Thai Airways Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) to Dubai, UAE (DXB) - Flight TG519

Thai Airways - Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) to Dubai, UAE (DXB) - Flight TG519: We had left from Phuket, so we were in transit in Bangkok (Read luxury hotel and restaurant reviews for Thailand). We had a three-hour layover in Bangkok, so we took advantage of the Royal Silk Lounge. The international lounge is huge and had all the amenities; fresh fruit and pastries, sodas, coffee, spirits and wine, free internet and tons of space to spread out, to make a layover not only bearable but almost enjoyable. (Click here to read our Bangkok hotel and restaurant reviews and click here to read our Dubai resort and restaurant reviews.)

Check-In: As we had already checked-in in Phuket, we simply had to go to the gate when it came time to board. Our gate was just a short ten-minute walk away but because we were flying Business Class, we headed over a bit early so we could board and settle in with a glass of Champagne while we waited.

First Impressions and The Cabin: The A330s seat configuration is 2 x 2 x 2 which I like because it offers the most privacy, that is, if you don't end up in the middle section.

Even with the bright purple carpet and even brighter mauve pillows and blankets, the interior of the airplanes looks fatigued and outdated.

The Business Class seats are the old style; seats do not fully recline and the footstools do not fully extend. This would make the 6 hour and 25 minute flight from Bangkok to Dubai seem much longer.

The Flight (Service/Food/Drink): Shortly after I was seated, a flight attendant came around with lunch menus and welcome glasses of Brochet-Hervieux Brut Champagne and water. I scanned the dinner menu and was surprised to see it was quite different from what they served on the Dubai to Bangkok flight.

The first course was smoked salmon, halibut and duck Waldrof with walnut salad, grilled zucchini and a mixed green salad.

The main course had four options; stuffed saffron cannelloni with zucchini and prawn, wok-fried marinated beef fillet with onion and tomato sauce, lamb kali mirch and chicken with eggplant in a green curry. I opted for the beef entrée, thinking how could Thai cuisine on a plane come close to competing with the great Thai dishes I had experienced the past two weeks in Bangkok.

About 45 minutes after take off, the attendants flew into action and began the crazy ordeal of serving lunch. Crazy ordeal? Yes, strangely, what could have been and should have been an orderly delivery of the meal turned into a busy, clumsy ordeal. To this day, I am still trying to figure out why it seemed so disorganized. All I can figure is they simply had too many attendants and not enough organization.

The first course of salmon and duck were surprisingly good. Fresh, full of flavor, nice presentation; was this a sign of things to come? The beef entrée, with its egg fried rice mushroom and sautéed vegetables with oyster sauce answered that question. No, not everything was as good as the starter. Lunch continued with a beautiful selection of fresh fruit, cheese and Port and finished with an elegant chocolate cake, similar to something you would get at Laudree in Paris; cream filled, with a dark chocolate shell, a feast for the eyes.

The drink menu for this flight to Dubai was nice with two reds; Chateau La Bonnelle Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2002 and Bourgogne Pino Noir Vielles Vignes, Albert Bichot 2002, three whites; Chateau Thieuley 2006, Chateau De Maligny 2006 and Macon-Villages Alber Bicot 2005 and a of course the welcome Champagne, Champagne Brochet-Hervieux Brut rounding out their menu. Their spirits included Bombay Sapphire, Jonnie Walker Gold Label, Chivas Regal Gold Signature 18 years and Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky.

I chose the Chateau De Maligny Chablis, its fresh, light, fruit flavor went great with the duck and fish but not so well with the beef. However, there wasn't much hope for the beef; it was quite a disappointment.

After dinner, I checked out the entertainment system and quickly remembered, it is not a Video-On-Demand system and the selection was limited. After flipping through the four channels a few times, I partially reclined my chair, covered with a blanket and tried to catch some sleep for the remaining four hours of the flight.

Safety: It appeared that this flight crew was a little more concerned with safety but still not to the level that I would expect from a major carrier like Thai Airways. People were still out and about when there was strong turbulence and the fasten seat belt sign was on. Even during our final decent into Dubai, one passenger was still hanging out in the galley.

Arrival: As I was continuing on to Kuwait, I would again just be in transit so I headed into the main terminal to wait the hour for the airplane to be cleaned and readied for the final segment of the flight.

Overall Impression Overall, Thai Airways was a letdown; I had higher hopes for this Asian airline.

Be sure to read our Bangkok hotel and restaurant reviews and our Dubai resort and restaurant reviews.

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