Summary

• Thai Airways check-in and boarding process went quickly without any delay.
• Thai Airways Airbus A350 features spacious economy cabins.
• Inflight entertainment system offers a variety of movies but needs improvement.

On April 8th, 2024, I flew on Thai Airways Flight TG632 in economy class from Bangkok to Taipei aboard one of their Airbus A350 widebody aircraft.

Airport experience

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) is the largest airport in Thailand, accommodating more than 50 million passengers a year and making it one of the busiest airports in Southeast Asia.

The airport has a single large terminal serving domestic and international passengers and seven concourses comprising approximately 563,000 square meters of space. As Thailand's flag carrier,Thai Airwaysenjoys ample dedicated check-in space at the airport. For this flight, the airline conducted check-in at departure area letter H, which was entirely open for this purpose, resulting in a fast and smooth check-in process.

After checking my bag, I proceeded through security and then immigration to get my passport stamped. Following that, I headed towards my gate, which was about a fifteen-minute walk away. Boarding began at gate C1A, which, unfortunately, didn't have a jet bridge. Instead, three buses were waiting to transport passengers to the aircraft, adding to a slightly longer boarding process.

My ride to Taiwan's Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) was a 6.7-year-old Airbus A350-900 aircraft bearing HS-THH registration. It is worth noting that Thailand's national carrier usually operates Boeing 777s on this route. However, this time, for unknown reasons, the airline opted to use a smaller but newer A350, which was a pleasant surprise for me.

After getting off the bus, the A350 was parked in its designated area, ready for us to board. Of course, I took the perfect opportunity to capture some beautiful images of the aircraft.

Although the boarding process went smoothly, once all passengers were onboard, the cabin crew announced a 20-minute delay due to technical issues with the A350's inflight entertainment system.

Inside the plane

As I walked in, I was impressed by the spacious and bright Thai AirwaysAirbus A350economy cabin. The airline's Airbus A350 cabins are configured in a 3-3-3 layout, except for the emergency exit rows, which feature a 2-3-2 configuration.

The cabin features dark orange and burgundy seats, Thai Airways' signature purple LED lighting, and a dark purple carpet. This widebody can seat up to 321 passengers in a two-class configuration: 32 in business class and 289 in economy class. Judging by the boarding and check-in process, the flight appeared to be almost fully booked.

I was fortunate to secure a seat in an emergency row, which Thai Airways usually offers for an additional fee due to the ample legroom it provides. This time, I was lucky enough to get it for free!

To my delight, the overhead compartments had ample space for hand luggage, which, in my case, needed to be stored there due to an emergency row seat. My seat for this three-hour-and-six-minute flight was 46C, an aisle seat with excellent legroom but, unfortunately, no direct window view.

We didn't receive Thai Airways' amenity kit on this short-haul flight, but shortly before take-off, while we were taxiing, the flight attendants distributed pillows to passengers. Following this, the cabin crew demonstrated the flight safety instructions, and after the captain announced, 'cabin crew, take-off,' we proceeded to take off.

Time for some food

Approximately thirty minutes after take-off, the cabin crew began their service. Thailand is known for its excellent cuisine and gastronomic culture, so I had high expectations for the food and was not disappointed.

The cabin crew offered two meal options: chicken with noodles and an Italian omelet with chicken sausage. I chose the former option. Alongside the main meal, the tray included a seasonal mix of fruits (melon, dragon fruit, and pineapple), as well as low-fat yogurt, a croissant, margarine, and strawberry jam.

The chicken with noodles was flavorful and delicious. The seasonal fruits were fresh, and the yogurt was typical but enjoyable. I finished my meal with a croissant and their strawberry jam, accompanied by some coffee with milk. Kudos to Thai Airways for serving natural milk instead of milk powder.

Keeping entertained

After enjoying a delicious meal, I explored Thai Airways' inflight entertainment system. My initial impression of the IFE was not great as the screen was not entirely clean, and the touchscreen was not too responsive. Despite that, the content of the IFE system still kept me entertained.

First, the IFE offered seven language options: Thai, English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Mandarin. The system had five main sections: entertainment, flight information, content for children, details about onboard services, and promotional content highlighting Thailand's culture and its most popular tourist attractions.

The IFE had over a hundred movies and series to choose from, ranging from classics to relatively new releases like Barbie or Golda, to name a few. The system was generally easy to navigate, and the sometimes unresponsive touchscreen could be controlled by the old-school remote control. Additionally, the IFE offered a variety of music genres to enjoy, although the sound quality of the complimentary earphones was not the best.

You can connect your headphones with a 3.5mm jack plug to enjoy better sound quality.

All in all, Thai Airways' IFE did not offer anything unique but kept me entertained throughout the flight. It is worth noting that WiFi service was provided for an additional fee in the economy class cabin, which I considered to be a shortcoming.

Bottom line

This Thai Airways short service between Bangkok and Taipei on the Airbus A350 widebody was exceptionally smooth and enjoyable. The flight was so comfortable that I wished it could have lasted longer.

Overall, the Thai Airways Airbus A350 economy cabin offers a good product and value for money, especially if you're fortunate enough to secure an emergency row seat with ample legroom. However, one downside of this flight was that some areas of the cabin were not entirely clean.

What are your thoughts? Have you ever flown with Thai Airways? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section.

• 

  Thai Airways

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  TG/THA

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

  Year Founded:

  1960

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Suvadhana Sibunruang

  Country:

  Thailand