Short review
Lounge (SilverKris First Class Lounge in Sydney: 4.5/5
Lounge (THAI Royal First Lounge in Bangkok): 5/5
Cabin: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Food and beverages: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Enjoyable massage in the Suvarnabhumi International airport
- Fine-dining experience on board
- Excellent service all around
Cons:
- No Wi-Fi provided in the cabin
- The cabin interior looked a bit dated
- Entertainment system failed to start in the first 15 minutes of the flight
Long review
My wife and I flew with Thai Airways in Royal First from Sydney, Australia, to Bangkok, Thailand. The flight was TG476, leaving Sydney at 10:00 and arriving in Bangkok at 16:20 with a total flight time of over than 9 hours. We flew with the ‘Queen of the Skies’, B747-400, a plane type that perhaps is on the way to extinction. I checked online and found that the plane’s registration number was HS-TGG, a 14 years old plane.
After check-in and passing through the immigration, we had two lounge options. The boarding passes stated that we could visit the Air New Zealand lounge, which was normally the main lounge for the majority of Star Alliance airline members. I decided to access the Singapore Airlines SiverKris Lounge because usually it was quieter and offered an exclusive first-class lounge. When we entered the secret door on the right to the first-class lounge, we were the only passengers there, even though in about 30 minutes, another 3 passengers came in. We chose to sit in the area where we could enjoy the view of the apron.
We could order breakfast from the menu or simply picked the dishes already provided on the buffet table. Obviously, we chose dishes from the menu. I ordered smoked salmon with scrambled egg, while my wife ordered egg benedict with smoked salmon. I also ordered a glass of champagne and earl grey.
After enjoying a quiet and relaxing lounge time, it was time for boarding. My seat was 2A, while my wife was 3A. The flight attendants greeted us warmly and always used our titles and names when speaking to us. The seat was spacious and comfortable, although I could see some signs of ageing in the cabin interior.
I chose a champagne for my welcome drink as usual. A small warm towel was distributed afterwards. Furthermore, a small chocolate box (gold colour) and an amenity kit bag were already placed on the seat. I liked the bright colour of the Rimowa bag (or box). The contents were standard as usual. I think they were the same as those given in business class.
Pyjamas were provided, and I really liked their gold, cream colour. The cover of the pyjamas was also attractive. They were definitely better than the previous grey-colour version. I immediately changed to these pyjamas after take-off, so I could enjoy the flight in comfort.
The entertainment system did not work after take-off, so it had to be restarted which took about 15 minutes. I was not surprised anymore because it happened to me previously when I flew with THAI. Probably because the plane was rather old.
Soon it was lunch time. It started with macadamia nuts and some canapes. I appreciated the way they served the nuts. They were warmed and placed in a small bowl, following the proper etiquette.
The first dish was white sturgeon caviar with garnitures. Delicious! I again appreciated the mother of pearl spoon provided. I read somewhere that a metal spoon can change the taste of the caviar.
The next dish was crayfish medallion, scallop, duck, prawn, dan caper mayonnaise. I enjoyed the crayfish immensely. However, I did not like the way they served the mayonnaise, which was placed in a plastic container. Probably a small bowl would make it more elegant and practical.
The soup dish was beef soup with cherry tomato and dried chilli. It looked deceivingly simple, but it was really delicious. I wanted more of it actually.
There were 4 options of main course:
- Sauteed prawn with chilli, linguine with ratatouille
- Seared beef fillet with Madeira sauce, herbed potatoes and roasted vegetables
- Stir-fried chicken with macadamia and oriental sauce, pilaf chicken rice and vegetables
- Pork tenderloin in panaeng curry, stir-fried vegetables, Chinese pork sausage, Northern Thai style chicken and tomato dipping sauce, steamed Thai hom mali rice and Thai omelette
I chose the beef dish. It was nice, but not special. I was rather full at this stage, so I could not finish the potatoes.
Next came the cheese board along with some crackers and fresh fruit. The cheese mixed with pieces of fruit placed second from the left was my favourite.
Finally, the dessert was an apple and berry crumble with vanilla sauce. A perfect dessert to finish an enjoyable dining experience.
During and after lunch, I managed to watch a couple of movies. Afterwards, I asked a flight attendant to convert my seat into a bed and I took a nap for about 2 hours.
After napping, it was time to eat again (life was wonderful). The first dish was vegetable soup. It was refreshing but could not beat the previous soup during lunch.
There were 2 options for the next dish: chicken satay or mushroom tortellini. I chose the tasty chicken satay.
Finally, I had a frangipane raspberry tart with vanilla sauce for dessert.
When we arrived at the gate in Suvarnabhumi International Airport, a THAI staff welcomed us in the terminal. She took us to the Royal First lounge with a buggy because we had another flight to Singapore.
We decided to enjoy a leg and shoulder massage for one hour in the Royal Orchid Spa. Again, it was a very great massage. After the massage, we enjoyed some delightful snacks and ginger tea.
After the massage, we returned to the Royal First lounge to enjoy some nibbles and drinks while waiting for about 1 hour for our next flight.
Overall, this was a very good flying experience. The services were excellent throughout and we highly valued this. The lounges were exclusive, peaceful and clean. The massage is the cream of the crop when flying in Royal First with THAI.
