Thanks for the info and advice everyone, really appreciate it.
Exec breakfast starts at 6am. Which, I think, is quiet doable (for a quick entree bite at the hotel, before eating in the lounge) with an 8am* departure in TG F, unless you want to get checked in early and try for a quick spa treatment before the flight. (TG F lounge is a la carte, you order off an ipad menu. Onboard there is heaps of food too, so you may not even want to bother with the hotel food in the morning.)
I don't think hotel breakfast is a good idea - would much rather have something in the F Lounge, and more importantly, save space for the food onboard
Ideally I'd probably try and get to the F Lounge around 6.30, which will leave plenty of time for a leisurely (but light!) breakfast before the flight. Not going to bother trying to cram in a spa treatment - I have a 7 hour transit in BKK two weeks earlier on the outbound, plenty of time for the spa then.
*8am, means that someone will come and collect you from your seat in the TG F lounge at ~ 7:40am, to escort you to the aircraft door, where you will be the last to board without any gate queues. There are no obvious visible departure displays in the TG F lounge, because the staff all know who you are and when/where you are flying, so you don't need visual displays. Which may be a bit disconcerting if it's your first time, but if you need information you can always ask someone (the staff to customer ratio in that place seems to be ~ 4 to 1, so there's always someone around).
I've done the TG F transit at BKK once before, know exactly what you mean about them coming to get you being a bit disconcerting the first time - especially when your flight is a little delayed (and of course no screens to tell you this), and they still haven't come to get you ~5 minutes before the scheduled departure! I did go and check with the staff that they hadn't forgotten me at this point
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From Hotel to First Class Lounge is SWIFT, the longest part of the journey is the (mostly underground) walk (if you walk) from the hotel to the check in area. Once there, you are greeted by the concierge as you approach, who takes your travel documents and guides you to a seat (where a cold towel is offered) then moments later the concierge is back with your documents and boarding pass as well as your escort for the "arduous" journey to the lounge.
The first class security screening point is just at the end of the First Class check in area, if there is a queue it is likely to be just one person ahead of you. Five metres round the corner (with escort still in tow) and you're at the premium immigration control desks (again more than likely no queue). Once through, your escort will usher you straight down and onto their waiting golf cart. And off you will speed straight into the business class lounge, which has a purpose built "golf cart lane" down its side for first class golf carts. People in the rather large business class lounge will stare at you as you whiz past them in your "royal whatever-it-is" cart, which eventually pops out the other end of the business class lounge, rounds a corner, past the spa and drops you at the entry to the first class lounge.
All up hotel door exit to lounge door entry for me was circa 30 minutes last month.
The TG First Class check in "experience" at BKK is definitely an experience!
Thanks for posting this detailed info, very helpful.
Given what you've said about the speed of everything, plus the positive recommendations for Novotel from others, I think I'll go this route - it doesn't sound like there's any significant difference in how much sleep I'll get with either option (given Louis' Tavern would only be 5.5 hours sleep max from a 6 hour booking), and probably a higher chance of getting
good sleep at the Novotel. Plus, while I've had the TG F "transit" ground service experience before, I haven't had the "check-in" experience - might as well try that while I have the chance
This does raise a few new questions though - a little OT for the title of this thread, but not worth starting a new one I don't think:
1) Given my transit in BKK is part of a multi-segment journey back from Europe (FCO-xFRA-xICN-xBKK-SYD), I assume I will be checked in for all flights at FCO. So what do I do at BKK when "checking in" after my overnight at the Novotel? Just tell the F check-in that I'm already checked in and just exited the airport for the overnight hotel stay, and otherwise it should be as you described above?
2) Despite the long transit, again I assume that I can get my bags checked all the way from FCO to SYD? I won't need them for the short overnight in BKK and would much rather not have to collect them / re-check them!
3) I assume there's no issue with someone travelling on an Australian passport exiting the airport for only a few hours, given no visa required for Australians in Thailand? Just clear customs both directions like normal?
4) Disembarking from TG J with the technically-a-transit connection to TG F the next morning, will I get the "F" ground experience when I disembark from the TG J flight - i.e. escort and buggy? Not a big deal, of course, but I figure it will help expedite customs / security clearance and get me to the hotel faster, which would be nice.
Thanks again everyone!
