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Home » Trip Reports » Review: Thai Airways 777-200 Business Class Bangkok To Seoul
Flight Reviewsthai airways

Review: Thai Airways 777-200 Business Class Bangkok To Seoul

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 20, 2018November 14, 2023 15 Comments

Thai Airways simply does not offer a competitive business class product on its 777-200. There is no other way to say it.

I appreciate the warm service on Thai and thought the meals were decent on this flight, but the seat is no longer competitive. Two years later (see intro for more details), Thai has updated it crockery onboard, but not its seat…

Thai Airways 561
Bangkok (BKK) – Seoul (ICN)
Wednesday, November 05
Depart: 11:30PM
Arrive: 06:55AM+1
Duration: 05hr,25min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
Seat: 14A (Business Class)

I was working in the lounge and amongst the last to board, so my cabin shots are not as pristine as they are when I am first to board. Even so, you get a good idea of the cradle-style seats available onboard the 777-200. While these are good seats for lounging, these “angled lie-flat” seats are not ideal for sleeping. Indeed, I slid right down them in “lie-flat” mode…

a seat in a plane

a seat in a plane

a row of seats on an airplane

a row of seats in an airplane

At least the soft product wasn’t bad: the comforter and pillow were fluffy and that certainly helps.

Here’s the menu for the flight:

a menu with text in a book

A light snack was served after takeoff, which included a nicely presented condiment dish with lettuce, cucumbers, sliced chicken, and a sliced carrot shaped into a rose. Dessert included a chocolate truffle and small tart.

a tray with food on it
a plate of food on a tray

Additional bread was offered, including garlic bread:

a close up of food

Breakfast was served prior to landing. The first course included sliced fruit, yogurt, and a croissant:

a tray with food on it

a plate of fruit on a table

a croissant on a plate

Kimchi was also included in a plastic container on the tray.

a container of food next to a yogurt

For the main course, I had an unremarkable cheese omelet with potatoes and some mushrooms and sausage that I did not even touch.

a tray with food and utensils on it

a plate of food on a tray

CONCLUSION

As much as I hate bashing any airline, Thai Airways business class is well below average. It’s not something I would wholly avoid, but I far prefer just about any carrier in the region when it comes to business class. That’s saying something…

Good news: while this aircraft is still flying, Thai now uses a more modern A350 on the Seoul Incheon route.

What is your experience with Thai Business Class?

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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15 Comments

  1. David McDonough Reply
    November 20, 2018 at 1:50 pm

    This is a 777 not an A330 lol

    • Matthew Reply
      November 20, 2018 at 2:08 pm

      Wow, good catch. The ticket receipt shows A330, but you are right based on the spacing and window.

  2. Ben Reply
    November 20, 2018 at 1:59 pm

    The one thing I like about this is how they offer the real service as the 2nd one instead of the first. So many carriers offer a full first service on a 5-6 hour flight with a well-past-dinner departure time and then a light snack for the 2nd one.

  3. ray Reply
    November 20, 2018 at 2:01 pm

    Actually, they have begun retrofitting the A330-300s with the Thompson Vantage, yet another business class configuration for Thai.

  4. Justin Reply
    November 20, 2018 at 2:22 pm

    I rarely order the western dish when flying an Asian carrier, yet I notice the main bloggers seem to do so frequently (maybe I’m mis-perceiving). I would have gone with the Jap Che or fried rice all the way.

    • JW Reply
      November 20, 2018 at 6:35 pm

      Totally agree. Why bother to fly an Asian carrier just to have an omelette.

    • Madam Milton Reply
      November 20, 2018 at 10:07 pm

      I totally agree with this comment. Always chose Western and never want to try Asian cuisine.

  5. David R Reply
    November 20, 2018 at 4:59 pm

    should we acknowledge that this route now uses the A350? Lie flat and direct aisle access.

    and agree with @Justin. One should always gravitate towards Thai option. I have never been disappointed with the Thai breakfast served on board.

  6. Another Justin Reply
    November 20, 2018 at 9:27 pm

    Fully agreed!

    On this route, Asiana and Korean Air also offer nonstop flights, as well as a few regionals. None of them offer stellar hard products, but both offer aisle access from all seats. 1-stop competitors include Singapore and Cathay, both of which have phenomenal products that would seriously make me pick a 1-stop over a direct with the advantage of flying into Gimpo instead of Incheon, and make it a no-brained for flights to Busan, Jeju Island, or other parts of Korea.

    I also agree with the excellently named @Justin, I rarely order from the Western menu when departing from an Asian country.

    • James Reply
      November 20, 2018 at 10:27 pm

      TG658 – the current flight no (same time and route as the review) has the latest J config (direct aisle access) in the a350.

      this review, though thorough, does not offer the same relevance as the first / first lounge review.

  7. Rupert Reply
    November 20, 2018 at 10:35 pm

    I don’t think this bashing is justified and compared to whom is it not competitive? This is a 5h30 regional flight. Other. Asian carriers fly recliners on regionally configured planes, like ANA on their new B787, CX on their current B777 and even future ones. MH, BR, … the list goes on..
    Even SQ will need a few more years to get to an all-flat business class across SQ/Silk.
    And let’s not talk about flights of a similiat time in Europe or the US.
    I wish all airlines would follow SQs lead to go to all flat, but I’m not holding my breath…

  8. Scott Schultz Reply
    November 21, 2018 at 12:38 am

    Flew Bangkok to Auckland on the 777 before they upgraded the route to their 787. It was pretty much unbearable for an 11 hour flight. The same flight the following year was much nicer once they started using the 787.

  9. Paolo Reply
    November 21, 2018 at 1:31 am

    I don’t have any issue with the comfort of Thai J on regional sectors, particularly day flights. However, the way they continued to offer angled flat seats in J on overnight flights, years after the competition had lie flat…another matter entirely, and if not designed to drive people away, it certainly had that effect.
    The other crucial, unmentioned fact is that Thai believes it can charge a premium for its J class, in the order of 25-50% over that charged by quality competition such as SQ, CX, and the like. They are dreamin’, and it’s one of the factors in their effective bankruptcy.
    The clueless buffoons on the board should be ( but won’t be) shown the door.

  10. Tim Reply
    November 21, 2018 at 11:44 am

    Thai Airways 2 x 2 x 2 configuration is rubbish. Try getting up and going to the toilet from a window seat, when the person next to you is sleeping. Worst Business Class i have ever experienced.

  11. Woody Reply
    November 27, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    I think it is TG656 not 561. This flight mainly targets group tours and labors while other ICN night flights use A350.

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