[Airline Review] - Thai Airways (TG402) / (TG401) - Economy Class, SIN-BKK, (6 Nov 14) / BKK-SIN (9 Nov 14)

I usually fly Thai Airways to Bangkok, mainly due to price factor. Originally I was thinking of separating the 2 reviews. However on a second thought, most of the stuffs will be repetitive. The experience in terms of the hardware for both flights will be the same, given that the same type of aircraft was used for both legs of the flight. The differing experience would be the service in flight and the food on offer.

Pre-Flight

TG402

We boarded TG402 at Singapore Changi Airport. As we were early, the queue was rather thin. It is always recommended to check in early at the airport, especially the SIN-BKK route as the destination is rather popular. The staff at the counter was not particularly in the mood for a chat, but more of trying to get her job done as soon as possible. As per standard practice, we got our bags checked in relatively quick and handed our boarding pass. I always like to check in early whenever I get to the airport, catering more time for shopping and exploring around the immigration area. Changi Airport in Singapore is an Airport where one would find even 3 hours is insufficient to spend here. There are tons of duty free shopping (comparable to the shopping mall that one would find in town), with big brands like Chanel and Gucci for one to shop. There are also tons of activities the airport offers, with amenities like cinema, massage chairs, gardens (there are a number of gardens in the airport spreading across all 3 terminals). We checked in early to cater time for shopping.

TG402 berthing at Changi Airport

Taking off onboard TG 402

TG401

As we were running late on our way to the airport, I whipped out my mobile phone whilst on the cab to the Suvarnabhumi Airport, fearing that we might miss the check in timing. Checking online first does buy us extra time (usually airlines would stipulate at least 2 hours prior to the scheduled departure for passengers to check-in). Speaking of which, one should absolutely cater 2 hours for the journey from downtown Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi Airport, taking into consideration the notorious traffic jam that Bangkok is so famous for. I would say Thai Airways had a great mobile site that allowed me to do online check in whilst on our way to the airport. With the online check in we only have to be at the airport 1 hour before the scheduled departure.

With on-line check in, we headed towards the Thai Airways counter at Suvarnabhumi Airport, located at the mid part of the terminal building to have our luggages checked in. One other advantage of on-line check-in is that the queue isn't that long, we only have to wait for 2 mins at most for our turn. This saves one a lot more time to explore the immigration area of Suvarnabhumi Airport. I would strong recommend that one make use of the on-line check-in function that airlines provides. The service on ground is pretty much standard, however this time round (as compared to our outbound flight), the staff at the check-in counter seemed more friendly and volunteered directions on where we should head for the immigration area and where our boarding gate will be. As we were already running late, we did not have much time to explore the airport terminal. There are a few shops (mostly selling perfumes, tobacco and alcohol) that we have time to explore before heading towards our gate for boarding.

Sculpture in Suvarnabhumi Airport depicting Thai folklore

Duty free shops at Suvarnabhumi Airport

Duty free shops at Suvarnabhumi Airport

In-Flight

We were onboard the Boeing 777-200ER on both flights (TG402 and TG401). Thai airways uses a purple coloured theme in their cabins. The seats are decked out in blue, purple and yellow, which gives the cabin a more vibrant look. The leg room for this configuration of the aircraft is sufficient and does not feel too cramp. The aircraft is configured in 3-3-3 seatings in the economy class, giving each passenger 34 inches of space between each seat and 18 inch of width on each seat. The seats also reclined 122 degrees, which is fairly comfortable for economy class on a 2-hour flight.

Economy flight Cabin onboard TG 402

Economy Cabin onboard Flight TG401

Pursuers going around ensuring passengers are comfortable onboard TG401

The leg room is good onboard TG402

Good leg room onboard TG401

Each seat comes with their individual Audio Visual On Demand (AVOD) TV screen. Each screen measures 9 inch, keeping passengers occupied throughout the flight. The AVOD system is touch screen, however the system seemed lag and rather insensitive. Passengers are better off using the remote controller, stowed on the sides of each seat to gain faster access to the TV/movie programmes one desires.

9 inch TV screen

Front camera live feed to the AVOD

Options on the AVOD

AVOD located above the tray table 

Standard controller for AVOD 

Safety Card onboard Thai Airways 

Inflight magazine available in each seat pocket

Pillows and fleeced blankets together with headphones are distributed by the flight crew prior to departure, which keeps passengers comfortable and entertained throughout the flight. These days such amenities (at least blankets and pillows) are seldom being distributed, even on full fledged airliners. Some airlines (such as KLM) made use of excuses such as shot flight time for not distributing these amenities. I can't help but wonder if this is a ploy for their cost-cutting measures. The lavatory onboard both flights are rather cramp, however sufficient for one to manoeuvre around in. Each lavatory comes with the hand soap, sanitary napkins and hand soap. There are also extra puke bags that can be found in these lavatories.

Lavatory

Basic lavatory amenities

Service

The service onboard differs on both flight. I shall cover both food and service in this section of the review.

TG402

There are 2 food options on this flight - Omelette and chicken porridge. Both options taste equally bad and blend and there seem to be an obvious note of mass production with very lousy ingredients for both options. The food proportions are small and not good enough to service as a meal. As a pre-cursor to meal, the portions seemed sufficient. Other than the 2 options, Thai Airways also included a small croissant and  some cut fruits (3 slices to be exact) as part of the meal. Coffee and tea along with other drink options such as Coke, spirits and alcohol, and fruit juice are available onboard.

Omelette onboard TG402

Chicken porridge onboard TG402

Orange juice - my only drink onboard TG402

The service onboard this flight is very bad. Throughout the flight, there do not seemed to have any service for drinks. Flight attendants are only seen prior to departure, at meal service and prior to landing. There are no runs for fluids onboard and one would have to call for the attendant to have some drinks served up. The crew onboard this flight do not seemed to be very friendly either. The atmosphere onboard seemed to be very gloomy as I hardly see any smiles on the faces of the crew. There is this particular crew that has a very sour face, as though she just had a fight with her boyfriend prior to the flight. I witnessed an instance where another passenger requested for some drinks from her, she just showed him her palm and only return some 30 mins later despite she was with a cart. The said crew even gave the passenger a very hostile stare when serving up his drink. Throughout the flight, there isn't any hint of any smiles that the Thais are famous for. Food service is very slow and slag and passengers are rushed into finishing their meal.

TG401

As with most airliners, TG401 also gave passengers 2 options when come to food. There are chicken fried rice and baked fish for passengers to choose from. The food on this flight is decent. At least there are more taste to them compared to TG402 I flown in from. As with most economy class food, the food is sufficient to sustain one from hunger pains throughout the flight, but insufficient to fully satisfy one's stomach. I had the chicken fried rice, which also comes with an omelette. It tasted decent, but can be a little on the blend side. There are also sides such as buns, salad and moose served along side the meal. As with the previous flight, drink options such as coffee, tea, Coke, juices and alcohol are also available.

Chicken Fried rice onboard TG401

The service onboard this flight is way better than TG402. The crew onboard seemed to enjoy their work and smiles were kept on their face most if not all the time. The crew spread their joy to the passengers, which made the flight lively and enjoyable. Meal service was prompt and the crew distributed the food in good speed, collecting the trays at a later time, giving passengers more time to consume their food. Drinks service is seen throughout the flight. I requested for a can of Coke to be shared with my friend, when the attendant came around to collect the empty can (he was merely passing by my seat), he offered another can so that we can keep ourselves hydrated. My friend also requested for Children activity pack so she can give it to her children who were not flying with her. The attendant took the efforts to look for the activity packs and did so with a smile that the Thais are famous for. Attendants are very visible throughout the flight ensuring that passengers are well taken care of and their requests are being met.

Overall

The level of service onboard Thai Airways seemed to vary with the crew and the time of the flight. I have noticed (with my past experience onboard Thai Airways) that the service level on the first flight is usually the worst, no matter if one is travelling on Business Class or Economy Class, whilst that of the last flight would usually be better.  The airlines have a few misses and hits and the greatest of all misses is the service that one would get onboard. The hits gotta be the little amenities such as pillows and blankets that most of us take it for granted that are still available onboard. Nonetheless for a short flight to Bangkok from Singapore (and back), I would still choose Thai Airways provided the price is right.

Taking off from Singapore Changi Airport

Taking off from Singapore Changi Airport

Arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Taxiing at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

[Hotel Review] - Cape House Service Apartments (1-Bedroom Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (6 - 9 Nov 14)

Location

Cape House Service Apartments is located within downtown Bangkok. It is about 5 minutes walk from the nearest BTS station (Chit Lom), which is one stop away from Siam Central Station. The property is also within 6 mins walk from the famous 4-face buddha shrine - Erawan Shrine. It is within walking distance to major shopping malls such as Central World, Siam Paragon, Siam Square,  Central Embassy. The Platinum shopping mall is within 15 minutes walk from the hotel. There are no lack of 24-hour convenient shops (7-Eleven) near the property. There is one just right opposite to the hotel and one more nearer to the main street. 

Hardware

There are 3 configurations of rooms available in this property, namely studio suite, one-bedroom suite and two-bedroom suite. I was informed that the two-bedroom suite is leased out for long term guests leaving studio suite and one-bedroom suite available for short terms stays. The suite that I stayed in is the one-bedroom apartment suite. The suite can be segregated into 4 main sections, namely the kitchenette, the living room, the bedroom and the bathroom.

The kitchenette is situation to the left side of the suite upon entering from the main door. This small kitchenette features a mid-size 2 compartment fridge, an electric stove and microwave ovens. There are also kitchen sink installed here in the suite. The suite comes with full range of utensils, allowing patrons to host up to 4 guests. There are also pots and pans available in the suite for guests to do some cooking. A front loader washing machine is found in this part of the suite. A clever use of a bar stand separates the kitchenette from the living room. The kitchenette, despite its small size, is sufficient for one to do some cooking. 2 to 3 persons can work comfortably in the kitchenette without bumping into each other.

Kitchenette in the Suite

Directly ahead of the kitchenette, in front of the main door is the living room. The contemporary and comfortable living room is the largest area in the suite. This area can be further segmented into 3 sections. Directly in front of the kitchenette is the dinning table. The table is tucked in one corner of the living room, making clever usage of space within the suite. The table is large enough to seat 4. Next to the dinning area is the work desk. The window facing work desk is not intrusive and the way the hotel lays out the work desk makes it functional, yet not cluttering the space with unnecessary furnitures. The work desk has a separate lighting and wired connections for internet. The hotel also provides free wifi throughout the hotel. The other segment of the living room is the couch area. The two-seater couch faces a large LED TV. There is also a single seater armchair and a large cushioned stool in this area of the room. There is also a coffee table in the centre of the seatings in the living area, decked out with in-house magazines and some other business magazines. To add to a sense of spaciousness, the designers of the hotel made use of the floor to ceiling window in the living room. The view from the suite that we were being assigned is not fantastic, as it faces another apartment building next to the hotel.

The dinning area and the work desk

TV in the living room, facing the dinning area and work desk

Cosy Couches for one to laze on

Further into the suite, to the right of main door is the entrance to the bedroom. Separated from the living room with a door, the contemporary bedroom screams of comfort and cosiness. It is of a right size, neither too big nor too small. The bedroom features a king size bed, placed in front of another floor to ceiling window. I kept the curtain here closed most of the time as I can see directly into someone else's apartment opposite. The sleep quality on the king bed is excellent. One can almost immediately fall asleep on this bed, which is neither too soft nor too hard. The pillows are also just right for my liking. Next to the entrance of the bedroom is a 2 panelled wardrobe. The wardrobe is rather huge as it occupied almost the entire length of the bedroom. The huge wardrobe allows guests to comfortably stow away 2 weeks of clothing for 2 persons. An in-room electronic safe is also tucked away within the wardrobe. There are also a couple of bedside tables being placed on each side of the bed. There is another smaller TV, tucked aways to the side of the  bedroom, in the same area  as the make up area. The make up area is located next to the wardrobe and has a separate lighting.

Comfortable King Bed

View of the bedroom and the doors leading to the living room and bathroom

Make up area and another small TV in room

The bathroom spans across the bedroom and the living room. Accessible from either of the rooms, the spacious bathroom decked in marble floorings and table tops has a rather large bathtub tucked in one corner of this area. There is a separate walk-in shower located at the other (living room) end of the bathroom. A sink and the toilet bowl is located between the bathtub and the walk-in shower. The hotel provides the standard range of toiletries with the exception of toothbrush and toothpaste. Patrons staying in this hotel are reminded to bring their own dental kits. There are also a couple of racks found on the walls of this room for patrons to hang their wet towels. This is a plus as most hotels lacked area for one to hang towels for drying.

Bath tub and sink area in the bathroom

Toilet Bowl and Walk-in Shower

Bath amenities

Guests in the hotel are entitled to free access to the lounge. Located on 15th floor of the property, the spacious Executive lounge is a great place for guests to hang out. Decking out in white theme and wooden flooring, the lounge has several couches for relaxation. There are also business magazines and daily newspapers for guests to browse through whilst at the lounge. There are an assortment of complementary pastries available all day for guests to enjoy, however only coffee, tea and plain water is available for guests. Smoking is allowed in the lounge within its enclosed smoking room. The view from the lounge is much better than that from the suite I was assigned to. Other facilities such as outdoor jacuzzi, swimming pool and gym are also available on the property. However due to my short time stay, I did not visit these facilities.

Finger food on offer at the Executive Lounge

Executive lounge decked in White and wooden floorings

Magazines and the reception area in the Lounge

Nice view from the lounge

Smoking room in the lounge

Heartware

The staffs in the hotel are generally very helpful. There are always a warmth welcoming smile whenever I approach them at the lobby. They are not stingy in offering information on the whereabouts in Bangkok should they be approached. There are also no lack in greetings whenever a guest walk past. These ambassadors of the hotel are very welcoming, truly embracing customer service and the friendliness of the Thais. The same is said of the bellboy. They are always alert whenever guests approaches the main door of the hotel. They would leave no guests having to open the main door themselves. There are no instances where greetings are not being accorded to by these staffs at the main door whenever I walk through these doors.

The same, however, cannot be said of the staffs at the No. 43 Italian Bistro. This is the place where one would have their breakfast daily. The staffs here are a little cold and getting a smile from them seemed to be an uphill task. It seemed to suggest that they are only interested in their function, to clear the plates and ensure the food is being topped up. Despite that, food is rarely being topped up during breakfast service. These staffs seemed to be hiding away from the sight of patrons most of the time, which leaves plates uncleared and food untopped up. There egg station do not seemed to be staffed at all times, and one would be expected to wait up to 10 minutes for anyone to appear at the egg station.

No. 43 Bistro where breakfast is being served

Breakfast

Breakfast

Breakfast

Breakfast

Breakfast

Breakfast

Breakfast

Overall

The hotel is an ideal location for one to be at whilst in Bangkok. Its close proximity to the shopping malls in downtown Bangkok as well as amenities such as the BTS station and 7-Elevens makes it a great place to stay whilst in Bangkok. The well appointed suite that I was assigned, apart from the depressing view, is very cosy and comfortable to stay. The air conditioning of the suite is efficient and powerful enough to cool down guests from the heat of Bangkok. Service wise is a mix comparing to the staffs in the restaurant and the rest of the front line staff. I would not hesitate to stay here, given the price and the location and the size of the suite, the next time I visit Bangkok.