Thai Airways International

1 · POSITION

THAI operates a spa inside an airport. The Royal Orchid Spa occupies 667 square metres on Concourse D, level 3, at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, and the airline says it is exclusively for THAI’s premium class travelers and elite Platinum status members. Its treatments include a 60-minute Touch of Silk full-body oil massage and a 60-minute Royal Thai massage, both restricted to First Class. The airline describes the room as a haven of refined comfort that celebrates a central aspect of Thai culture. [2]

2 · THE LOUNGE MEASURED IN SQUARE METRES

The Royal First Lounge at Concourse D, Level 3 is given as 1,400 sq.m. allocated for Royal First Class passengers, with room for 134 passengers at one time. It holds two VIP rooms, six private corners, a 22-seat à la carte dining room, slumber rooms, shower suites and a First Class check-in facility. The adjoining Royal Silk Lounge covers 2,410 sq.m. for 314 passengers. Both open at 05:00. [3]

3 · THE CABIN DESCRIBED AS SPACE, NOT POSTURE

THAI describes Royal First Class on the Airbus A380 as 8 feet long semi-private suites, with a seat an expansive width of 27 inches; on the Boeing 747 the width is given as 23 inches. Pod seats on the 747 and Airbus A340 give 180-degree fully flat beds at almost 7 feet of private space. Champagne and caviar are served to greet the passenger on board. The airline also lists in-flight lounge areas and even changing rooms. [1]

4 · THE AIRLINE’S OWN DATING OF ITSELF

THAI’s inflight magazine states that the airline began as a collaborative venture between the national carrier Thai Airways Company Limited and Scandinavian Airlines System, and embarked on its maiden flight in 1960, a Douglas DC-6B on 1 May to Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo. The slogan Smooth as Silk first appeared in 1975 alongside a newly designed orchid logo. SAWASDEE, the inflight magazine, was first published in 1971. The orchid names the lounges and the spa. [4]

5 · ⚑ CANDOUR

⚑ The lounge and spa measurements are THAI’s own and describe Suvarnabhumi alone; the smaller Royal Orchid lounges listed elsewhere are not comparable rooms. The Skytrax ranking reproduced on the spa page is the airline’s claim, not a finding of this entry. Seat widths are given per aircraft type, and the pages do not date the fit or say which of those aircraft still fly. The 1960 maiden flight is supported; the airline’s present cabin is not established here. [1–4]