Welcome to 777Jet’s seventh trip report.

This trip report covers a round-trip journey from Sydney, Australia to Phuket, Thailand on Thai Airways International. All of the aircraft included are wide-bodies; 747-400, 777-200, A330-300 and another 747-400.

We usually visit Phuket every year to spend a week or so somewhere warmer during winter time in Australia. We usually go on day tours when in Phuket and it was our goal to finally do the tour to James Bond Island.

As usual, I will keep the commentary to a minimum and let the pictures do most of the talking.

I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the pictures; I decided not to carry my bulky DSLR with me this time so I had to rely on my smart phone.

Enjoy!

The QANTAS Mardi Gras A330

20170815_081836 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_081837 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Just a couple of the many 787s around the SYD international terminal at this time in the morning

20170815_081838 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

A United 787 with our Thai 747 in the background

20170815_082050 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_082229 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

An Air New Zealand 787

20170815_084047 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Time to board our ride to Bangkok! We have already logged one flight on this particular aircraft and this is Thai’s second youngest 747.

Flight 1
Sydney – Bangkok (SYD-BKK)
Thai Airways International (TG)
Boeing 747-400
HS-TGF “Sri Ubon”
Age - 13 years, 10 months

20170815_093445 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The cabin of HS-TGF

20170815_093633 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Seats and IFE

20170815_093823 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The secret stairs hidden away a few ‘closet doors’ behind door 5R that leads up to the aft crew rest area

20170815_094007 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The safety card

20170815_094008 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_094009 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The knee room was fine but the IFE box under the seat in front restricted leg room somewhat

20170815_094010 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Window view

20170815_094712 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Conversation between ATC and PNF:

“Thai 476 taxi holding point Alpha Six 34L”
“Taxi holding point Alpha Six 34L Thai 476”
“Thai 476 line up and wait 34L”
“Line up and wait 34L Thai 476”
“Thai 476 runway 34L cleared for takeoff”
“Cleared for takeoff runway 34L Thai 476”

20170815_100845 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The most beautify city in the world IMHO

20170815_101159 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Flying over the South China Sea

20170815_170659 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_170658 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_101407 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_101408 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The meal before landing. I really can’t be bothered taking pics during full meal service anymore – I just want to enjoy

20170815_172931 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The skies are saying something

20170815_183549 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_183560 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The beautiful Thai cabin

20170815_183614 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_183834 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_183915 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Short final into BKK

20170815_190133 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170815_190138 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Driving back to BKK after a few nights in Bangkok

20170820_103213 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_103224 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The Thai maintenance area

20170820_103637 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

This hidden food court is located on the Western side of level 1. This is probably the most affordable place to grab a meal at in BKK. You can find a variety of authentic Thai meals here as well as other types of food and drinks

20170820_105849 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_110603 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_114409 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

My 65 THB fried chicken and rice meal; the best price I could find the same meal airside was 250 THB

20170820_114410 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

If you want the best foreign currency exchange rate at BKK, go down to the lower level (B1) where you can find the Airport Rail Link. Go down the ramp towards the rail station (avoid the currency exchange booths to the right in this pic because they have higher rates as they are technically on airport land and therefore maybe pay higher rent which gets passed on to users with worse rates)

20170820_114804 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Turn left and go down the ramp about 35 meters

20170820_114852 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The orange / red exchange booth on the right, ‘SuperRich’, has the best currency exchange rate in BKK. SuperRich is also probably one of if not the best places to exchange cash in Bangkok. They have branches in popular areas and at some BTS stations. This SuperRich booth offered the following AUD rates (Buy 26.05 Sell 26.30). The blue Krungthai booth in the pic offered (Buy 25.90 Sell 26.30). All the other booths in the airport offered (Buy 24.16 Sell 27.16). As you can see, SuperRich offered the best rate by far compared to the other booths in the airport which could save you a lot of money

20170820_114959 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

An area where you can leave a message and pay respect to the late King Rama IX of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej; May this great King Rest In Peace

20170820_120319 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_120413 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Our ride to Phuket – an original 777-200

Flight 2
Bangkok - Phuket (BKK-HKT)
Thai Airways International (TG)
Boeing 777-200
HS-TJD “Mukdahan”
Age - 20 years, 8 months

20170820_124655 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_125028 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_131836 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_134253 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_135028 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_135443 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

No commentary needed for most of the following pics

20170820_135714 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_135751 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_140144 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_140404 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_140821 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

I love the look of the spacious 777 ceiling

20170820_140851 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Leg room would be good if it was not for the bulky under seat IFE box

20170820_141411 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

A couple of Thai 787s

20170820_141452 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_141848 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Almost time to roll

20170820_141912 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_141916 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_141918 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Now we are heading towards Phuket

20170820_142014 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_142029 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

End of land and start of the Gulf of Thailand

20170820_142244 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_143051 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_143135 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

These warm tortilla wrap snacks that Thai provide taste so good and are perfect for a 1hr flight

20170820_143344 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_143356 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_143522 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Approaching the islands around Phang Nga and Phuket

20170820_151634 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_151919 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_152203 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_152226 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_152416 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_152545 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_152632 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

We got to do some nice sightseeing when the pilot did two circles over a nice spot

20170820_152741 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Welcome to Phuket. The old domestic terminal is on the left and the new international terminal is on the right

20170820_153527 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

We parked at the new international terminal but exited through a connected walkway to the old domestic terminal as we were domestic passengers. The international passengers (wearing the CIQ sticker) went another way

20170820_153546 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Our ride again. It was good to log another original 777-200 as they are getting rarer

20170820_154413 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170820_154521 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The beach (Nai Yang Beach) at the end of the HKT runway – the SXM of Asia

20170820_154719 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Beautiful Kata Beach; our favourite beach in Phuket

20170821_115429 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170821_115436 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170821_115443 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Our destination; James Bond Island “Khao Ta Poo” which featured in the 1974 James Bond 007 film "The Man with the Golden Gun”

20170823_130695 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170823_130696 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170823_130703(1) by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170823_130704 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170823_130705 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170823_131235 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

After a week or so in Phuket, we are now back at the airport. Although our flight is a domestic sector, we checked-in at the new international terminal given that we would be connecting in BKK to an international flight to SYD. Check-in was a breeze and passport control / immigration was completely empty and we were through in a matter of minutes.

Looking from the new international terminal towards the old domestic terminal

20170830_100824 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_100836 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Thai 747 HS-TGY “Dararasmi” departing HKT

20170830_102055 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_102058 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Inside the new international terminal

20170830_100956 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_101012 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_101100 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_102755 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_103750 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_103758 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

A nice little upstairs area above the departure gate area

20170830_103803 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_104026 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_103840 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_103925 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_103953 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

From Russia with Love

20170830_104251 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

I would have preferred to see the Aeroflot 777-300ER but getting to spot any Aeroflot bird will do

20170830_104522 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Lots of very nice Russians visit Phuket so many signs have a Russian translation

20170830_114536 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_114852 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_120041 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The Thai A350 that flies to Frankfurt in the background (parked at the old domestic terminal)

20170830_120225 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Our next ride.

Flight 3
Phuket – Bangkok (HKT-BKK)
Thai Airways International (TG)
Airbus 330-300
HS-TBE “Sakon Nakhon”
Age - 4 years, 8 months

20170830_122825 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_125955 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_130044 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_130127 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The registration “TBE” got me thinking of Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather Jr who wears the letters ‘TBE – The Best Ever’ – Just a few days earlier Mayweather defeated Conor McGregor to retire with a perfect 50-0 record

20170830_130644 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_130707 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

No commentary needed

20170830_131553 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_131551 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_131552 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_131554 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_131556 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

USB charger port is a must nowadays

20170830_131636 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_131637 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_131650 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_131651 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

We were parked at the new international terminal and this is looking towards the old domestic terminal and the runway

20170830_131709 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Another yummy warm snack provided by Thai on the short 1hr flight to BKK

20170830_135921 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

The Chao Phraya river and Bangkok

20170830_143626 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Back in BKK, I got to see Thai’s first A350-900XWB, HS-THB “Wichian Buri”, which I got to log a flight on last year during only her second day in revenue service. Sadly, the windows at BKK are filthy which wrecks most pics

20170830_151304 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_151348 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_151456 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

Our ride back to SYD and the final flight of this journey. This aircraft just arrived as the inbound from SYD and I saw a work colleague, who I knew would be on this flight, exit the aircraft. This is Thai’s youngest 747 and yet again we are about to board a Thai 747 that we have already logged a flight on.

Flight 4
Bangkok – Sydney (BKK-SYD)
Thai Airways International (TG)
Boeing 747-400
HS-TGG “Pathoomawadi”
Age - 13 years, 9 months

20170830_162642 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

20170830_162726 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

It is so difficult to take good aircraft pics at BKK because of the shape of the terminal glass windows and because of the filthy glass

20170830_170902 by Triple Seven Jet, on Flickr

That was the last pic I took during this journey. This last flight was a night flight and I slept for most of the flight except for a 2hr or so portion around the Equator, Indonesia and the Java Sea because of continuous worse than usual turbulence.

In summary, this was a very enjoyable journey. The service on Thai was great, all of the meals were very good, the IFE was entertaining, the seats were comfortable, the flights were all on time… The only thing that somewhat bothered me at times was the under seat IFE box but that is something that one has to deal with on most aircraft, especially if the aircraft has been refitted or if you are tall and have long legs. Anyway, this journey on Thai was enjoyable and I look forward to my next journey on Thai!

Thank you for reading 777Jet’s seventh trip report!

Very good & enjoyable report. Great to see the 744's still around. I've flown TG and visited Phuket - great memories for me !! Cheers

theobcman wrote:

Very good & enjoyable report. Great to see the 744's still around. I've flown TG and visited Phuket - great memories for me !! Cheers

Thank you for the kind words.

Yes, it's great to see 744s still in service. I'll keep flying TG on SYD-BKK whilst they still use the 744. Apart from the obvious QF, TG is the only other airline that operates passenger 747s into SYD.

Once again, a belated warm welcome to Thailand, Khun 777Jet. I'm glad you have a good time during your stay.

And, wow, I've just realize that we got so good facilities in new HKT International Terminal. Being a Thai citizen, I have completely zero business to visit the premise. So this is the first time I have seen it. Thank you.

Arq wrote:

Once again, a belated warm welcome to Thailand, Khun 777Jet. I'm glad you have a good time during your stay.

Khob Khun Khrap! I love Thailand.

Arq wrote:

And, wow, I've just realize that we got so good facilities in new HKT International Terminal.

I was glad that we were able to try out the new terminal.

A lot of people try to check-in at the wrong terminal now (they try to check-in for the domestic sector of a TG international ticket at the domestic terminal) and then they have to walk to the other terminal. I read that the airport provides a shuttle bus to deal with this. There is not much information at all on the TG or Phuket Airport website addressing this issue now that two separate buildings are in use for check-in for the same flight!

Arq wrote:

Being a Thai citizen, I have completely zero business to visit the premise.

What do you mean by this? Is this regarding politics, or, do you just say this because HKT isn't your local airport so won't be using it for intl flights?

If you get the chance, it is worth checking out. Next time I need to fly TG between BKK-HKG I will try to transit in HKT.

Arq wrote:

Being a Thai citizen, I have completely zero business to visit the premise.

What do you mean by this? Is this regarding politics, or, do you just say this because HKT isn't your local airport so won't be using it for intl flights?

If you get the chance, it is worth checking out. Next time I need to fly TG between BKK-HKG I will try to transit in HKT.[/quote]

HKT serve only a handful of flight that is suitable for our connection. So, I guess I will have no chance checking in at this terminal. But I would love to do so.

Hi 777Jet!

Another great trip report. I have been traveling through Asia for most of the last year and caught quite a few flights on Thai; Great Airline!

Did you manage to sneak up the aft crew rest stairs and have a peak up there?

The new Phuket Intl terminal looks very nice; unfortunately when I was there a few months ago I only experienced the old terminal.

Keep the trip reports coming and sorry for the slow response!

Jesse

Fun to read your report!

I just completed my first journey to Asia including Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Phuket. Wish I had found your trip report prior to Phuket to ask for some advice - I found the Island to be a trashy tourist trap with over crowded beaches and quite over priced and mediocre in food and entertainment compared to BKK for the most part, which was a shame considering the islands natural beauty and some great locals I met. Don't want to sound overly negative, because we still made the best of it and appreciated the experience regardless and had an awesome time, met some great locals, and enjoyed some island hopping including james bond, such as yourself. First thing we did in Phuket was walk straight from the old domestic terminal to the beach to watch planes land right over our heads! Cool experience.

Do you often go to Phuket? Have you been to Krabi? I was thinking of trying Krabi next time - I definitely want to go back to Thailand!!!!!! Such a great country.

Magic Food Court..... BKK's hidden gem..... Great food and cheap too. Call in there every trip for a last Thai meal before heading back to the UK.....

FlyDeltaJetsATL wrote:

Hi 777Jet!

Another great trip report. I have been traveling through Asia for most of the last year and caught quite a few flights on Thai; Great Airline!

Did you manage to sneak up the aft crew rest stairs and have a peak up there?

The new Phuket Intl terminal looks very nice; unfortunately when I was there a few months ago I only experienced the old terminal.

Keep the trip reports coming and sorry for the slow response!

Jesse

Hi Jesse,

Sorry for the slow reply...

No, I didn't manage to have a look in the 744 crew rest area but I'll try again next time

When you were in HKT did you do any spotting, like at the beach at the end of the runway?

777Jet

Kno wrote:

Fun to read your report!

I just completed my first journey to Asia including Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Phuket. Wish I had found your trip report prior to Phuket to ask for some advice - I found the Island to be a trashy tourist trap with over crowded beaches and quite over priced and mediocre in food and entertainment compared to BKK for the most part, which was a shame considering the islands natural beauty and some great locals I met. Don't want to sound overly negative, because we still made the best of it and appreciated the experience regardless and had an awesome time, met some great locals, and enjoyed some island hopping including james bond, such as yourself. First thing we did in Phuket was walk straight from the old domestic terminal to the beach to watch planes land right over our heads! Cool experience.

Do you often go to Phuket? Have you been to Krabi? I was thinking of trying Krabi next time - I definitely want to go back to Thailand!!!!!! Such a great country.

Hi Kno,

Thanks for your feedback...

Next time I am in HKT I plan to check out the beach near the runway once and for all. I will book a hotel very close so traveling from one of the other far away beaches for a while doesn't put me off which has happened before. Maybe I'll try the place with the water park...

We try to go to HKT once a year. I have never been to Krabi but locals tell me that Krabi is better and if you like Phuket you will love Krabi which is very scenic but a bit more quiet and has less issues with dodgy tourists. However, because I love the surf beaches, I keep going to Phuket.

Did you take any spotting pics from the beach at the end of the runway? I can't wait to finally check out that beach one day...

Thanks again for your comments.

777Jet

Fiend wrote:

Magic Food Court..... BKK's hidden gem..... Great food and cheap too. Call in there every trip for a last Thai meal before heading back to the UK.....

Hi Fiend,

Yes, you have to love that Magic Food Court...

Next time we land in BKK we will head there first and get a quick meal before the long commute to the other areas of BKK

Thanks for your comments.

777Jet

Very interesting report , had never noticed the stairs that give access to the rest area of the crew.

Kata beach looks nice but I liked our beach at the Surin Hotel because only our hotel had access to 90% of the beach; the other 10% was a fancy hotel that charged over $1,000 a night.

Just booked my first TG flights...BKK- CNX and return.... booked for a 773 but occasionally a 772 or 77w flies it.... I'm hoping for a 772...

bl4 wrote:

Very interesting report , had never noticed the stairs that give access to the rest area of the crew.

Hi bl4,

I've also noticed that the access door is sometimes left open on TG... I've never seen it left slightly open on any other airline, either before, during or after flight.

777Jet

lychemsa wrote:

Kata beach looks nice but I liked our beach at the Surin Hotel because only our hotel had access to 90% of the beach; the other 10% was a fancy hotel that charged over $1,000 a night.

Hi lychemsa,

Surin is another one of the nicer beaches in Phuket as you know. It is not busy at all and also has good surf at times.

777Jet

Fiend wrote:

Just booked my first TG flights...BKK- CNX and return.... booked for a 773 but occasionally a 772 or 77w flies it.... I'm hoping for a 772...

G'day again Fiend!

I always check what type (on FR24) usually operates those BKK-CNX/HKT flights before booking a particular flight number in the hope of logging a particular type. At least you don't have to worry about a narrow-body sub so it is kind of like a mystery in which you know you will be on an interesting type, whether it's the 744, 77W, 773, 77E, 772, 788, 330, 333 or 359 (Did I miss any? Haven't seen a 789 on BKK-CNX/HKT yet since training!)... I'd be quiet annoyed if I was bumped onto a Thai Smile A320 however On the BKK-HKT route alone I have logged all of the current TG types except for the 788/9 and the 777-200ER, which is the only TG 777 type I am yet to log regardless. I hope you get the 772 that you are after. The old 773 is also pretty cool and possibly rarer. I always try for the 744 now and managed to log TG's first 359 on its second day in service with TG CNX however gets fewer types now than HKT as it is not as busy and Thai Smile has more frequencies there.

777Jet

Great trip report 777Jet. I loved the pics of the Thai 787's and Kata Beach; what a nice looking beach. I usually stay at Patong but I am getting over the hustle and bustle of Patong. I will fly to Thailand in August and hope to catch another flight on the Thai 747 that usually operates one of the morning BKK-HKT-BKK runs. This trip report has got me looking even more forward to my vacation to Thailand and my flights of the wonderful Thai Airways International.

777Jet wrote:

Fiend wrote:

Just booked my first TG flights...BKK- CNX and return.... booked for a 773 but occasionally a 772 or 77w flies it.... I'm hoping for a 772...

G'day again Fiend!

I always check what type (on FR24) usually operates those BKK-CNX/HKT flights before booking a particular flight number in the hope of logging a particular type. At least you don't have to worry about a narrow-body sub so it is kind of like a mystery in which you know you will be on an interesting type, whether it's the 744, 77W, 773, 77E, 772, 788, 330, 333 or 359 (Did I miss any? Haven't seen a 789 on BKK-CNX/HKT yet since training!)... I'd be quiet annoyed if I was bumped onto a Thai Smile A320 however On the BKK-HKT route alone I have logged all of the current TG types except for the 788/9 and the 777-200ER, which is the only TG 777 type I am yet to log regardless. I hope you get the 772 that you are after. The old 773 is also pretty cool and possibly rarer. I always try for the 744 now and managed to log TG's first 359 on its second day in service with TG CNX however gets fewer types now than HKT as it is not as busy and Thai Smile has more frequencies there.

777Jet

Normally we fly BKK-THS with Bangkok Airways, but my sister-in-law has moved to Chiang Mai to work, We get the use her car when we are in Thailand, hence the reason for flying there....

I've had a 773 before, an Emirates one, so a 772 would be nice...

acinvestigator wrote:

Great trip report 777Jet. I loved the pics of the Thai 787's and Kata Beach; what a nice looking beach. I usually stay at Patong but I am getting over the hustle and bustle of Patong. I will fly to Thailand in August and hope to catch another flight on the Thai 747 that usually operates one of the morning BKK-HKT-BKK runs. This trip report has got me looking even more forward to my vacation to Thailand and my flights of the wonderful Thai Airways International.

Hi acinvestigator,

Thank you for your comments.

I kind of avoid Patong because I like surf, less crowded and cleaner beaches; which Patong is not!

I wonder how long the TG 747 will be around? It is handy to have the 747 on those popular BKK-HKT runs (for those in Thailand and wanting to log a 747) and the TG 747 is the only other pax 747 the operates into SYD other than the remaining QF 747s.

777Jet

Fiend wrote:

777Jet wrote:

Fiend wrote:

Just booked my first TG flights...BKK- CNX and return.... booked for a 773 but occasionally a 772 or 77w flies it.... I'm hoping for a 772...

G'day again Fiend!

I always check what type (on FR24) usually operates those BKK-CNX/HKT flights before booking a particular flight number in the hope of logging a particular type. At least you don't have to worry about a narrow-body sub so it is kind of like a mystery in which you know you will be on an interesting type, whether it's the 744, 77W, 773, 77E, 772, 788, 330, 333 or 359 (Did I miss any? Haven't seen a 789 on BKK-CNX/HKT yet since training!)... I'd be quiet annoyed if I was bumped onto a Thai Smile A320 however On the BKK-HKT route alone I have logged all of the current TG types except for the 788/9 and the 777-200ER, which is the only TG 777 type I am yet to log regardless. I hope you get the 772 that you are after. The old 773 is also pretty cool and possibly rarer. I always try for the 744 now and managed to log TG's first 359 on its second day in service with TG CNX however gets fewer types now than HKT as it is not as busy and Thai Smile has more frequencies there.

777Jet

Normally we fly BKK-THS with Bangkok Airways, but my sister-in-law has moved to Chiang Mai to work, We get the use her car when we are in Thailand, hence the reason for flying there....

I've had a 773 before, an Emirates one, so a 772 would be nice...

Hi Fiend,

Bangkok Airways... I still need to log an A319 and PG has a few flying around - but they often sub with the A320 unless it's to Samui and those flights cam be expensive and be subbed onto a prop which I don't like!

I hope you get to log the 772 you want. I recall seeing three different TG 777-200's in my logbook - was hoping to find a 200ER reg in there to complete all of the TG 777 sub-tpyes but it is not to be just yet...

777Jet

777Jet wrote:

Hi Fiend,

Bangkok Airways... I still need to log an A319 and PG has a few flying around - but they often sub with the A320 unless it's to Samui and those flights cam be expensive and be subbed onto a prop which I don't like!

I hope you get to log the 772 you want. I recall seeing three different TG 777-200's in my logbook - was hoping to find a 200ER reg in there to complete all of the TG 777 sub-tpyes but it is not to be just yet...

777Jet

Bangkok Airways BKK-THS is a solid ATR-72 duty, but last year one flight was swapped to a 320 for the evening before Loy Kratong.... I missed the opportunity, but my wife was on it.

777Jet wrote:

FlyDeltaJetsATL wrote:

Hi 777Jet!

Another great trip report. I have been traveling through Asia for most of the last year and caught quite a few flights on Thai; Great Airline!

Did you manage to sneak up the aft crew rest stairs and have a peak up there?

The new Phuket Intl terminal looks very nice; unfortunately when I was there a few months ago I only experienced the old terminal.

Keep the trip reports coming and sorry for the slow response!

Jesse

Hi Jesse,

Sorry for the slow reply...

No, I didn't manage to have a look in the 744 crew rest area but I'll try again next time

When you were in HKT did you do any spotting, like at the beach at the end of the runway?

777Jet

Hi 777Jet!

Sorry, but I did not get any plane spotting done whilst in Phuket. There is a hotel with a water park right next to the airport that looks interesting and should have easy access to the beach; I will stay there next time I return to that part of the world.

Any tips on accessing that beach would be appreciated

Jesse

Fiend wrote:

777Jet wrote:

Hi Fiend,

Bangkok Airways... I still need to log an A319 and PG has a few flying around - but they often sub with the A320 unless it's to Samui and those flights cam be expensive and be subbed onto a prop which I don't like!

I hope you get to log the 772 you want. I recall seeing three different TG 777-200's in my logbook - was hoping to find a 200ER reg in there to complete all of the TG 777 sub-tpyes but it is not to be just yet...

777Jet

Bangkok Airways BKK-THS is a solid ATR-72 duty, but last year one flight was swapped to a 320 for the evening before Loy Kratong.... I missed the opportunity, but my wife was on it.

Hi Fiend,

Sukhothai is a beautiful place. The women from Sukhothai are beautiful; almost as beautiful as the women from Kamphaeng Phet

Loi Kratong is also my favorite Thai celebration - floating those Krathongs at night with the candles is quiet peaceful.

I almost flew to Sukhothai on a Nok Air prop but decided to catch the bus up the highway instead...

777Jet

FlyDeltaJetsATL wrote:

777Jet wrote:

FlyDeltaJetsATL wrote:

Hi 777Jet!

Another great trip report. I have been traveling through Asia for most of the last year and caught quite a few flights on Thai; Great Airline!

Did you manage to sneak up the aft crew rest stairs and have a peak up there?

The new Phuket Intl terminal looks very nice; unfortunately when I was there a few months ago I only experienced the old terminal.

Keep the trip reports coming and sorry for the slow response!

Jesse

Hi Jesse,

Sorry for the slow reply...

No, I didn't manage to have a look in the 744 crew rest area but I'll try again next time

When you were in HKT did you do any spotting, like at the beach at the end of the runway?

777Jet

Hi 777Jet!

Sorry, but I did not get any plane spotting done whilst in Phuket. There is a hotel with a water park right next to the airport that looks interesting and should have easy access to the beach; I will stay there next time I return to that part of the world.

Any tips on accessing that beach would be appreciated

Jesse

Hi Jesse,

I haven't been to that beach yet but I plan to do so this year. I've also seen the resort with the water park next to HKT and when combined with the plane spotting beach it could be the prefect location!

I'll try to upload some pics if I make it there!

777Jet

An interesting twist with my upcoming trip...... TG116 has now changed to an A359 on 19th May but TG117 is still showing a 773 on 2nd June......

So I'm now looking forward to my first A350 flight!!!

Fiend wrote:

An interesting twist with my upcoming trip...... TG116 has now changed to an A359 on 19th May but TG117 is still showing a 773 on 2nd June......

So I'm now looking forward to my first A350 flight!!!

Hi Fiend,

Nice! But with TG, you don't really know what type will operate some of those BKK - HKT / CNX routes until you are actually on board so it is kind of like a mystery with a least an interesting mix of wide-bodies to look forward to.

My first A350 was with TG - I booked BKK - HKT on the second day of TG A350 operations and even did a trip report on that flight:

viewtopic.php?t=1342283

Now, would you prefer the A350 or the 772 you wanted? If you could fly on any TG type on that one flight what one type would you pick?

Have fun and let us know what actually operates the flight on the day!

777Jet

Hi Fiend,

Nice! But with TG, you don't really know what type will operate some of those BKK - HKT / CNX routes until you are actually on board so it is kind of like a mystery with a least an interesting mix of wide-bodies to look forward to.

My first A350 was with TG - I booked BKK - HKT on the second day of TG A350 operations and even did a trip report on that flight:

viewtopic.php?t=1342283

Now, would you prefer the A350 or the 772 you wanted? If you could fly on any TG type on that one flight what one type would you pick?

Have fun and let us know what actually operates the flight on the day!

777Jet[/quote]

Form a passenger perspective I tend to prefer flying Airbus, although I don't go out of my way to avoid flying on Boeing. My upcoming trip should be QR 788 - QR 346 - TG A350 - TG 773? - QR 346 - QR788...

TG116 has been A350 every day for the last week and on a dummy booking on the TG website for my dates it's showing A350 on TG116 and 773 on TG117. My ideal scenario would be A350 and 772

Cool report. The beach at the end of the runway at HKT is Nai Yang Beach, and it's like the Maho Beach of Asia to a degree. I spent about 90 minutes spotting on the beach a few years back, and plan on going back over the winter when the weather is drier and less cloudy. The hotel is the Grand West Sands. It's a short walk from the parking lot to the beach, and then just turn left. About 7 flights came through that morning (9 am-ish).

Ishthe47guy wrote:

Cool report. The beach at the end of the runway at HKT is Nai Yang Beach, and it's like the Maho Beach of Asia to a degree. I spent about 90 minutes spotting on the beach a few years back, and plan on going back over the winter when the weather is drier and less cloudy. The hotel is the Grand West Sands. It's a short walk from the parking lot to the beach, and then just turn left. About 7 flights came through that morning (9 am-ish).

Hi Ishthe747guy,

Thanks so much for that info. I might have an opportunity to go to HKT soon and if so I'll allow an extra day to spend at the "Maho Beach of Asia" - I've heard others say that about Nai Yang Beach If so I hope the planes come in over the beach because out of dozens of trips to HKT I only remember using that runway direction one time for takeoff...

777Jet

Some pics I took at Nai Yang Beach. 09 was the runway that morning.

ish2dachoppa wrote:

Some pics I took at Nai Yang Beach. 09 was the runway that morning.

Hi ish2dachoppa,

Nice pics!

This pic: Aviation Photo #5009641 Uploaded here the other day from Dec 2017, says no more pics of planes from the beach. I know this is Thailand but it, as well as some recent Thai news articles, made it sound like a proper crackdown this time.

Just curious what the current situation re spotting / aircraft photography is at Nai Yang...

777Jet

777Jet wrote:

Fiend wrote:

An interesting twist with my upcoming trip...... TG116 has now changed to an A359 on 19th May but TG117 is still showing a 773 on 2nd June......

So I'm now looking forward to my first A350 flight!!!

Hi Fiend,

Nice! But with TG, you don't really know what type will operate some of those BKK - HKT / CNX routes until you are actually on board so it is kind of like a mystery with a least an interesting mix of wide-bodies to look forward to.

My first A350 was with TG - I booked BKK - HKT on the second day of TG A350 operations and even did a trip report on that flight:

viewtopic.php?t=1342283

Now, would you prefer the A350 or the 772 you wanted? If you could fly on any TG type on that one flight what one type would you pick?

Have fun and let us know what actually operates the flight on the day!

777Jet

Well... We got A359 HS-THJ on TG116..... And the wife was well impressed by the comfort of it in economy..... And we got 773 HS-TKB on the return flight TG117 and the wife was less impressed by the tired looking and less comfortable 773.

As a bonus, when we went to check-in for our TG domestic flight we were asked if we were flying onwards from BK., When we said yes they sent us through to International check-in and TG checked us in for our onward QR flights from Bangkok, with our cases checked through to Manchester..... Certainly saved us collecting them and then having a 3 hours wait to check-in for our Qatar flights. But it also meant the wife missed out on her som tam at Magic Court before heading back to the UK. Also with having being internationally checked in at CNX we managed to avoid the queues at BKK for security and immigration as we were given CIQ clearance for BKK.

So our trip resulted in flying 788, A346, A359, 773, A346 and 788.....

Fiend wrote:

777Jet wrote:

Fiend wrote:

An interesting twist with my upcoming trip...... TG116 has now changed to an A359 on 19th May but TG117 is still showing a 773 on 2nd June......

So I'm now looking forward to my first A350 flight!!!

Hi Fiend,

Nice! But with TG, you don't really know what type will operate some of those BKK - HKT / CNX routes until you are actually on board so it is kind of like a mystery with a least an interesting mix of wide-bodies to look forward to.

My first A350 was with TG - I booked BKK - HKT on the second day of TG A350 operations and even did a trip report on that flight:

viewtopic.php?t=1342283

Now, would you prefer the A350 or the 772 you wanted? If you could fly on any TG type on that one flight what one type would you pick?

Have fun and let us know what actually operates the flight on the day!

777Jet

Well... We got A359 HS-THJ on TG116..... And the wife was well impressed by the comfort of it in economy..... And we got 773 HS-TKB on the return flight TG117 and the wife was less impressed by the tired looking and less comfortable 773.

As a bonus, when we went to check-in for our TG domestic flight we were asked if we were flying onwards from BK., When we said yes they sent us through to International check-in and TG checked us in for our onward QR flights from Bangkok, with our cases checked through to Manchester..... Certainly saved us collecting them and then having a 3 hours wait to check-in for our Qatar flights. But it also meant the wife missed out on her som tam at Magic Court before heading back to the UK. Also with having being internationally checked in at CNX we managed to avoid the queues at BKK for security and immigration as we were given CIQ clearance for BKK.

So our trip resulted in flying 788, A346, A359, 773, A346 and 788.....

Hi Fiend,

Glad you got to log a 359. Sorry you didn't get the 772. Not many original 772 models left either.

I'd love to log another A340 flight as they get rarer. I've only logged the TG 346s, many times though. I'd like to tick off a few different A340 sub types.

Glad to hear your checked baggage was hassle free. I think, even if your bags are checked through, you might be able to still leave airside to visit the food court. You could just remove the CIQ sticker, if it hasn't fallen off anyway, and just exit with the domestic arrival pax. Easy. They just walk out through domestic baggage claim area. Then visit Magic Food Court. Then when you are ready to go back inside, just say you got lost. Your passport will already be stamped exit but if you get lost you get lost, what can they do?

777Jet

777Jet wrote:

Hi Fiend,

Glad you got to log a 359. Sorry you didn't get the 772. Not many original 772 models left either.

I'd love to log another A340 flight as they get rarer. I've only logged the TG 346s, many times though. I'd like to tick off a few different A340 sub types.

Glad to hear your checked baggage was hassle free. I think, even if your bags are checked through, you might be able to still leave airside to visit the food court. You could just remove the CIQ sticker, if it hasn't fallen off anyway, and just exit with the domestic arrival pax. Easy. They just walk out through domestic baggage claim area. Then visit Magic Food Court. Then when you are ready to go back inside, just say you got lost. Your passport will already be stamped exit but if you get lost you get lost, what can they do?

777Jet

I was more disappointed they switched TG116/117 back from A359 to 777 on the 1st of June.....

Already planning another trip for the end of October..... Looking like flying EDI-DOH-BKK instead of MAN-DOH-BKK and then TG wide-body up to CNX again .... I could get to enjoy EDI-DOH and DOH-EDI on QR A359 then DOH-BKK and BKK-DOH on QR A346...

The wife wasn't too bothered about missing Magic Food Court on our return journey....... she was more interested in finding a comfy seat so she could sit down and relax during our 6 hour wait for our onward flight.....

Fiend wrote:

I was more disappointed they switched TG116/117 back from A359 to 777 on the 1st of June.....

Already planning another trip for the end of October..... Looking like flying EDI-DOH-BKK instead of MAN-DOH-BKK and then TG wide-body up to CNX again .... I could get to enjoy EDI-DOH and DOH-EDI on QR A359 then DOH-BKK and BKK-DOH on QR A346...

The wife wasn't too bothered about missing Magic Food Court on our return journey....... she was more interested in finding a comfy seat so she could sit down and relax durin g our 6 hour wait for our onward flight.....

I just got back from Thailand. I had a few spare days and had the chance to try to visit the Lauda Air crash site or Nai Yang Beach so I decided to give Nai Yang a go. I knew that the weather might not be the best but I chanced it; what a bad decision that was!

Here are some pics which contrast the lovely pics of Nai Yang that can often be found on the net...

The beach is filthy! And because I entered from the Southern end I had to pay the National Park fee (200THB Foreigner v 40THB Local). I have no problem paying to enter national parks, even if it's five times (sometimes ten times) the fee that locals pay, but paying to enter a rubbish dump...



Big storm about to arrive... The pics are bad quality because I put my phone in a waterproof plastic case...









The wind was intense! About five seconds after I took this pic heavy rain started. I stayed here for less than two minutes and headed straight back without seeing a single takeoff / landing. The tide was very high and it was a very unpleasant walk. The heavy wind and rain made the short distance walk back to the Southern end of the airport take about twenty minutes.



Check out the tide! Not much beach area left to walk on to get to / from the end of the runway...





So much rubbish on the beach, but this caught my eye... Something from MH370???



Anyway, that was my first trip to Nai Yang and it was a waste of time. I will try to go again and I will make sure that I go during the months of good weather and I will make sure to stay at the resort with the water park just on the Northern side of the airport.

On the morning we left, the bad weather was gone! The sun was out and for the first time in days, the wind was out of the East so the planes were landing over the beach... Nonetheless, I couldn't be bothered to go back to the runway fence during this trip despite having a few hours to spare...

To finish on a positive note, our A330-300 flight out of HKT was cancelled and we got to fly on a 777-300ER instead!!!

777Jet

I've booked our October trip.(A350 EDI-DOH, A346 DOH-BKK, A346 DOK-BKK AND A350 DOH-EDI) and looks like we'll be doing TG116/TG117 to and from Chiang Mai again and both are showing as 773 in October and November, so perhaps a 772 will come out to play one one of those days....

We stayed a couple of nights at my sister-in-laws house in Chiang Mai which is not far north of CNX and under the flight path...... Watched an A350 on TG117 departing one night and was surprised how quiet the A350 was taking off compared to the other aircraft departing CNX...

Hi again 777Jet!

777Jet wrote:

I just got back from Thailand. I had a few spare days and had the chance to try to visit the Lauda Air crash site or Nai Yang Beach so I decided to give Nai Yang a go. I knew that the weather might not be the best but I chanced it; what a bad decision that was!

Well, at least you finally got to check out Nai Yang.

777Jet wrote:

The wind was intense! About five seconds after I took this pic heavy rain started. I stayed here for less than two minutes and headed straight back without seeing a single takeoff / landing. The tide was very high and it was a very unpleasant walk. The heavy wind and rain made the short distance walk back to the Southern end of the airport take about twenty minutes.

The wind looked like it was gusting strong in those pictures! If you stayed for longer you might have seen some interesting landings.

777Jet wrote:

So much rubbish on the beach, but this caught my eye... Something from MH370???

What do you think the item was? Are you going to post a full trip report for that trip?

All the best buddy.

Jesse

Fiend wrote:

I've booked our October trip.(A350 EDI-DOH, A346 DOH-BKK, A346 DOK-BKK AND A350 DOH-EDI) and looks like we'll be doing TG116/TG117 to and from Chiang Mai again and both are showing as 773 in October and November, so perhaps a 772 will come out to play one one of those days....

We stayed a couple of nights at my sister-in-laws house in Chiang Mai which is not far north of CNX and under the flight path...... Watched an A350 on TG117 departing one night and was surprised how quiet the A350 was taking off compared to the other aircraft departing CNX...

Hi Fiend,

Great to hear - not long until your trip now!

Hopefully you get an equipment sub and finally get to log that TG 772

Let us know what type you end up on, or maybe even post some pics or a trip report...

777Jet

FlyDeltaJetsATL wrote:

Hi again 777Jet!

777Jet wrote:

I just got back from Thailand. I had a few spare days and had the chance to try to visit the Lauda Air crash site or Nai Yang Beach so I decided to give Nai Yang a go. I knew that the weather might not be the best but I chanced it; what a bad decision that was!

Well, at least you finally got to check out Nai Yang.

777Jet wrote:

The wind was intense! About five seconds after I took this pic heavy rain started. I stayed here for less than two minutes and headed straight back without seeing a single takeoff / landing. The tide was very high and it was a very unpleasant walk. The heavy wind and rain made the short distance walk back to the Southern end of the airport take about twenty minutes.

The wind looked like it was gusting strong in those pictures! If you stayed for longer you might have seen some interesting landings.

777Jet wrote:

So much rubbish on the beach, but this caught my eye... Something from MH370???

What do you think the item was? Are you going to post a full trip report for that trip?

All the best buddy.

Jesse

Hi Jesse,

I'm not 100% sure what the item was but it really caught my eye. I guess it could have been part of MH370...

I won't do a trip report for that trip because I didn't take many pics during the flights; I really can't be bothered taking pics of airports, cabins, meals, etc., anymore.

Nowadays, I just take a few pics of the aircraft (with the reg), and during the flight I just put the camera away, sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight!

777Jet

777Jet wrote:

Fiend wrote:

I've booked our October trip.(A350 EDI-DOH, A346 DOH-BKK, A346 DOK-BKK AND A350 DOH-EDI) and looks like we'll be doing TG116/TG117 to and from Chiang Mai again and both are showing as 773 in October and November, so perhaps a 772 will come out to play one one of those days....

We stayed a couple of nights at my sister-in-laws house in Chiang Mai which is not far north of CNX and under the flight path...... Watched an A350 on TG117 departing one night and was surprised how quiet the A350 was taking off compared to the other aircraft departing CNX...

Hi Fiend,

Great to hear - not long until your trip now!

Hopefully you get an equipment sub and finally get to log that TG 772

Let us know what type you end up on, or maybe even post some pics or a trip report...

777Jet

Slight change on our plans with our internal flights.... We're flying up to Sukhothai on a PG ATR72, and returning from Chiang Mai on TG121. TG121 is another one that can be 772, 773 or 77W, so you never know I might be lucky and have a 772.

Trip was planed to coincide with the end of Buddhist Lent.