DALLAS—Greetings from Belgium’s capital, Brussels. Today, we are traveling to Bangkok as guests of Thai Airways Internarional (TG). The airline is nearing the completion of its restructuring and will celebrate its 65th anniversary in 2025, with many announcements expected soon.

Bangkok is the most visited city in the world and a place we’ve wanted to explore for years. TG offers non-stop access from various destinations in Asia, Europe, and Oceania, featuring an optimized flight schedule that facilitates morning connections to domestic destinations within Thailand.

Thai Airways' European Network

TG operates a diverse, long-haul fleet for its European destinations. In December, the airline resumed its non-stop service between Thailand’s capital and Belgium. The flight is typically conducted using the Boeing 787-8, with the Airbus A350 occasionally utilized on this route. This daily flight strengthens TG’s international network, which includes 11 European cities. 

In 2024, the airline introduced additional European routes, including Oslo (OSL) and Milan Malpensa (MXP). TG primarily employs its Boeing widebodies for European flights, featuring multiple daily services to London Heathrow and Frankfurt operated by the Boeing 777-300ER. The Airbus A350-900 is assigned to Istanbul (IST) and Stockholm (ARN) routes.

At the time of the Brussels resumption, Chai Eamsiri, CEO of TG International, commented, “The resumption of this route highlights Thai Airways’ commitment to strengthening relations between Belgium and Thailand. It opens new opportunities in tourism, trade, culture, and investment, deepening the bond between our nations.” Bangkok is among Brussels’ most popular destinations, and the lower-capacity Dreamliner enables a direct connection. As you will see in this trip report, the gamble paid off with an almost full cabin today.

With the return of high tourism demand, TG has completed most of its restructuring and is now seeking to expand its fleet to meet the increasing travel demand. After difficult years, the airline is rising again and working to secure its future.

Welcome to Belgium

I arrived at the airport by train. As in many airports across Europe, this is the fastest and cheapest way to reach major international hubs, although today’s journey was far from seamless due to the ongoing Belgian rail strikes. Brussels is home to Brussels Airlines (SN), a member of the Star Alliance and Lufthansa Group.

Check-in

As we arrived quite late due to the rail strike, check-in took only a few minutes. We dropped off our suitcases, received our printed boarding passes, and headed straight to security. Despite the minor delay, we were advised to clear security quickly to avoid potential queues. After passing through security, I saw our aircraft, a Boeing 787-8, registration HS-TQF, arriving from Bangkok and parking between two widebody aircraft.

We then proceeded to passport control, which took seconds, and explored the post-Schengen area in Brussels. The airport remains one of the most expensive in Europe for tourists; average goods and dining options were on the pricey side. 

We soon reached gate B28, where plenty of seating was available and already filled with passengers. The ground handling team executed boarding smoothly and didn’t take too long.

Onboard

The Boeing 787-8 is TG's smallest twin-aisle aircraft. At the front, the airline has installed 22 Collins Aerospace Diamond Parallel business class seats arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration. The economy class features 234 seats in a traditional 3-3-3 layout, providing ample legroom of 31 inches. Each seat is equipped with universal AC outlets, USB-A chargers, and a 10.6-inch in-flight entertainment (IFE) screen.

The color palette is warm and inviting, showcasing the iconic Thai purple carpets. The seats are upholstered in purple and orange fabric, establishing a stylish atmosphere. This same palette is also reflected in the cabin crew’s uniforms, which are considered among the most stylish in the world.

My seat today, 33A, is nicely padded and features an adjustable headrest, a footrest, headphones, a blanket, and a pillow. The double-fold tray table also includes a central cup holder. The in-flight entertainment screen can be controlled with a remote. Additionally, the screen contains a USB-A charger and an audio jack. A universal charger is located between the seats.

Take-off

After take-off, the large windows on the Boeing 787 were locked to reduce the light in the cabin. The sound of the Rolls-Royce engines propelling us into the sky is always a treat. We climbed above Belgium, heading towards Germany through the blue sky.

Lunchtime

Immediately after reaching FL100, the lunch service began. First, those who ordered special meals were served, as is customary for most airlines. Then, the cabin crew started distributing meals with beef and chicken options. 

I chose the beef stew, which was nicely seasoned and accompanied by an appetizer of potato salad and a dessert of milk chocolate mousse. While the tray included a 250ml bottle of water, complimentary drink options featured wine, beer, various spirits, and soft drinks.

The overall meal quality was excellent, considering an external caterer provided it. However, more effort could be made to reduce single-use plastics. The cabin crew returned with additional drink offerings, including tea and coffee this time, and checked throughout the cabin to ensure everything was running smoothly. 

Overall, the service was impeccable, with the cabin crew working tirelessly to serve the entire cabin today.

IFE, Cruise

The in-flight entertainment offered a good selection of blockbuster movies and a decent array of TV shows. The in-flight map may not be the latest model, but it still provides a satisfying experience for avgeeks. Despite the dedicated controller, no games were available. A kids’ area featured dedicated graphics showcasing music, movies, and TV shows.

Another feature we appreciated was the chat application, which enables quick seat-to-seat communication. A connection page was also available for passengers continuing their journey in Bangkok. The onboard service portal serves as a helpful reminder of the WiFi service and the overall functionality of the seats.

There is room for improvement: a simple ‘wake me up for meals’ toggle could enhance the experience, and of course, installing games would give the remote a purpose.

On board are two lavatories for business class at the front of the cabin, with six located at doors 3 and 4. Even in economy, amenities such as toothbrushes and perfumes are provided, which is increasingly rare these days.

WiFi

Thai Airways has equipped its Dreamliners with WiFi. A helpful SkyConnect card was available to guide passengers through the portal and services. I chose not to explore the service and maximize my sleep before landing, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. After a couple of movies, it was already time for breakfast.

Breakfast

The breakfast service commenced approximately two hours before landing, with the cabin crew gradually illuminating the cabin lights. A hot meal was offered, which is becoming increasingly rare these days. 

This included mushroom chicken crepes alongside roasted potatoes, accompanied by a small plate of fruit, peach yogurt, a Belgian waffle, and Nutella. The warm plate was satisfying and delicious, and it was a pleasant surprise, as many airlines now only provide a small cold snack upon arrival.

Arrival

We enjoyed the early morning light as we started our descent. Despite the initial delay, we landed in Bangkok almost on time. Immediately after touching down, the dense early morning mist began to cover all the windows on board, making it impossible to navigate and see the traffic in BKK. 

We deboarded through a jet bridge connected to the new satellite terminal, concluding a 10+ hour journey on an overall great Economy Class product.

Conclusions

Overall, this was a pleasant flight on an aircraft that does not show its age. Despite being nearly 10 years old, this particular fuselage is maintained in pristine condition, with scratch-proof windows, clean cabin interiors, and responsive IFE screens. 

The service and crew were attentive, which was consistent with our experiences with TG. There is, as always, room for improvement, specifically in reducing single-use plastic on board and enhancing the overall IFE offering.

Thai’s Future Fleet

At the beginning of the year, TG announced the leasing of the Airbus A321neo, with plans to operate up to 32 units, a retrofitting plan for the A320, and the modification of its Boeing 777-300ERs to a new, three-class layout.

At the 2024 Singapore Airshow, TG placed an order for 45 Boeing 787s and 35 options, an aircraft powered by the GenX engines. To meet high-capacity demand and ensure a suitable replacement for the Boeing 777-300ERs, the airline has also secured a pathway to the Boeing 777X.

The Boeing 787-9 has the capability and economic potential to resume non-stop connections to North America, should the airline decide to pursue that market again. However, its CEO, Chai Eamsiri, deemed this unrealistic, frequently remarking on the poor economic performance of connecting Bangkok to North America.