a man sitting in a chair with a drink in his hand

Trip Report: Thai Airways B787 Business Class + Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge

Sam Chui·April 6, 2023

Thai Airways Trip Report Trip Report Business Class

I recently traveled on Thai Airways from Bangkok to Denpasar Bali onboard their B787-8 Royal Silk Class (Business Class).

Here are some pictures from my flight and the new Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge experience.

a check in area with blue screens and signs — Check in at Row A at Bangkok Survanabhumi

a escalator in a building — After dedicated security and immigration, you go straight down to the lounge

a sign on a wall — Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge is now open at the same location as the old lounge, it is on the right hand side.

Many Thai Airways lounges are still classed including Royal Orchid Spa and Silk lounge at Concourse C. — Many Thai Airways lounges are still classed including Royal Orchid Spa and Silk Lounge at Concourse C.

Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge Bangkok

New Thai Airways Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge

a buffet with food on it — There are surprisingly many good food options. I visited the lounge around 8 am.

a menu sign on a counter — Cook to order eggs and congee in the kitchen

a bathroom with a glass shower and sink — There are 4 shower rooms for males and 4 for females.

Overall, I think the Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge is a better lounge than Thai Airways has in Bangkok. I was satisfied with the amount of food. I visited the lounge around 8 am during peak morning departure hours and didn't feel too crowded.

The best feature Thai used to have, is the Royal Orchid Spa which Business Class passengers are entitled to spa treatment but I fear that may be in the past now as Thai Airways is going through restructuring.

TG431 Bangkok to Denpasar Bali

My flight was operated by B787-8, which Thai has 6 in the fleet (and 2 B787-9). I notice the exterior of the aircraft is quite dirty.

Thai Airways has just 22 lie flay Business Class on their 787-8 in a 2-2-2 configuration. My seat is in the middle aisle 11D.

While the padding is excellent, the seat feels quite wide open in terms of privacy. Those sitting by the window have to hop over their seat neighbour to get out.

a group of people sitting in an airplane

a plate of food on a table — The flight time was 3 hours and 50 minutes. A full breakfast was served promptly after takeoff.

Before landing, the cabin crew came with this QR code for the customs declaration form of Indonesia. There are no more paper forms.

a woman wearing a mask and holding a paper

an aerial view of a body of water and land — View of Bali before landing

Summary

My flight was a smooth one with Thai Airways. The airline fell to the bottom and there is still a long way to go back to its glorious past. I still have the soft spot for them. Clearly, they are undergoing restructuring and attempting to recover. With almost half of their fleet out (retirement of B747-400, A380 and older 777/A330s), I can see there is a shortage of aircraft. Items such as the menu card, Sawadee magazine, and the silky Thai dress are currently all missing onboard. Some positive elements of my flight were the polite and efficient crew.