This flight was meant to be a great introduction to Thai Airways, the national carrier of Thailand, well-regarded for its service, hospitality, and premium product. When a business class seat opened up at a reasonable price for my trip to Kuala Lumpur, it seemed like a perfect chance to try them out.
Unfortunately, while the ground experience was excellent, the hard product on board was underwhelming. The aircraft swap from an A350 to a Boeing 787-9 was unexpected, but more importantly, the hard product felt dated, uncomfortable, and awkward for what’s supposed to be a premium experience.
Still, there were positives. The check-in and premium security experience at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport was fantastic, the crew were friendly and professional, and the convenience of premium immigration on both ends of the journey was a definite plus. But when the best part of a business class experience happens before and after the actual flight, something isn’t quite right.
Booking and Check-In – Smooth, But Dated Tech
Booking directly through the Thai Airways website was fairly easy, though the website feels a bit dated by modern standards. It functions well enough but lacks the polish of more premium airlines. I also found the site riddled with 404 errors. The Thai Airways app, on the other hand, was far better than expected, with a more intuitive interface, though it often redirected to mobile web versions of pages, making it feel clunky at times.
At Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, check-in was seamless. Thai’s Royal Silk business class check-in area had its own dedicated security and immigration lane, which meant I was airside in no time. It’s easy to get fixated on lounges and onboard amenities when considering a business class ticket, but this kind of ground service is a huge benefit that’s often overlooked.
Lounge Experience – A Solid Option
Finding the Thai Royal Silk Lounge wasn’t the easiest task. It’s located near gates D1-6 but isn’t particularly well signposted. Once inside, though, it was a well-equipped and comfortable space, even during what appeared to be peak hours.
There was plenty of seating, with areas catering to both those wanting a quieter experience and those happy to be in a busier setting. There were business booths available, which seemed ideal for video calls or getting some work done.
The food selection was varied, offering both Thai and international options, and beer (Chang!) and wine were freely available. There were no showers, which was a slight letdown for a lounge of this size and status.
For a short layover or pre-flight stop, it was a solid option, with plenty of seating and space for all.
Boarding – The Great Gate Mystery
This is where things got frustrating.
Since I arrived at check-in about 4 and a half hours before my flight, no gate had been assigned to my yet. That wasn’t a big deal at the time—the check-in agent suggested I enjoy the lounge and keep an eye on the departure screens.
As the flight time drew closer, the gate still hadn’t appeared on any screens, not in the lounge, not in the terminal. The Thai Airways app wasn’t showing it either. Even my mobile boarding pass on Apple Wallet left the gate section blank.
I started doing some digging online and discovered that this flight usually departs from the satellite terminal, which requires a shuttle bus from the main terminal. Given that I had no official confirmation, I decided to take a chance and head over.
While on the bus, I finally managed to find the gate number—hidden deep inside the “Manage Flight” section of the Thai Airways app, buried under the boarding card details.
The gate was never posted on any screens, no app notifications, even in the satellite terminal itself. Interestingly, the Flighty App I make religious use of also wasn’t able to find the gate, even to this day. No surprise that the flight was half-empty! I can highly recommend Flighty, though – a fantastic UI and packed full of features for frequent travellers.
The Cabin and Seat – Dated, Cramped, and Uncomfortable
Thai Airways has a strong reputation for its premium cabins, but this particular Boeing 787-9 business class product was a real letdown. Configured in a 1-2-1 arrangement, the seat was visibly aging, with basic seat controls, a pop-out 16-inch LCD screen, which was unresponsive and laggy and a slightly worn cabin overall. The Flight Map didn’t work at all, either – which was a real disappointment.
I was in seat 17K, which had one window positioned awkwardly far forward—impossible to look out of without leaning forward uncomfortably.
The seat controls were limited, offering the usual adjustments to recline into a flatbed, but after a while, I realised my seat was slightly broken. It wouldn’t stay in place and would shift slightly every time I moved. It wasn’t enough of a problem for such a short flight to bother moving, but it was annoying enough to mention it to the crew on my way out so they could have it fixed for the next passenger.
Storage was minimal, with one small compartment and a footwell positioned awkwardly close to the power outlets, making it hard to access them easily. There was one USB-A port, a standard headphone jack, and a multi-region power socket tucked slightly out of the way near the footwell.
This seat design felt claustrophobic and awkward. The armrests weren’t comfortably positioned, and legroom was cramped in the footwell. Given Thai Airways’ reputation, I expected something better than this, even if it was a short flight.
Given this aircraft is only 6 years old, I really was surprised by the hard product here, which felt like it was in dire need of an update already.
In-Flight Service
The crew were polite, professional, and welcoming as usual for Thai Airways. Upon boarding, I was greeted and shown to my seat, and a choice of welcome drinks was offered. I went for Champagne, which was delicious—more of a symbolic celebration of finally finding the hidden gate than anything else!
I had pre-ordered a meal, and the crew confirmed this shortly after takeoff. The dish was a chicken curry, which was absolutely exceptional. Tender, flavourful and beautifully presented. The Cabin Crew checked back a few times to see if passengers wanted any more bread, including the Garlic Bread, which wasn’t something I’d have expected on a Thai Airline- but man was it great! Slightly shamefully, I took all they could offer.
The beverage selection was solid, with a good range of options, though nothing particularly standout.
Crew service throughout was friendly and efficient, and I must credit their positive and friendly attitudes during this flight (along with the fabulous meal service)!
Comfort and Atmosphere – Not Great
The biggest issue with this seat was how uncomfortable and restrictive it felt. The layout was claustrophobic, the armrests were poorly positioned, and the awkwardly placed footwell meant finding a comfortable seating position was difficult.
I appreciate how fortunate I am to be flying business class, and I try not to be overly critical—but this seat was genuinely one of the most uncomfortable I’ve experienced in a premium cabin.
Adding to the disappointment, with the poor window positioning I couldn’t even enjoy a proper view of the massive GEnx engine right outside.
The lavatory was clean and standard for a 787, though nothing particularly noteworthy.
Wi-Fi was available, but pricing wasn’t good by any stretch, charging $7.99 for messaging, and $39.99(!?) For full streaming. I’m assuming this isn’t tapered depending on trip length, as anything more given this was only a ~2 hour flight would have been extortionate.
Arrival in Kuala Lumpur – A Smooth End to a Disappointing Flight
Landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport was smooth, but with a cloudy approach and the poor window position, there wasn’t much to see.
Deplaning was quick and straightforward, with business class passengers first through the jet bridge.
Immigration was another highlight. Thanks to the premium immigration lane for business class passengers, I breezed through without delay.
The EQ Hotel transfer service was waiting for me at arrivals, taking me straight to the car for my ride into the city.
Final Thoughts – A Great Ground Experience, A Poor Flight
This flight was disappointing. Aside from being broken, the business class seat felt slightly dated, uncomfortable, and poorly designed, making it feel far from a premium experience. For a short-haul route like this, economy or premium economy would have been more than enough unless I was traveling with a lot of baggage, perhaps.
The ground experience, on the other hand, was excellent as you’d expect at the home-base for Thai Airways. The priority check-in, premium security, and premium immigration lanes at both Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur were valuable perks, enough to overlook the bizarre hidden-gate and boarding information. It’s possible the flagship set-up at BKK set expectations for the flight that were harder to meet for an older(ish…) product like the 789 I flew on.
This business class product is not good enough to attract serious business travellers, too expensive for budget travellers, and not unique enough for aviation enthusiasts. It only makes sense as part of a longer Thai Airways itinerary.
Would I book Thai Airways business class again? Only after carefully researching the aircraft and seat layout. And never again in 17K on the 787-9. This wasn’t a really great introduction to their business hard product, which soured an otherwise excellent premium experience with Thai.
35Left Score:
Seat Comfort: 2/5
Cabin Cleanliness: 4/5
Boarding Process: 4/5
Crew & Service: 5/5
Food & Drink: 5/5
IFE/WiFi: 3/5
Value for Money: 3/5
