I’m super excited about Chris of Do It For The Points upcoming trip to Asia! Even more so since I managed to convince him he needed to try to get on Thai Airways First class for his flight out of Bangkok.
Thai Airways First Class Lounge in Bangkok should be on everyone’s “bucket list.†It is so over the top that everyone should experience it once in their life (or in my case, every time they fly out of Bangkok).
I was rather overwhelmed and intimidated my first time and wouldn’t have been able to make the most of it had a friend not prepared me in advance, so Chris (and anyone else I’ve convinced), this is for you!
1. Arrive at least 3-4 hours before your flight so you have time to experience everything! And yes, it’s worth shaving a few hours out of your siteseeing, the lounge is far more interesting and unusual.
2. When you arrive at the airport, make sure your driver stops at the very first door, the one for Royal Silk/First Class. This is so the uniformed Thai Airways porters can come get your luggage and guide you to the check in area. If your driver, like mine half the time, decides to go to the next door, you’ll need to wheel your own luggage through the first door and take a sharp left.
3. The first class check in area won’t look like a check in area, you walk through the opening and see comfortable couches with no site of a check in desk. Someone will come greet you, lead you to a couch, and take your passports and checked luggage. While they’re gone, someone else will bring you an iced welcome drink and cold towel. A few minutes later they will return with your boarding pass and luggage receipt.
4. Next they will walk you through priority security and on to immigration desks that exist only for First and Business Class passengers = no wait.
5. When you get through immigration, you’ll ignore the ramp to the gates and instead descend the escalator to the Thai Airways lounges.
6. An electric cart will be waiting for you to drive you through the business class lounge. After all, who wants to have to walk through the lounge!?
7. The cart will drop you off at the First Class Lounge door where representatives will greet you and lead you to a seat in the lounge. Be sure to ask if a room is available. These semi-private areas are basically like having your own living room to wait in.
As they’re guiding you to your seat, be sure to ask immediately for a spa appointment.You can get a 30 minute back and shoulder massage or a full body aromatherapy massage. The spa facilities are complete with showers for pre & post massage. Appointments are first-come-first-served and it can get busy with evening international flights, which is why you want to arrive early to ensure they have space for you.
8. There are two food options in the lounge. You can go to the food room at the far end of the lounge and point (do not attempt to take anything as they are for display only)Â at the more than a dozen options they have to choose from, or upon request, they’ll bring you a menu and you can order from your seat. For drinks you can go to the bar or just signal to any of the many attendants.
9. This is the most important point: Don’t panic about boarding. Even when it seems like it’s time, as in less than 5 minutes to the posted departure time, it’s not. They’ll come to get you when it is and then walk or drive you to your gate.
Even though I’ve now been to the lounge more than 4 times, I still get panicky that they’ve forgotten me. They haven’t. Its at least one person’s job to ensure that you get to where you need to be on time. And even as you’re boarding right at departure time, there will somehow still be enough time for you to enjoy a pre-departure glass of Dom and peruse your menu.
And one more tip — when they try to carry your luggage for you, let them. It makes everyone uncomfortable to see you lugging your own carry on 😉
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Thanks for the tips! Can’t wait to experience it later this year!
Definitely give yourself enough time to enjoy this “royal” experience. My mom flew out of Bangkok twice on Thai first class twice. The first time she was at the lounge for only one hour because it was an early morning flight. So the second time she took a midnight flight so she could spend four hours there. When my aunt heard about my mom’s experience, she got to the lounge at 3 pm for the same midnight flight, spending a total of almost 9 hours there.
It is absoltely how You told this. Always when we leave Thailand after Our winter holiday we take our flight from Bangkok at midnight. The transfer from the Hotel in Bangkok should not Start after 7 o clock. Then You have the chance to use all the wonderful facilities offerred for First Class Guests. The full Body Massage before makes a 12 hour flight to Europe much more endurable.
Great post, I have this on my list for next year. Did you do any tipping for things like the luggage carrying?
No tipping needed or expected for any of the services, including the royal silk spa!
@Tom, no tipping expected but we did anyway (and they seemed especially grateful).
I do agree with Keri that it’s easy to get nervous when it’s less than 10 minutes before posted departure time, and they’re still offering you drinks. No worries, they’ll drive you directly to the gate an escort you on board.