcome drink: choice of iced tea, water, or fruit juice. The airshow was running. Lunch was an absolutely delicious Phad Thai with shrimp, along with another choice of soft drink, followed by another hot towel. All this on a one-hour flight! The purser came by and asked how I liked lunch and I raved about it.
My seat opponent on this flight was a middle-aged Scot named Jock. He takes two and a half months off every winter and comes to Thailand. We had a great talk about where to go and what to do in Phuket At least I think we didhe had a very think Scottish accent. He was trying to tell me about a spa called the Heedwee, which finally he had to spell for me, tracing the letters with his finger on the seat back in front of him. It was Hideaway. He was staying right next to the Sand Inn, where I was staying, so he offered to share his car.
For some reason we parked the plane at a bus gate rather than at the open jetway right next to it. The Thai crew made the coach passengers exit from the tail and wait until all the busy-ness passengers had exited into the buses before they let them leave. The bus drove about 50 meters and dropped us at the terminal. My brother was waiting for me in baggage claim, having arrived from Chiang Mai 20 minutes earlier. Baggage came out in the wrong order, so I felt right at home. We collected our bags and Jock and looked for the driver with the sign saying Mr. Gock. Apparently the Thais cant spell J.
The ride from HKT to Patong Beach is about 45 minutes through a variety of scenery: freeway, small town, and hills. We finally arrived at the Sand Inn and tried to chip in for the car, but Jock insisted that it was taken care of already. When we persisted, he said we could buy him a beer if we saw him around town. I said we sure would.
My brother and I have stayed at the Sand Inn many times. Its a nice clean hotel with good air conditioning and good location, right at the opposite end of the main entertainment street, Soi Bang La, from the beach. The staff recognized and greeted us. They always give us rooms on the third floor. There is no elevator, but they carry your bags up. Mike and I changed and headed straight for the beach for a little dip in the Andaman Sea. The water was perfect.
After a late-afternoon run on the beach, we had dinner at one of my favorite places in Patong, The Buffalo. I always pronounce it Boof-alo because thats they way it was pronounced by the crazy Latvian guys who introduced me to it last year. We had Chateaubriand for two (Australian Beef), which was excellent, a bottle of St.-Emillon, and shrimp cocktail. The total came to just over 2000 Baht ($45) for the both of us, and half of that was the wine, which is not cheap in Thailand. This was an expensive meal in Phuket. Steak, shrimp, and lobster are expensive here. Everything else is pretty cheap, especially Thai food.
We did a bar tour tonight, but I called it quits pretty early, pleading jet lag.
Next: Diving!
As far as I know, 1K's generally don't have special access to FC lounges. This is a competitive disadvantage as regards OneWorld I believe.
Tropical paradise
I asked for a wakeup call for 9 so that I could leave the hotel at 11 for my 1 p.m. flight. I was told it could take up to 45 minutes to get to the airport if traffic was bad. Several of the hotel staff asked me if I would like to reserve the hotel limo (1000 Bahtwhy does it cost almost twice as much to go to the airport as [/I]from[/I] the airport?) but I told them I would take a taxi (350 Baht). It turned out the wakeup call was not necessary since I awoke well rested at 6:20 a.m. Bangkok time (3:20 p.m. the previous day Seattle time). A poet once said morning arrives in Bangkok like a greasy gray rag pushed into the corner of a room. I thought of that as I looked out my floor-to-ceiling window at the first quarter-mile of the city, which was all I could see because of the smog. Imagine what this city would be like with California emissions controls, I thought.
I did emails and FlyerTalk, then went down for my complimentary breakfast buffet. What a nice surprise! This is the best free breakfast Ive ever seen. They served a full array of pastries, fruits, and cereals; Asian favorites like the dreaded hot congee; Thai favorites such as Thai Omelet and chicken stir-fry; and of course American fare: eggs benedict, carved turkey and ham, French toast and waffles, and eggs made to order. Coffee, orange juice and water were all included, as was tax and service. This breakfast would cost $25-30/person in most luxury hotels, so its really a tremendous benefit to have it included in the rate. Unfortunately on the way back I get up too early to enjoy it, but they also have complimentary cocktail hour in the evening. And I think United will feed me.
I got a bit antsy and checked out a little early. I confirmed that Thailand has actually lowered their VAT to 7% from 10%! Unheard of, lowering a tax! The only glitch in checkout was that I was charged 10 Baht (27 cents) each for three local calls. The sign in the room said local calls were complimentary because I was on the Executive Floor. The clerk happily removed them and put the whole bill on my MasterCard (American Express continues to lose all my foreign business because they charge double the commission on foreign purchases that FirstUSA and Bank of America do).
I asked the bellman to call me a taxi and asked how much it is. He said 350 Baht ($10), which is what I expected. I asked if that was flat rate or a meter charge. He tried to understand me and asked if I wanted a taxi who would use the meter. I said it didnt matter, just find me a good taxi who would not cheat me. He did as I checked out and loaded my bags into the taxi. I was about to leave when I noticed I had left a plastic carry-bag with the two bottles of wine I was given on my flights (one on each leg; a consolation prize for not getting the vaunted double upgrade). The bellman asked my room number and dashed up to get it for me. He soon returned with the bag, smiled, and disappeared before I could figure out how much to tip him. The Thai people honestly do not expect tips, but appreciate it when they are given. In this hotel, 10% is added to the bill for service, but its OK to tip extra if you want to.
I tried to establish with the taxi driver whether the 350 Baht for the trip included the toll. He didnt speak much English at all, so I smiled and resigned myself to a rip-off I had experienced before in which the taxi driver asks the passenger to pay the toll, then asks for the entire agreed-upon amount upon arrival. It was only a buck. Sure enough, as we sped through the light traffic to the toll booth, he asked me for 30 Baht to pay the toll. I handed him some coins. But when we arrived at the airport he asked for 320 Baht! An honest taxi driver in Bangkok. Not only that, but he didnt have any change. When I tried to give him 400 Baht, he shook his head and took only three 100-Baht notes from me. I opened my change purse and had no coins left and he smiled and said OK. A Bangkok taxi driver accepting less than we agreed! This must be a high-profit-margin trip. I gave him about six one-Baht coins I had and we called it a morning.
I had made a reservation last night on the 1 p.m. flight to Phuket using United Connection software. There are two secrets to domestic travel in Thailand. First, always fly business class on Thai Airways. They fly widebodies on one-hour flights, have fabulous service, and charge only 500 Baht ($13) more for business class than coach. You also get full status miles on Star Alliance for flying business class and only half for flying coach. Second, Thai has no advance-purchase discounts or last-minute penalties, and they dont do advance seat assignments, so you may as well just buy your ticket at the airport for maximum flexibility. I got into a very short queue at the Thai ticket counter (which is separate from the checkin counter and across the lobby on the side closest to the airport drive). The agent found my reservation, sold me a ticket, entered my United 1K number, and put the 2830 Baht ($76.50) on my MasterCard.
I walked across the lobby to the Royal Executive checkin, where there was no line but a family was trying to tear their kid away from playing with the red carpet and rope in front of the counter. When they did, I checked my one bag to Phuket, got an aisle seat, and was asked to please wait in Executive Lounge. I headed for a big sign saying VIP lounge, just steps away, and plunked myself down to read while I waited the hour and a half till boarding. I was a little bit of a nervous Nellie about the non-existent traffic, I guess.
The domestic Thai lounge is a nice big room with complimentary soft drinks and light snacks, but nothing like the international lounge with full bar and quite an assortment of eats. Still, its a nice place to wait. When it was time, I headed down a secret back corridor to an exit just before security. Theres actually another door that real VIPs can go through to bypass security entirely. I dont suppose theyre worried about the Prime Minister blowing up a plane. Just before security there is a red metal cylinder with a round hole in the top mounted at a 45-degree angle from the floor. A large sign over it says Clear Gun. I still have no idea what that is or what its used for.
There was no separate line for business class, so I just go in the queue and boarded the Airbus 300-600. I has seat 12B, which was the second rowperfect. The bulkhead seats on this plane are slightly narrower than the rest due to the curvature of the nose. Apparently they dont assign them, or assign them last, because they were the only empty seats in business. Immediately upon being seated, I got a thick hot towel, choice of newspapers, and a welcome drink: choice of iced tea, water, or fruit juice. The airshow was running. Lunch was an absolutely delicious Phad Thai with shrimp, along with another choice of soft drink, followed by another hot towel. All this on a one-hour flight! The purser came by and asked how I liked lunch and I raved about it.
My seat opponent on this flight was a middle-aged Scot named Jock. He takes two and a half months off every winter and comes to Thailand. We had a great talk about where to go and what to do in Phuket At least I think we didhe had a very think Scottish accent. He was trying to tell me about a spa called the Heedwee, which finally he had to spell for me, tracing the letters with his finger on the seat back in front of him. It was Hideaway. He was staying right next to the Sand Inn, where I was staying, so he offered to share his car.
For some reason we parked the plane at a bus gate rather than at the open jetway right next to it. The Thai crew made the coach passengers exit from the tail and wait until all the busy-ness passengers had exited into the buses before they let them leave. The bus drove about 50 meters and dropped us at the terminal. My brother was waiting for me in baggage claim, having arrived from Chiang Mai 20 minutes earlier. Baggage came out in the wrong order, so I felt right at home. We collected our bags and Jock and looked for the driver with the sign saying Mr. Gock. Apparently the Thais cant spell J.
The ride from HKT to Patong Beach is about 45 minutes through a variety of scenery: freeway, small town, and hills. We finally arrived at the Sand Inn and tried to chip in for the car, but Jock insisted that it was taken care of already. When we persisted, he said we could buy him a beer if we saw him around town. I said we sure would.
My brother and I have stayed at the Sand Inn many times. Its a nice clean hotel with good air conditioning and good location, right at the opposite end of the main entertainment street, Soi Bang La, from the beach. The staff recognized and greeted us. They always give us rooms on the third floor. There is no elevator, but they carry your bags up. Mike and I changed and headed straight for the beach for a little dip in the Andaman Sea. The water was perfect.
After a late-afternoon run on the beach, we had dinner at one of my favorite places in Patong, The Buffalo. I always pronounce it Boof-alo because thats they way it was pronounced by the crazy Latvian guys who introduced me to it last year. We had Chateaubriand for two (Australian Beef), which was excellent, a bottle of St.-Emillon, and shrimp cocktail. The total came to just over 2000 Baht ($45) for the both of us, and half of that was the wine, which is not cheap in Thailand. This was an expensive meal in Phuket. Steak, shrimp, and lobster are expensive here. Everything else is pretty cheap, especially Thai food.
We did a bar tour tonight, but I called it quits pretty early, pleading jet lag.
Next: Diving!
Jan 5, 2000 | 9:59 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Boulder, CO USA
Posts: 29
Sounds great so far! I miss Thailand already, and I've only been back 3 weeks. Yikes!
Thanks for the recommendation on the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. I'll stay there next time. And you've got to love the new expressway. Time from Sukhumvit to the airport is now only 15 minutes. Yee ha! By the way, the price of a meter-taxi to/from Sukhumvit to the airport should be 200 to 250 baht plus the toll (actual price depends on where you are on Sukhumvit and whether you are going to the domestic or international terminals.)
Regarding landing at BKK on United: the same thing happened to me last time. Arriving and departing. I cant believe they load and unload 747's and 777's using buses, but they do. The rumor I hear is that Thai Airways has first priority on the gates, so United ends up with the buses. Sigh.
Regarding the Hideaway Spa, I did a full review of it in my second Thailand travelog on TripTalk.com. Basically it is the most California-like spa I've found in Thailand. You get to choose what herbs you want in your sauna, then sit in a rock hot-tub, and then get a seriously painful Thai-style massage with theraputic oils. Their claim to fame is that Leonardo DiCaprio got a massage there while in Phuket filming "The Beach". The cost is 2 to 3 times that of a place in town. Worth doing once for the experience, but I havent gone back. Oh, remember to bring your mosquito repellent!
Thanks for the recommendation on the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. I'll stay there next time. And you've got to love the new expressway. Time from Sukhumvit to the airport is now only 15 minutes. Yee ha! By the way, the price of a meter-taxi to/from Sukhumvit to the airport should be 200 to 250 baht plus the toll (actual price depends on where you are on Sukhumvit and whether you are going to the domestic or international terminals.)
Regarding landing at BKK on United: the same thing happened to me last time. Arriving and departing. I cant believe they load and unload 747's and 777's using buses, but they do. The rumor I hear is that Thai Airways has first priority on the gates, so United ends up with the buses. Sigh.
Regarding the Hideaway Spa, I did a full review of it in my second Thailand travelog on TripTalk.com. Basically it is the most California-like spa I've found in Thailand. You get to choose what herbs you want in your sauna, then sit in a rock hot-tub, and then get a seriously painful Thai-style massage with theraputic oils. Their claim to fame is that Leonardo DiCaprio got a massage there while in Phuket filming "The Beach". The cost is 2 to 3 times that of a place in town. Worth doing once for the experience, but I havent gone back. Oh, remember to bring your mosquito repellent!
Jan 5, 2000 | 10:29 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 321
Great report - that brings back memories of last year's trip! I was counting on you to figure out what that read "clear gun" in the airport is.
Say hi to Khun Sue at the Sand-Een for me!
I'm still laughing about "heedwee"
Say hi to Khun Sue at the Sand-Een for me!
I'm still laughing about "heedwee"
Jan 6, 2000 | 6:54 am
#14
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CH-3823 Wengen Switzerland
Programs: miles&more, MileagePlus
Posts: 27,043
thank you for (again) a great report.
First class lounge access: the rules say: only with a same-day international First class *Alliance ticket you get access to First Class lounges (positiv exceptions exist for LH's Senator and SK's Scandinavian lounge where *Alliance Gold brings you in too - but those lounges are not really exclusiv First-class lounges). Even highest Status (by the rules), doesn't give access-rights (but lounge-personel may be tolerant).
First class lounge access: the rules say: only with a same-day international First class *Alliance ticket you get access to First Class lounges (positiv exceptions exist for LH's Senator and SK's Scandinavian lounge where *Alliance Gold brings you in too - but those lounges are not really exclusiv First-class lounges). Even highest Status (by the rules), doesn't give access-rights (but lounge-personel may be tolerant).
Jan 6, 2000 | 9:11 am
#15
formerly known as RK7
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Grass Valley SMF
Programs: Many
Posts: 722
Excellent report. Can't wait to hear about your diving. I just got certified last February with the folks at Phuket Scuba at Kata Beach (in my opinion, one the world's greatest beaches). If you get a chance, eat at the Boathouse on Kata Beach.