Thai Airways B777-300
On the Ground
Royal Silk Lounge
During my 4 hour transit in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, I gained access to the Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge using my Airlines miles. There are several lounges in the airport, the lounge I went to is the nearest to the gate that my flight will be departing from in Concourse E. This lounge is one of the smaller Thai Airways lounges in Suvarnabhumi Airport. I was given a wifi password by the ground staff at the entrance of the lounge. This lounge is one of the few Thai Airways lounges in the airport that is equipped with showering facilities. There is quite a spread of finger food as well as rice dishes served in the lounge, together with beers, wines and drinks. The food provided in the lounge is laid out in buffet style and are mostly Thai snacks and some sandwiches, which are rather tasty and filling. Spending time in the lounge is a great way of killing the 4 hour layover time. The connecting flight departs from Gate E1A, which does not have an aerobridge linked to the aircraft. Passengers are ferried to the aircraft which is parked on the tarmac by the airside bus.
My flight from Bangkok to Singapore departs from Gate E1A
Thai Airways airside bus taking us to the aircraft parked on the tarmac
The Aircraft
The Cabin
Thai Airways B777-300 Economy Class cabin is decked out in the signature vibrant yellow, blue and purple colours that are familiar across most of the airliner’s fleet. The Economy Class cabin gives a cheerful vibe to passengers flying in it. There did not any mood lighting in the Economy Class cabin of this aircraft after all the Thai Airways B777-300 has an average age of about 9 years. Nonetheless, the lighting gives the aircraft a clean and spacious feel to it. Thai Airways B777 Economy Class cabins have 330 seats spread out in 3 sections.
A vibrant Economy Class Cabin onboard Thai Airways B777-300
There is a concentration of 6 lavatories at the rear of the Thai Airways B777-300 aircraft. The lavatory in the Economy Class onboard Thai Airways B777 is rather small. The use of white lighting gives the lavatory a clean feel and the clever use of mirrors makes the lavatory feels bigger than it is. The amenities in the lavatory is very basic with cologne, hand soap on top of the tissues and paper cups. However, compared to other airlines such as KLM, the amenities are decent onboard Thai Airways. I always like the sensor activated tap in the lavatories onboard Thai Airways, which is both convenient and hygienic for passengers.
The Seat
The seats in the Economy Class cabin onboard Thai Airways B777 has a 32″ pitch and 18″ width. A bulk of the seats are arranged in 3-3-3 configuration, with the exception of several seats at the end of the second and third section of the Economy Class cabin that is arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration. I was seated in one of these 2 by 2 seats on the aircraft. These seats are perfect for couples or groups of 2 travelling together. As the Thai Airways B777 is an older aircraft, the seats on this flight are older in design. For instance, the footrest is just a bar that hangs on the hinges below the seat in front of mine. Even the IFE controller shows signs of ageing. Nonetheless, legroom in the Economy Class cabin is fantastic. Unlike some of the other newer aircraft in the Thai Airways fleet, the tray tables in the Economy Class cabin onboard this B777-300 does not come with a bi-fold feature. It is a big single piece that folds away on the back of the seat in front of mine. There is a small cup holder latch on the back of the tray table, which is a nice touch for passengers who only has a cup and does not want to fold out the tray table. The main seat pocket, where the in-flight reading materials are found, is rather deep (but does not seem to be clean). I like the addition of a small seat pocket in front of the main seat pocket that creates additional (and convenient) space for passengers to store small items such as their mobile phone and passports. On the left of the armrest is where one will find the recline button, which allows passengers to recline to a maximum of 122°. The headphone jack and the IFE remote controller is stored on the right armrest.
Seats in Thai Airways B777-300 Economy Class Cabin
Tray table folded down
Pillow and blanket
In-Flight Entertainment
Thai Airways offer personalised Audio Video On Demand on every of their Economy Class seats on the B777-200. Seats are equipped with 9″ touchscreen TV, which is a tad smaller than some of the other aircraft in the Thai Airways fleet. There are numerous options for passengers in the Economy Class cabin ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to Thai Movies (which I totally enjoyed and it comes with English subtitles as well), there seem to be something for everyone, including kids channels. There are games available in the IFE, which I find a little boring. TV screens can be tilted to cater for a various sitting position. The remote control is located on the armrest, which is a tad old school by today’s standards. However, it serves the function that it is meant for. Headphones are placed on the seats at the time of my boarding, these headphones are not noise cancelling unlike those in the Business Class cabins. I like the overhead headphones, which is way better than earbuds styled headphones, provided by other airlines, which can be quite uncomfortable. The touchscreen function tends to be slightly laggy, probably due to the age of the aircraft. I used the remote control all the time during the 2-hour flight from Bangkok to Singapore.
Touchscreen TV on each seat in Economy Class cabin
IFE controller is found on the right armrest on each seat
Economy Class cabin headphone set
The Food
Meals are served promptly and efficiently during the flight. I like Thai Airways catering as the food is rather flavourful and tasty. For this flight, I opted for the Ginger pork with rice, which comes with an egg on top of the pork. Meals are served with the standard tuna salad as the appetiser and a sponge cake as dessert. The sponge cake is very fluffy and tasty, which is a great end to a meal. Passengers are also served with a bun and a bottle of mineral water with every meal. Drinks are also served shortly after the meal runs and flight attendants went around the cabin to serve coffee/tea after the drinks service.
Pork with rice and egg meal
Service
Service onboard this Thai Airways is great. Friendly attendants are seen smiling and emitting the signature Thai hospitality from boarding to disembarking. Meal service is conducted in an efficient manner by the attendants who are always wearing their smiles. Requests by passengers are also promptly attended to. Flight attendants are seen constantly patrolling the cabin to ensure passengers are comfortable and finished meal trays and trash are being cleared. The warm and friendly crew made me feel welcome onboard throughout the flight.
Flight attendants preparing to distribute meal
Flight attendant during meal service
Afterthought
Despite being a rather old aircraft, Thai Airways B777-300 is still very comfortable for the 2-hour flight from Bangkok to Singapore. Legroom on the Economy Class seats are excellent and the IFE, despite its age, served its function of keeping passengers entertained throughout the flight. The service onboard is impeccable, which warm and friendly flight attendants displaying the warmth of Thai hospitality, which makes the flight enjoyable.