Month: August 2025

[Airline Review] – Singapore Airlines B787-10 (SQ711) – Business Class, BKK-SIN (20 Jul 25)

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Our flight path for this flight from Bangkok to Singapore
Singapore Airlines B787-10 flying us from Bangkok to Singapore today

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Check-in

Singapore Airlines check-in counters in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport are found near the end of Row K, in the centre of the departure hall, with Door 5 being the closest door to it. Singapore Airlines has three queues for checking in, catering to Economy Class, Business Class, and KrisFlyer elite members. Of the seven counters, three serve Economy Class passengers, one is dedicated to KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Elite Silver members, while two are designated for Business Class passengers. The airlines also operate one additional service counter for passengers with flight-related issues. However, this counter also serves Business Class passengers when the other two counters are busy. The ground staff was friendly and worked with great efficiency, processing our check-in in under 5 minutes. Before sending us off to immigration, the ground staff provided us with information on our boarding gate and departure time. He also recommended that we use the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge as it is diagonally opposite our boarding gate. Business Class passengers, regardless of airlines, can use one of two Fast Track immigration lanes, located at either end of the terminal building. I appreciate this service at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, as it meant we didn’t have to queue and were through immigration almost immediately when we arrived at the counters.

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge

As we used the Fast Track lane near the Thai Airways Business Class check-in counter in Row A, the Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge in Concourse D is accessible via an escalator from the immigration counters. There are two lounges at the reception; we were directed to the refurbished lounge on the right of the reception. Passing through the entrance of the lounge, a bar counter welcomed passengers to the lounge. Behind the bar is the main lounge, where we saw several green walls installed in the seating area. The lounge still bears the signature colours of Thai Airways, decked in purple and yellow armchairs with dark brown. These green walls are a refreshing touch to the otherwise old, dark, and gloomy Thai Airways lounge that I used to visit. The main lounge is furnished with armchairs for passengers to relax and enjoy a quiet time.

A dining area, decked with round tables catering for two and a couple of bar tables, sits not far from the bar counter. This is where the buffet line is located, serving up signature Thai food. Despite not having a large variety, I find the food served at the lounge to be delicious and was constantly topped up. I like how the beverage fridges are being co-located in the same area as the buffet line, which makes it convenient for passengers to grab a drink. The shower facilities in the lounge are located in the centre of the lounge, in the same area as the toilet. Since there was no queue for shower rooms at the time of my visit, I decided to check it out. The shower room was quite sizeable, fitted with a toilet and a walk-in shower cubicle. The dark grey tiles in the shower room gave it a refreshed and elegant look. I like the open shelves in the shower room, where I find it practical to stow my carry-on backpack. As Thai Airways is celebrating 65 years of operation, there is a made-to-order counter serving up Japanese food near the other entrance to the lounge. Due to its design and layout, I find the Thai Airways Lounge to be peaceful and not crowded, as passengers are spread across the lounge area.

SilverKris Lounge

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is one of the few airports where Singapore Airlines operates its outstation SilverKris Lounge. The lounge is located diagonally opposite Gate D7, which is a stone’s throw from our departure gate of D6, making coming here an ideal choice while waiting for our boarding. The SilverKris Lounge in Bangkok Airport has a rectangular layout. Right past the entrance to the lounge, we spotted a small lounging area, decked with limited armchairs. Most of the SilverKris Lounge is decked with dining-style seating, occupying the space after the bar counter in the middle of the lounge and by the walls. There are some seating areas by the frosted floor-to-ceiling window, perfect for solo travellers or passengers who want to get some work done. Food is served in a buffet style at the SilverKris Lounge, tucked at the end of the lounge. Other than the Singaporean desserts and small finger food, most of the food available in this lounge features Thai cuisine. Compared to the Thai Airways Lounge, I thought the menu here was smaller with similar taste. SilverKris Lounge does not come fitted with any shower facilities, and even the toilet is a tad small. Due to the size and the layout, plus the number of passengers waiting here for our flight, the SilverKris Lounge felt busy.

The Aircraft

Singapore Airlines mainly operates the A350-900 medium-haul variant and the B787-10 between Singapore and Bangkok. The aircraft assigned for this flight was the B787-10.

Singapore Airlines livery upclose
Singapore Airlines B787-10 safety card

The Cabin

Singapore Airlines’ B787-10 has one single Business Class cabin housing all 36 seats. This arrangement made the cabin look busy and cramped. However, the colour choice for the Business Class cabin onboard their B787-10 aircraft gave it a relaxing and elegant vibe. Using earthy tones in their seats and interior seat shell, and dark blue carpet, this colour theme resonates with the main colour theme of Singapore Airlines. The white walls and cream seat shell gave the cabin a clean look.

The only two Business Class lavatories are situated in front of the Business Class cabin. Unlike those in the A350-900 version, the Business Class lavatory looks nothing premium. Plastered in white and grey, these Business Class lavatories look exactly like those in the Economy Class. One would mistake this for Economy Class if not for the additional Payot hand cream, facial mist and eau de toilette sitting in the bracket on the sink. The lavatories felt a little on the small side, but the bright white lighting and the usage of mirrors gave the illusion of being bigger than they are. I applaud Singapore Airlines for being one of the few airlines in the world that provides amenities such as dental kits and shavers in their lavatory, even for this short 2-hour flight.

The Seat

Singapore Airlines mainly deploys its B787-10 aircraft for regional routes, featuring its regional Business Class seats. Singapore Airlines was one of the first few airlines to offer lie-flat seats for regional routes. The Business Class seats on Singapore Airlines B787-10 are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, giving passengers direct aisle access. The high shell-back design ensures a certain amount of privacy for its Business Class passengers, especially in flatbed mode. Each Singapore Airlines regional Business Class seat has a pitch of 60” and measures 28” wide, and is capable of reclining 180°, turning it into a true flatbed. These seats are very comfortable to sit on due to their thick cushion padding and soft leather. Singapore Airlines’ regional Business Class seat comes with three standard positions: upright for take-off and landings, flatbed for passengers to catch a snooze, and the in-between position (I called this the lounge mode), which is somewhere between the upright and flatbed mode that offers passengers an angled position for better comfort during cruising. These seat modes can be adjusted via the preset seat controls located under the side table. Out of the three seat modes, I find the lounge mode to be the most comfortable, as I was able to configure the recline angle according to my preference.

When it comes to storage, Singapore Airlines B787-10 Business Class seats offer passengers some compartments to store small items. The side cabinet fitted on top of the side table allows us to store smaller items like mobile phones, passports or even an 11” tablet. I like how the airlines designed this cabinet to be enclosed, meaning we can use this storage space even for take-offs and landings. Apart from this small cabinet, we could also use the seat pocket as a storage space for flat items such as books and magazines. However, I find the placement of this seat pocket a little inconvenient and difficult to reach from the seat with our seat belts on. The cubby hole under the footrest provided us with an alternate storage space for our carry-ons, other than the dedicated overhead bin. Singapore Airlines B787-10 Business Class seats have a fairly large seat table stored under the personal TV. The bi-fold table is sturdy and large enough for passengers to work on their 15” laptops. But due to the design, these tables do not come with a swivel function, which means they have to be put away for passengers to get in and out of their seats. Found inside the side cabinet is an international power outlet and two USB-A charging ports to keep our mobile devices juiced up before we land. On top of the overhead reading light, Singapore Airlines regional Business Class seats are installed with another set of reading lights at the top of the seat shell that caters to all three standard seat modes.

Inflight Entertainment

Singapore Airlines B787-10 Business Class seats are fitted with an 18.1″ touchscreen personal TV. The picture quality of the TV was sharp, and the colours were vibrant. A tilt-down feature has been incorporated into the screen’s design, allowing passengers to watch TV while in the flat bed mode of the seat without compromising picture quality. The IFE controller features a pseudo-smartphone design, where movie selections are made via the responsive touchscreen on the controller. Singapore Airlines provides its Business Class passengers with noise-cancelling headphones that are very effective in blocking out ambient noises. In fact, the noise-cancelling function was so effective that I had to remove my headphones when communicating with the cabin crew. KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines’ in-flight entertainment system, offers an extensive library of entertainment options, including movies, TV series, games, and destination guides. I had no issues finding something to keep me entertained from the huge menu of Hollywood and international movies for this short flight. I like how KrisWorld has this function that allows me to save the movies I’m watching to my KrisFlyer account, where I can log in and continue from where I left off. Singapore Airlines also provides complimentary in-flight wifi to all Business Class passengers. However, the speed only allows us to browse social media and does not support streaming videos from YouTube.

Meal

Singapore Airlines does not offer its “Book-the-Cook” service for flights out of Bangkok (possibly because it is a turnaround flight). To celebrate Singapore’s upcoming 60th birthday, the airlines offer a Singaporean dish as one of the three options on top of the Western and Thai options. Business Class passengers can pre-select the food option from the Singapore Airlines app and website. I pre-selected the Singapore Hokkien Mee after reading rave reviews of this dish. Due to the short flight time, meals were served in one tray instead of course-by-course as with their longer-haul Business Class products. While the salmon in the salad tasted fresh, I thought the noodles came across as a tad dry (those we had in Singapore came bathed in a small pool of broth), but the prawns were fresh, and the pork was very tasty. I like the sambal that came with the noodles, which is mildly spicy and sweet. I wished they were more generous with the sambal chilli sauce. The meal was finished off with a delicious Banana cake dessert, which was soft and fluffy with a harmonious taste of vanilla and banana.

Service

The service in Business Class on board the flight was good, but not memorable. We were warmly greeted at the door during boarding and directed to the correct aisle for our seat. At the aisle, another cabin crew member was on standby to help passengers locate their seats. The cabin crew sprang into action, serving the pre-departure drinks like clockwork as we settled into our seats. The crew who was working on my aisle came by to introduce themselves and confirm my pre-selected meal option. Throughout the flight, the cabin crew addressed us by our first name and patrolled the cabin frequently, ensuring we were comfortable. Meal service began shortly after the aircraft reached cruising altitude. I was surprised that despite my favourite mocktail, Midsummer Breeze, not being on the menu, the cabin crew was still happy to concoct the drink. Upon seeing that I was done with the meal, the eagle-eyed cabin crew quickly cleared my meal tray and returned with some packeted nuts to check if I wanted some to go with the movie I was watching and at the same time, checking if I wanted more drinks. Despite the short 2-hour flight, I could see that the cabin crew were standing on their feet the whole time, ensuring that we were well taken care of. Service was always done with a smile.

Afterthought

I had a great flight flying with Singapore Airlines in their regional Business Class. The seat was comfortable, and I appreciated the flatbed mode that came with it, allowing us to catch a power nap. The entertainment was abundant, making the 2-hour flight whiz past. The service was good on board, with the cabin crew being friendly and sincere.

[Accommodation Review] – Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort (Presidential Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (18 – 20 Jul 25)

/ kktong76 / 1 Comment

Location

Despite being located in the heart of Bangkok, Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort’s location is somewhat remote. We did not spot any restaurants or convenience shops near the resort, but only one Starbucks in the BDMS Wellness Centre, which is connected to the hotel by a linked corridor. However, the nearest shopping and restaurants are housed in the Central Embassy shopping mall, which is approximately 5 minutes from the resort on foot. The nearest BTS station, Phloen Chit, is about 6 minutes walk from the resort. The resort offers an hourly shuttle service to the BTS station, operating from 9 am to 9 pm. Phloen Chit BTS station is about two stops from the Siam shopping area, and two stops away from Terminal 21. In addition to taking the BTS, taking a boat is also a popular mode of transportation in Bangkok. Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort is situated next to the canal, with the Saphan Wittayu Pier just a 2-minute walk away, allowing us to commute by riverboat to the Siam shopping area.

The Suite

The Presidential Suite is the one-of-a-kind suite in Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort. With 164㎡ of real estate, the suite is the biggest room the resort offers. In addition to the living room, bedroom, and bathroom, the suite is also fitted with a dining room, a study, and a pantry.

Layout of the Presidential Suite at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort (not drawn to scale)

Entryway

Behind the double-leaved main door lies a relatively large space dedicated to the entryway to the suite. Other than the two large gold-leaf art sculptures installed here, there are no other furnishings in the entryway, which makes it feel somewhat bare. The entrance to the powder room is also located at the entryway.

Powder Room

Sandwiched between the powder room and the entryway is an area dedicated to a walk-in wardrobe, hidden behind four wooden panels. Here we found only hanging racks. I find it odd that the resort has designated a space for the wardrobe, yet no hangers are provided here. In countries with four distinct seasons, this space would make sense, but in Bangkok, where it is practically summer all year round (except for a few months of the rainy season), this space felt redundant. Another door separates the walk-in wardrobe from the entryway. Beyond this door lies the powder room, where only a porcelain throne is placed by the wall. A single sink with ample countertop space, along with a set of bathroom amenities, is situated by the wall next to the toilet.

Living Room

The living room of the Presidential Suite at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort is spacious and has two seating areas

The biggest area in the Presidential Suite at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort is dedicated to the living room. The living room features not one, but two seating areas, positioned side by side. The moment we entered the living room from the entryway, a feature glass table topped with pots of arranged fresh flowers welcomed us. I thought these fresh flowers and the living plants dotted around the Presidential Suite gave guests a welcoming sense. The entryway is not situated in the centre of the parquet flooring living room; rather, it is designed on the side of the living room. The seating area near the entryway features a three-seater couch and two accompanying two-seater sofas, accompanied by a large coffee table. This first seating area is positioned to face the dining room and is a great place for the suite’s occupants to host their friends.

An elongated glass-top table, ornate with horse artworks, formed a separation between the two seating areas. The second seating area is placed to face the entrance to the bedroom. Decked with another three-seater sofa as a centrepiece and two single-seat armchairs, this seating area seems to suggest its dedication to being an entertainment area. The second sofa area is placed to face the” 55” flatscreen TV placed on a gold-painted wooden TV console, meant for occupants of the suite to enjoy entertainment from the numerous local and international channels on the TV screen. Apart from serving as a placeholder for the TV, I found the TV console to be very functional, with ample storage space for us to put away our shopping. The entire living room is tastefully designed, featuring a good blend of earthy elements and a luxurious vibe.

Dining Room and Pantry

A white double-leaved sliding door segregates the dining room from the living room in the Presidential Suite at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort. The dining room is furnished with an elongated dining table with chairs that can accommodate up to eight guests. The artworks installed in the dining room brought life to the otherwise monotonous decor here.

The Presidential Suite also features a small pantry equipped with two cabinets that run the entire length on either side. These cabinets provided us with more storage space. It is on one of these cabinets that a Nespresso machine and a kettle call home. Rather than a typical mini fridge, a mid-sized full fridge with a freezer, stocked with non-alcoholic beverages, was installed in the pantry. Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort treats its Presidential Suite guests to a one-time complimentary drink and snacks, which are available in the fridge and on the countertop, respectively.

The Study

Next to the second seating area in the living room is a space carved out as the study of the suite. Surrounded by walls painted white, with a shelf of metallic and glass vases installed, the large work desk in the study provided a space for us to work. I like how the work desk is positioned to face the balconies opposite it, where we could occasionally look out into the greenery when our eyes grew tired of staring at the computer. The only flaw in the study is the placement of the two power outlets underneath the work desk, which can be quite a hassle to access for charging our laptops.

The study in the Presidential Suite is located next to the second seating area in the living room

Bedroom

The bedroom in the Presidential Suite at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort

The space allocated to the bedroom in the Presidential Suite is also quite generous, about ⅔ the size of the living room. The ample space in the bedroom allowed the resort to furnish it with a sofa set, the first thing we came across after passing through the entrance to the bedroom. The sofa area in the bedroom is furnished with a grey fabric two-seater sofa and two single armchairs. Together with a glass top coffee table, facing the TV, the seating area gave us an alternate space to relax in and receive entertainment from the 55″ LED TV.

Beyond the sofa area, a slender marble-top table seemingly segregates the entertainment area from the rest of the bedroom. The sleeping area features a large king bed positioned against the wall, inviting its occupants to rest in it. The king bed is very comfortable and provides us with excellent sleep quality every single night. To ensure its guests have a good night’s sleep, the resort offers a wide selection of pillows to suit every need. The sleep quality is further enhanced by the iHome speaker placed on one of the two bedside tables, which plays soothing music, helping us fall asleep more quickly. Speaking of the bedside tables, we welcomed the large three-drawer bedside tables, which provided us with plenty of space to store our belongings. Each bedside table is equipped with two international power outlets and two USB-A ports, allowing us to charge our mobile devices. Despite being placed to face the TV, I thought the distance from the bed to the TV was a bit too far, making it somewhat difficult to watch TV on the bed. I suppose the resort intends to relax one’s mind, rather than stimulate it, which could impact sleep quality.

Bathroom & Walk-in Wardrobe

The wardrobe in the Presidential Suite at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort is located in a small room between the bedroom and the bathroom, creating a walk-in wardrobe effect. This part of the suite features two double-panel wardrobes and a single-panel wardrobe, providing ample space to store our clothes. Of these wardrobes, only one is fitted with a hanging rack. It is in this wardrobe that we found the in-room safe sitting on top of a two-tier cabinet. The other features are shelves and drawers that increase the number of items we can stow in the wardrobes. Like most hotels, the number of hangers provided by the resort was a bit few, but I am sure the resort will be happy to provide us with more if we request it. A small high table sits at the end of this room, where the resort places additional bath towels.

The bathroom lies beyond a doorless entrance and is decked with the typical yellow marble floorings typically found in most 5-star hotels. The bathroom felt narrow due to its design. Instead of having a huge space, the placement of the bathroom features centres around this corridor with the large jacuzzi bathtub at the end of the corridor. Due to the size of the jacuzzi tub, it took a considerable amount of time for us to fill it with water. The resort fitted two sinks in the bathroom, but due to the design, these sinks are placed apart from each other. With the amenities the resort placed on the countertop, I find little space left for us to place our toiletries here. The toilet and walk-in shower are housed in spacious cubicles opposite the sinks, located on the left side of the corridor. The toilet is positioned near the entrance of the bathroom, and the shower is closer to the bathtub. The walk-in shower has only a rain shower head installed, and the lack of a ledge makes it challenging to place our dental kits and facial washes. I also thought the lack of any hooks in the bathroom was one of its major design flaws.

Balconies

The Presidential Suite features a total of six balconies, with three located in the living room, two in the bedroom, and one in the dining room. These balconies are not interconnected, and although the space afforded at the balconies is not large, it is sufficient for the suite’s occupants to step out and enjoy the views of the pool. Since these balconies are not large, they are not furnished with any furniture.

View of the pool from one of the balconies

Service

The service at the resort was top-notch. The moment we arrived, the bellboy greeted us at the front of the hotel. He took care of our luggage, escorted us to the dedicated counter for ACCOR members at the reception, and handed us over to his colleague Menz. We were warmly welcomed by Menz, who acknowledged our loyalty status with the hotel chain. Menz was very welcoming and processed our check-in efficiently. He was very thorough in introducing the hotel and its facilities, including the privileges that came with our booking, as well as my friend’s loyalty status. Menz also arranged for our luggage to be delivered to our suite. Menz would greet us with a very friendly “sawadee”, accompanied by the widest smile anyone could muster, and address us by our first names whenever we walked past the reception. The other staff members at the reception were equally friendly and would always smile and greet us whenever we walked past.

We felt honoured and appreciated when the Room Director, Wiyada, personally came and welcomed us. Together with Menz, we were escorted to our room and introduced to the Presidential Suite, which included privileges such as a complimentary minibar and drinks. Along the way, through our conversation with Wiyada, we discovered that the resort would go to great lengths to customise each stay to suit the needs of its guests. The resort already arranged the firmer pillows that we requested before we arrived in the suite. Wiyada also encouraged us to contact the reception if we needed anything else.

Then there is Peach from the concierge team, who always greeted us whenever we bumped into him at the front door. He always wore a sincere smile and would always be the first to greet us. I interacted with Emma at the reception when I forgot to bring my keycard. When we inquired about the status of our late check-out, Emma was able to accommodate us and even gave us an additional 30 minutes of buffer time. She also took the initiative to update the keycard to expire at 4 pm so we would not be inconvenienced.

We were warmly greeted by Sky at the lounge on the ground floor when we visited for evening cocktail. Sky was very personable and patiently introduced the drink options and the food served during the evening cocktail. She was seen patrolling the floor often and also checked if we needed another drink upon spotting our empty glasses. There is no flaw in service that we detect during our stay with Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok. Every staff member, from the reception desk to the breakfast restaurant, lounge, and even the housekeeping staff, was very sincere and welcoming, truly amplifying the warmth and hospitality that Thais are famous for.

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ Nourish

Breakfast is served at Nourish restaurant, located on the lower ground level, daily from 6 am to 10:30 am during weekdays and 6 am to 11 am on weekends. There are plenty of options served during breakfast, including items from continental and English breakfast to local dishes like grilled pork and soup noodles. There is also a great selection of fruits and salads offered during breakfast. As the resort promotes wellness, the breakfast served has healthier elements such as the use of brown rice and multi-grain bread. Nourish also offers detox and healthier, freshly squeezed fruit juices that aid digestion. The breakfast served was hearty, nutritious and delicious, without sacrificing taste. There are minor menu changes for both days we dined during breakfast.

Executive Club Lounge Privilege @ Bittersweet

Although Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort does not have a dedicated lounge room for its suite guests, the resort carved out a section from the Bittersweet bar on the ground floor opposite the reception as lounge space. As suite guests, we were able to walk into Bittersweet anytime from 10:30 am to 11 pm for drinks. The lounge also serves afternoon tea from 3 pm to 5 pm and evening cocktails from 5 pm to 7 pm. Alcoholic beverages were served to guests during the evening cocktail hour. We only managed to visit the lounge during the evening cocktail. The variety of the evening cocktail was limited, but the food served was both delicious and nutritious. Despite being located near the reception and the main lobby, we could still find serenity at the lounge during evening cocktail time.

Swimming Pool

The resort features a large free-form saltwater swimming pool, located on the lower ground floor just outside the Nourish restaurant. Nestled in a garden, the swimming pool resembles an oasis amid a concrete jungle, surrounded by tall buildings and green vegetation. The pool is of a good size, allowing guests to swim a decent number of laps, while catering for children to play safely in it. There is no shortage of sundeck chairs surrounding the swimming pool, which was mostly empty during our stay. Despite being surrounded by tall buildings, one can still find a spot to get a dose of vitamin D. In addition to the main pool, the swimming pool features a small section that has been carved out, housing the jacuzzi facilities.

Gym

Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort features a well-equipped gym located on the lower ground floor, adjacent to the Nourish Restaurant. There is a good mix of machines for cardio and strength workouts. The treadmills and elliptical machines, positioned by the floor-to-ceiling glass that looks out into the garden outside the gym, along with the stationary bikes, allowed guests to perform cardio workouts. The gym is also equipped with numerous strength training machines for guests to work out every major muscle group. There is also a section dedicated to free weight training. The gym at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok is also equipped with a small studio where the resort organises 30-minute group fitness classes throughout the day for guests to join. As part of the suite benefit, these classes were available to us at no charge.

Overall

We were quite surprised with our stay at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok. For the many times we visited Bangkok, I wondered how we could have missed this gem in the heart of the capital of the Land of Smiles. Staying here felt tranquil and peaceful. Despite not having many shops outside the resort, major shopping malls and the BTS station are a mere 5-minute walk from the resort. The Presidential Suite is spacious, well-appointed, and comfortable. The sleep quality on the king bed is excellent, which kept us feeling refreshed every morning. The biggest plus of staying is its people. The service rendered by the staff was top-notch, and it felt they went all out to ensure we had a good time staying with Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok. I am blown away by the level of service and the well-appointed room that I had my next Bangkok trip booked with Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok.