Review: Thai Airways Boeing 747 Royal First Class

Flying Thai Airways in Royal First on a Boeing 747 is definitely special. Luckily, I was able to experience this in May when flying from Bangkok to Sydney. For this flight, I redeemed 40,000 United Miles and paid $ 41 in taxes and fees.

Flight: Thai Airways 471
Route: Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi (BKK) – Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)
Date: Monday May 6, 2018
Depart: 8:00AM
Arrive: 8:00PM
Duration: 9h
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400
Class of service: Royal First

Thai Airways Royal First Lounge Bangkok

First Class passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport have access to a special first class check-in. A buggy service is provided to bring passengers to the Thai Airways First Lounge which is located in concourse D.

Upon arrival, I was welcomed with a warm smile. Then, one of the staff members accompanied me to one of the private areas. The interior of the lounge looks nice and I liked the colorful pillows on the seats.

The private rooms look like living rooms and offer a lot of privacy. For breakfast, I ordered eggs with bacon and some toast with toppings.

One of the highlights of the Thai Airways First Lounge are the excellent spa facilities which are conveniently located across from the lounge. At 6am I went to receive my 30 minutes Thai massage. After finishing my cup of tea, one of the staff members informed me that my flight was ready for boarding.

Thai Royal First Boarding

A staff member took my carry-on and accompanied me to the gate which was a walk of approximately 10 minutes. I didn’t have to line up to board the plane because I was a first class passenger, I was excited to see the Boeing 747 at the gate.

The Royal First Class is located in the nose of the aircraft and features a total of 8 flat bed seats. The interior of the Royal First Class looks chic and luxurious. During boarding, there were no other passenger at all in first class!

Seat And Pre Departure Service

The seats are looking spacious and offer a lot of privacy. In my opinion, the design looks a bit too simple for first class seating, especially when compared with the Royal First seats on the A380. I was in seat 1a which is an exclusive place to sit on the Boeing 747 because it is located in near the pilot and you are able to see the front view during take-off and landing.

Once I took my seat, the crew asked me what I wanted to drink before take off. I asked which champagnes they were offering. The crew said they would be serving Dom Perignon Vintage from 2009 during this flight.

The crew also brought me my Rimowa amenity kit which was very well stocked with all the products I would expect in a real first class amenity kit. The seat is good but not as comfortable as on my previous first-class flights with Etihad and Qatar Airways on the A380.

When all passengers boarded, I turned around to see if there was anyone sitting behind me and was surprised that I was the only passenger in first class! I really enjoyed the moment because I had the best seat in the airplane. 20 minutes after take-off, the crew asked me if I was interested in another glass of Dom Perignon Vintage champagne. Of course, I said yes!

Thai Royal First Breakfast

I took a look at the menu while enjoying some nuts and decided to take fruit with bread and croissants as a starter.

For the main course I was given the option to choose from western and Asian dishes. The crew member came over to answer questions I had about the menu. She suggested I try the rice course with Thai and Chinese delicacies. I decided to trust her advice and ordered that. A few moments later, the crew served me the rice course with a total of 9 Thai and Chinese delicacies.

The crew explained to me exactly what everything was. The meal consisted of olives, pork, onion, nuts and egg. I ate that with the rice and a new glass of the Dom Perignon champagne. This food was very spicy and the crew asked if I wanted some extra water. Coffee was served after the meal.

The nose of this aircraft seems to be the best place to sit in. There is not a lot of noise from the engines. In addition, no one is passing by the aisle to reach the restroom.

Thai Royal First Turndown Service

After all this delicious food the turn-down service was offered. I got my pajamas and while I was getting dressed in the restroom, the crew prepared my bed. Before bedtime, I checked to see what the in-flight entertainment had to offer. The t.v. screen was a good size as well. They offered many films, series and music to choose from. After an hour or so I was feeling tired and decided to sleep for a few hours.

Thai Royal First Dinner

I slept for a few hours. About 2 hours before landing in Sydney I was awakened by the crew. After I dressed, I ordered another Dom Perignon champagne. I looked at the menu to decide what to order for dinner. I ordered bread with different types of butter, olive oil and caviar for the first course.

It’s so nice that Thai Airways offers caviar to their passengers in royal first.

I was the only passenger in first class on this flight and therefore the crew was not busy. I never had to wait long before the next course was served. This consisted of a king crab with iberico ham and salmon.

For the main meal I could choose from different dishes. I went for a small piece of meat with vegetables.

The crew regularly came to ask if everything was to my liking and I mentioned that the food tasted very good and that I was feeling very comfortable on this flight. When I finished with the main meal, the dessert was brought to me. Here I went for the cheese board with fresh fruit.

It took about 45 minutes to land in Sydney. It was already dark outside and after another glass of champagne I put my seat in the normal position and prepared for the landing. When we landed, I thanked the crew for this fantastic flight.

Thai Airways Boeing 747 Royal First Bottom Line

Thai Airways offers an excellent service, good food and comfortable seats in their Royal First Class on the Boeing 747. I was impressed. From the first class check-in at Bangkok to the departure of the plane in Sydney, there was one thing that I was very satisfied with: the excellent customer service. Every time I was approached with a smile, it never felt like fake or played. I could clearly see that the crew was doing their job with pleasure.

Another positive point of this flight, was the excellent range of food and drinks. On the menu there was sufficient choice and the crew could help me and explain what they had to offer. And then the aircraft: as being the only passenger flying in first class of a Boeing 747, what more could I have asked for ?! As a side note, unlike e.g. Etihad and Emirates first class, there is no bar or shower present on this unit. Overall I would rate this flight above average. I especially enjoyed the great service of the crew and the good food.

What do you think of Thai Royal First on the Boeing 747? Have you flown this cabin already or have you a flight coming up? Let me know in the comments below.