Review: Thai Airways Business Class Seoul to Bangkok

After a day stopover in Seoul, it was time to continue on to Bangkok. My travel companion and I had not received our boarding pass from Asiana in Manila, so we headed to the check-in counter in Seoul. It was about 3.5 hours before our flight, but with several flights departing from Seoul, the Thai Airways counter was open, but nearly deserted since their next flight was still 2 hours away from departure. We walked up to the business class counter, was greeted by a very friendly employee who quickly processed our boarding passes, and presented us with a pass to the Boarding Gate Business Class Lounge operated by Asiana. We headed over to customs and security and within 10 minutes, we had passed through both. Sadly, there was no express line for business class passengers, but either way, security and customs were extremely efficient.

After a visit to the Boarding Area Lounge, we headed to the gate and arrived just a few minutes before boarding began. The jet bridge has 2 doors: one door for business class and Star Alliance Gold members and another for economy class. We boarded quickly and were very soon aboard the Thai Airways 777-200. As we boarded the plane we were greeted with a bow and a swadee as the FA directed us to our seats.

In each seat upon boarding, there were two menus (a dinner menu and drink menu) and an amenity kit. Once seated, as the economy class passengers continued to board, an FA brought around each business class passengers a hot towel to refresh themselves. Then as one FA was collecting the hot towels another followed with headphones and slippers and a third followed with beverages which included water, orange juice, or champagne. Boarding was done very proficiently, within a few minutes the entire B777 was loaded, and we were on our way to Bangkok.

Immediately after the safety video the IFE started working, including the captain’s view camera (which I LOVE!), and guests could get lost in the hundreds of hours of entertainment that Thai Airways offers. As we ascended over Seoul, FAs were in the aisles within 15 minutes with drink carts. The FAs didn’t waste a minute and quickly had drinks and appetizers served to the entire business class cabin. By the time I was close to finishing my hot savory prawn ball, the FAs were back in the aisles refilling drinks, collecting plates, and providing passengers with another hot towel! Dinner service then continued followed by a cheese and fruit plate and then dessert. However, by the time I finished my smoked salmon salad and grilled pomfret (fish), I was so stuffed that the idea of eating anything else was sickening. So I bypassed the cheese and dessert and made myself comfortable in my angle flat seat so I could take a nap.

Dinner Menu & Prawn Ball

Smoke Salmon and the main course, grilled pomfret

I slept for about 3.5 hours and woke up a good hour before landing in Bangkok. My nap was very pleasant and for the first time in a long time I found the angle flat seat comfortable. Then again, it could have been the fact I had been running around Seoul all day on only 3 hours of sleep that made the flight so much more comfortable! Upon awaking, I got up to use the bathroom and when I emerged from the bathroom, the FAs in the galley greeted me and asked me if they could get me anything. Being a cheese enthusiast, I asked for the cheese plate I had kindly refused earlier and some water. Minutes later the FAs arrived at my seat and brought me my cheese and fruit plate and water. However, to my surprise, a second FA followed the first one out, with a couple bottles of wine to offer me to go with my cheese and wine plate! I gladly accepted one of the wines and sat there in gluttony as I indulged in my cheese and wine!

Soon after I finished my cheese and wine plate we were approaching Bangkok and the FAs reappeared to make sure everything was in order. They handed out immigration forms to everyone and a bottle of water to each person in the forward cabin. They thanked us individually for flying Thai Airways and before we knew it, we were back on the ground, but this time in Thailand.

Thai Airways Business Class Hard Product

Seat: The seat on the Boeing 777-200 are configured in a 2x2x2 pattern with a 60 inch pitch, 21.5 inches wide, and 170 degrees of recline, these seats are great for couples but not those traveling alone, since there is little privacy between seats. The seat is a fixed shell angle flat seat with massage function. There are water bottle holders between the seats, a large work station/desk, in seat power, and plenty of storage rooms for small items in and around the seat.

IFE: The screen size is average for business class and Thai airways offers hours of entertainment with the latest movies options, some still not released on DVD, along with an array of older movies and television shows for guests of all ages!

Thai Airwyas Business Class Soft Product

Food & Beverage: The 5 hour + flight offered a 5 course meal with a number of options including western, Korean, or Thai dishes! Everything I ate was restaurant quality and better than most airline food that I’ve had. I skipped dessert so I cannot rank that, however everything else was flavorful and pleasant. Being that the flight departed at 9pm, the idea of a full meal so late in the evening is quite pleasant

The drink selection was decent as well. Being a whisky drinker I was sad their best whisky was Johnny Walker Black Label but it did just fine. In addition, listed on the Thai Airways drink menu is an range of cocktails, which I had not seen since I flew Korean Airways. My only real complaint is that Thai Airways uses the same drink menu for every international flight, so it lists a number of wines and beverages that are only available on select routes, which is more of teaser than anything!

Service: Service was high quality with friendly flight attendants who attended to everyone’s needs. Although they were not as efficient as on Asiana, they still worked hard and did everything with a smile. After the Asiana flight, it was weird to me that my water glass sat empty, however it was never long before someone appeared to refill it. Overall I would still say Thai Airways service is among the best!

Amenities: Small but comfortable pillows, warm blankets (similar to those given out by AA on their JFK-LAX route in Biz class), noise canceling headphones, slippers, and amenity kits were offered to each passenger in business class. Bathrooms also had lotion, razors, shaving cream, and extra tooth brushes for passengers use. The Crabtree & Evelyn branded amenity kits were sufficient and included 9 items. It included Thai branded fluocarli travel size toothpaste and mouthwash, a disposable toothbrush, socks, a flimsy eye masks, earplugs, a brush/comb and Crabtree & Evelyn hand lotion & chap stick.

Thai Airways Business Class Hard Product

Thai Airwyas Business Class Soft Product

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About Rocky Horan