The final stop on my Star Alliance Lounge tour in Bangkok (BKK) was the Thai Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge in the main terminal of the international departures area, the flagship Thai Airways Lounge.
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge Bangkok Review – Main Terminal (BKK)
This is a very central lounge: as you come out of the Fast Track immigration exit controls, you can take an escalator directly downstairs to this facility. Head right to the Royal Orchid Lounge (the Royal Silk Lounge is to the left).
You can also enter from Concourse D if you are connecting from another flight or using the regular immigration line.
Hours + Access + Location
Thai Airways used to distinguish between Royal Orchid (for Star Gold) and Royal Silk lounge (for business class passengers), but these days you can use any Royal Orchid or Royal Silk lounge if you have Star Alliance Gold status or are traveling in business class on a Star Alliance. Formally, the following passengers have access:
- Star Alliance business and first class passengers
- Star Alliance Gold members
- “Customers from our contracted credit cards” (according to Thai Airways)
- Paid access is also available according to Thai’s website, at a price of about 53 USD for access
The lounge is open daily from 5:00 am to 2:00 am and located in the main terminal directly adjacent to the (inferior) Royal Silk Lounge.
Seating
At 22,486 square feet (2,089 square meters), this is Thai’s largest lounge and also its most modern. The lounge is fairly long and narrow, with partitions made of fake plants separating the lounge into smaller subsections. I quite like the style of the lounge and felt it is a posh and comfortable space.
I’ve visited this lounge a couple times in recent months and while it only has capacity for 463 passengers (including the first class section), it has never been close to being crowded.
Seats are varied in style and color, though there are no couches or reclining chairs, and there power outlets (220 volt) and USB-A ports within reach of most chairs.
Magazines + Newspapers
While the lounge lacks printed periodicals, they are available via e-reader.
Food + Drink
Of all the Thai Airways lounges at BKK, this lounge has the best food and drink options. The buffet includes Western, Thai, and other Asian items (both South Asian and East Asian) and there’s a live cooking station with a special of the day (or various breakfast dishes in the morning like made-to-order omelets, scrambled eggs, congee, and miso soup). There’s also a salad bar, sandwiches, soups, hot savory pastries, fruit, cheese, and a wide variety of sweets.
In terms of drinks, there are several self-service stations with water, beer, juice, soft drinks, tea, and coffee.
There are also two full-service bars on either end of the lounge which offer beer, wine, cocktails, and excellent barista-made coffee (good coffee is the top thing I look for in any airport lounge). The coffee menu even has affogatos!
One of the bars is to the left of the main entrance in Concourse D and really quite hidden.
First Class Section
Speaking of first class, while Thai Airways has closed its dedicated Royal First Lounge and Royal Orchid Spa, there is a first class section of this lounge for first class passengers (departing or arriving) that offers more privacy and an a la carte menu.
Showers + Restrooms
Shower suites and restrooms are available in this lounge. Request a shower from the shower reception area.
CONCLUSION
I quite like this lounge because I find the decor cool (I like the greenery, even if it plastic), love the barista-made coffee and omelet station, found it clean and comfortable with fast wi-fi, and found the service kind in the lounge. When it comes to Star Alliance Gold Lounges, I honestly cannot think of many I like more than this one (the Turkish Airlines lounges in Istanbul would be one example, but I’m having a hard time of coming up with any others).
Have you been to the Thai Airways Royal Prestige Lounge?
Are you going to rank all the Star Allince lounges you visited from best to worst? Or maybe you did and I missed it…
1. Royal Orchid Prestige
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Turkish Airlines
4. EVA
5. All other TG lounges
Interesting, based on your recent reviews, I’d have thought you’d rank the EVA lounge ahead of the Turkish one.
Turkish has the free massage which makes up for its poor food.
Did a BKK Star Alliance lounge safari in mid-January before flying HS-THQ (TG’s Star Alliance-liveried A350) to CGK in J. I started with the TG Royal Prestige lounge, as you can go down the escalator straight after the fast-track immigration facility. Its décor was very rainforest-y, and reminded me of TG’s current safety video, which is all about tropical rainforest vibes. It was morning and I mostly had the fried finger food, but I did manage to find the Khao Tom Mat leaf-wrapped banana dessert, and boy, it was tasty!
I think this was the best lounge of the four I visited — I steered clear of the Royal Silk Lounge — with my order of preference largely following Matt’s above. I might, however, put the Turkish lounge ahead of the SQ lounge. Too bad the TK lounge may never receive Priority Pass access for years, if not decades, to come…