Thai Airways A350-900 Business Class Review

Thai Airways A350 Business Class cabin
Thai Airways A350 Business Class cabin. Photo: Thai Airways.

A member of Star Alliance, Thai Airways offers daily flights to Bangkok from Sydney and double-daily service from Melbourne.

I recently needed to get from Thailand to Australia and was pleasantly surprised to find ample Business Class award availability on Thai Airways. This was available to book through all of the different Star Alliance frequent flyer programs including Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Air Canada Aeroplan, United MileagePlus and even Avianca LifeMiles. I had some United MileagePlus miles to spare, so booked an award ticket through that program.

The last time I’d flown Thai Airways was more than 20 years ago on an Airbus A300. This time, I would be flying on a much more modern Airbus A350-900, so I was looking forward to the experience!

Thai Airways A350 at Melbourne Airport.
A Thai Airways Airbus A350 at Melbourne Airport. Photo: Matt Graham.

This review covers my Thai Airways Royal Silk (Business Class) experience from the airline’s hub in Bangkok to Melbourne, flying overnight on TG465.

Flight Details

Flight numberTG465
RouteBangkok (BKK) to Melbourne (MEL)
Aircraft typeAirbus A350-900
Class of travelRoyal Silk (Business Class)
Seat number17A
On-time performanceWe arrived 25 minutes late
Star rating4.5 stars out of 5

The route

TG465 route map from Bangkok (BKK) to Melbourne (MEL)

Flight Cost

I booked this flight using United MileagePlus miles. The full one-way Business Class itinerary was Bangkok-Melbourne-Canberra, with the domestic connection on Virgin Australia. The total cost for this was 50,000 United miles + AUD126.62. (The domestic connection did not add any miles to the cost of the ticket, but did slightly increase the taxes payable.)

If you had Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, you could book a Thai Airways Business Class redemption from Bangkok to Melbourne (or Sydney) for 81,500 KrisFlyer miles + ~AUD329. Thai Airways typically releases up to two Business Class award seats per flight.

Singapore Airlines website showing KrisFlyer Business Saver award availability on Star Alliance from BKK to MEL
You can redeem KrisFlyer miles for Thai Airways flights, and there’s often availability. Screenshot from the Singapore Airlines website.

If you were to buy a ticket, a THAI Business Class fare from Bangkok to Melbourne normally starts from $1,781 one-way.

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Airport Experience

Checking in at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport was an absolute breeze. Thai Airways has a dedicated check-in area for Business and First Class passengers at row A, at the far end of the check-in hall. Directly beside this is a dedicated fast-track lane for security and immigration.

Thai Airways premium check-in area at BKK
Thai Airways has a premium check-in area at the far end of the hall in Bangkok. Photo: Matt Graham.

It took just a few minutes to check in and get airside. Directly outside the fast-track immigration area was the entrance to the main Thai Airways lounges, where the staff warmly welcomed me in.

Thai Airways lounge entrance at BKK
The entrance to the Thai Airways lounges in Bangkok is directly after fast-track immigration. Photo: Matt Graham.

After heading down the escalator, you could turn right to visit the Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge or left for the Royal Silk Lounge. I tried out both of them and couldn’t really tell the difference.

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge at BKK airport
The Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge in Bangkok. Photo: Matt Graham.

The Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge had most of the things you would need from a quality airport lounge. It’s a pleasant space – albeit long and narrow – with lots of seating, clean toilets and showers, Wi-Fi and lots of charging outlets. There was also a full bar, a buffet and a live cooking station with chefs offering some extra dishes plated to order.

Thai Airways lounge buffet in BKK
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge buffet. Photo: Matt Graham.

Options from the buffet included salad, sandwiches, soup, spring rolls, spaghetti bolognese, dumplings, fried rice and a delicious Thai curry. The freezer stocked with Häagen-Dazs ice cream was also a nice touch.

It was very quiet in the lounge when I visited in the late afternoon.

From there, it was a rather long walk to our boarding gate at the end of the “E” pier. As per Australian government regulations, there was an extra security check before we could enter the gate area where our bags were inspected for liquids over 100ml.

Boarding at Bangkok Airport gate E10
There was an extra check before entering the gate area. Photo: Matt Graham.

I had to queue around 15 minutes for this security check. There was no priority line here for Business Class passengers (nor families with young children) – which is only noteworthy because a Qantas flight to Sydney was boarding from the next gate and Qantas did have a priority lane for entry into its gate area.

Boarding was delayed, but there was no announcement advising of the delay or when boarding might begin. Eventually, boarding started five minutes after the flight’s scheduled departure time. To be honest, the boarding process was a bit of a scrum, and it was difficult for passengers entitled to priority boarding to actually reach the gate as there were a lot of people blocking the way.

The Hard Product

Thai Airways has 32 “Royal Silk” Business Class seats on its Airbus A350-900 in a 1-2-1 configuration. This is a staggered seating layout, where the middle section alternates between having two seats directly beside each other, and two seats directly at the aisle.

I had selected seat 17A, which was a window seat directly beside the window:

Thai Airways A350 Business Class seat
Thai Airways A350 Business Class seat. Photo: Matt Graham.

I really liked this seat. It felt spacious and there was plenty of privacy, although the suite could have perhaps used a bit more storage space.

The seat reclines to become a fully lie-flat bed. I found the bed very comfortable, however it probably could have been a bit longer. If you’re more than six feet tall, you might find that the bed isn’t quite long enough for you and that you’ll need to bend your knees when lying down.

There was a universal power outlet at the seat for charging devices. There was also a large in-flight entertainment screen above the footwell where you rest your legs while sleeping.

Legroom and in-flight entertainment in Thai Airways A350 Business Class
Legroom and in-flight entertainment in Thai Airways A350 Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

The in-flight entertainment system was loaded with plenty of movies, TV shows and music. But perhaps my favourite feature was the outside view from an external camera mounted on the tail.

Thai Airways A350 has an external camera on the IFE system
The Thai Airways A350 has an external camera. Photo: Matt Graham.

In-flight Wi-Fi was available for a fee, including in Business Class. I was planning to sleep for most of the flight, so didn’t bother trying it out.

THAI in-flight Wi-Fi options
THAI in-flight Wi-Fi options.

Overall, the Thai Airways A350-900 Business Class cabin felt modern, clean and spacious. I also particularly liked the on-brand cabin lighting with hues of pink, purple and orange that help to create a relaxing atmosphere on board.

Mood lighting on the THAI Airbus A350-900
I liked the on-brand mood lighting on the Thai Airways A350. Photo: Matt Graham.

The Soft Product

Thai Airways offers all the usual amenities you would expect in Business Class. When I got to my seat, there was already a mattress topper, substantial pillow and blanket, amenity kit, slippers and headphones waiting for me.

I decided to use my own Bose noise-cancelling headphones as they were better quality than the ones provided. The amenity kit, though, was very well stocked. I think this might be the first airline amenity kit I’ve received that contained a biodegradable shoe horn and an aromatherapy roller – whatever that is!

Thai Airways just introduced new amenity kits a few weeks ago, in collaboration with Jim Thompson. This one had a Portuguese porcelain design.

Jim Thompson amenity kit in Thai Airways Business Class
Jim Thompson amenity kit in Thai Airways Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

Shortly after taking my seat, a very friendly flight attendant offered a choice of pre-departure beverages including water, orange juice, tamarind tea and “Violet Bliss”, a Thai signature drink. This came with a hot towel.

Butterfly pea limeade, one of the THAI Airways signature drinks
“Violet Bliss”: Butterfly pea limeade served before take-off in Thai Airways Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

None of the pre-departure drinks offered were alcoholic, but I did see another passenger request – and receive – a glass of champagne while we were still on the ground.

The crew came through the cabin before departure to take everyone’s dinner and breakfast orders, and to ask whether passengers wanted to be woken up for breakfast.

This was the Business Class menu on TG465:

TG465 dinner and breakfast menu in Royal Silk class
TG465 dinner and breakfast menu.

There was also a comprehensive drinks list, including a selection of wines (the champagne was Laurent-Perrier) and other beverages:

Business Class drinks list on Thai Airways
Business Class drinks list on Thai Airways.

About a week before the flight, I received an email from Thai Airways inviting me to pre-select my meals online. Although the website didn’t work that well, I was able to do so, and the crew confirmed before take-off that they had received my pre-order.

Thai Airways provides the option to pre-order your meals online in Royal Silk Class
Thai Airways provides the option to pre-order your meals online. Screenshot from the Thai Airways website.

After take-off, the dinner service began with some nuts and an amuse bouche:

Thai-style spicy prawn salad and a dried prune with cream cheese & walnut
Thai-style spicy prawn salad and a dried prune with cream cheese & walnut. Photo: Matt Graham.

This was followed by the starters and a selection of breads:

Thai-style spicy smoked duck salad and seared tiger prawn salad served as a Starter in Thai Airways business class
Thai-style spicy smoked duck salad and seared tiger prawn salad. Photo: Matt Graham.

For the main course, I chose the salmon stuffed with minced prawn in Chu Chee curry served with egg fried rice, Vietnamese-style fried chicken, baby bok choy and carrots.

Salmon stuffed with minced prawn in Chu Chee curry served with egg fried rice, Vietnamese-style fried chicken, baby bok choy and carrots
Salmon stuffed with minced prawn in Chu Chee curry for dinner in Thai Airways Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

I was already getting quite full by this point, but there was still another course to go – a cheese plate – before dessert.

Thai Airways Business Class cheese plate
Thai Airways Business Class cheese plate. Photo: Matt Graham.

Finally, the meal service concluded with a traditional Thai delight:

Dessert in Thai Airways Business Class
Dessert in Thai Airways Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

The food was fresh, tasty and plentiful. I really enjoyed the meal and definitely wasn’t hungry by the end of it! The only downside was that it took the crew more than two hours to complete the dinner service – although they did get interrupted by a period of turbulence.

After dinner, the lights were switched off for around four hours and I had a comfortable sleep.

For some reason, the crew served breakfast a full two hours before landing. That’s at 5.20 am Melbourne time, or 1.20 am in Bangkok.

In my opinion, this is too early as it limits the amount of time available to sleep on an overnight flight of around eight hours. It was also unnecessary to serve breakfast so early because everything came on a single tray and the service was already completed with 75 minutes until landing. This could have been delayed another half hour or so, allowing passengers more valuable time for sleeping.

Because of this, I had asked the cabin crew not to wake me up for breakfast. But I happened to wake up anyway after the service had started, so the crew brought me some more food:

Thai Airways Business Class breakfast including seasonal fruits, yoghurt, patongko, and chicken with mushrooms and bamboo shoots in gravy served with Thai jasmine rice, Chinese chicken sausages and fried egg
Thai Airways Business Class breakfast including seasonal fruits, yoghurt, patongko, and chicken with mushrooms and bamboo shoots in gravy served with Thai jasmine rice, Chinese chicken sausages and fried egg. Photo: Matt Graham.

Timing aside, this was a really nice breakfast! I particularly liked the patongko, a Chinese-inspired fried dough that came with a choice of sweet dipping sauces.

The sun was coming up as I ate breakfast, and we were treated to a delightful sunrise out the window.

View of the sunrise on a Thai Airways A350
Watching the sunrise from TG465. Photo: Matt Graham.

The cabin crew on this flight were service-focused and utterly professional. Nothing was too much trouble and they did a great job.

Before landing, one of the senior crew members came around to personally thank each passenger in Business Class for flying THAI. And before I knew it, we were landing in Melbourne on a cold and foggy late November morning while pop music played throughout the cabin.

Approaching Melbourne Airport on a Thai Airways A350
Approaching Melbourne Airport on TG465. Photo: Matt Graham.
Thai Airways A350-900 Business Class
  • Airport Experience
  • Hard Product
  • Soft Product
4.5

Final thoughts

From the ground services at Bangkok Airport, to the comfortable seat and the delicious food, Thai Airways offers a solid experience in Business Class. I slept well on the Airbus A350, although taller people might find the bed a bit too short.

The crew were great and Thai Airways provided the usual amenities you’d expect in Business Class. I don’t think the airline is quite at the same level as the likes of Singapore Airlines or Qatar Airways, but it’s still a very good product. I wouldn’t hesitate to fly with THAI in the future, especially if I could get a good Business Class deal or found award availability again.

 

You can leave a comment on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum.

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
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Clearly superior to my recent experience on the TG475 BKK SYD on the 777. The food was vile, the IFE was clearly aimed at adolescent males, and the cabin crew were efficient, but far from friendly. No drinks trolley, no wine list, drinks only if you asked for them

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Good to see TG servicing MEL-BKK. If only they would release some award seats

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the IFE was clearly aimed at adolescent males,

Oh, so it only included new releases from Hollywood in the last couple of years? :p🤣

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Hmm. Looks like the catering hasn’t returned to pre-covid standards. Breakfasts into AU used to be a real treat, for example with yoghurt served in a tumbler glass topped by all sorts of goodies. Now just a plastic tub :(

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Did this same flight last Wednesday night in 15A. Agree with all in your review, Matt. Same blue Jim Thompson amenity kit, in flight menu and great service. I was really impressed, too. The seat was more spacious IMHO, than on the SQ regional A350. I had the the third breakfast menu option. A signature dish, noted on the menu. It was superb. After 7 weeks in the land of smiles, this flight and service was just the perfect ease out for memories, and back into Aus. My flight left from Gate D6 in BKK. So, after a tasty Tom Yum soup in the TG lounge, I decamped to the SQ lounge, in front of the D6 boarding gate. The SQ Lounge Angel advised me to stray a bit longer in the SQ lounge because of the queue for the extra liquid screening for the flight - which was sensible advice. Here's the wine list from 30Nov23 TG465 flight. The Piper wasn't served/available [Perhaps it is (re)served for/on TG466?]. The Pouilly Fume was brilliant with the Salmon dish, and I had the Vernous with desert and the cheese platter. The Laboure- Roi was not available, so I wonder if wine availabilities may be a function of outbound and inbound scheduling? No hesitation to fly TG into or, out of MEL again. I've booked back to BKK in mid Feb 24, so will be able to compare. Renewed thanks for the great review, Matt, Cheers, PJ.

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Thai Airways A350-900 Business Class Review is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

My wife and I travelled Thai Business from Melbourne to Munich return in A350-900s, in mid Sept/end October. The hard product was very good, as was the lounge in Bangkok. Meals were consistently mediocre. What leads me to a determination never to fly Thai again was the experience on the Munich to Frankfurt leg where I was bumped from my selected seat (selected on booking 5 months previously) in favour of an unaccompanied Thai businessman. From my selected mid cabin window seat I was pushed into the middle at the very back of the cabin.

The change to my assigned seat was made in the immediate days prior to the flight, as I had checked seat allocations just two days prior. I had made sure that I checked the seat allocations as there had been two separate attempts over the months to change seat allocations for the Bangkok to Meelbourne leg.

Over 40 years of flying I have never had this happen before, and I will not be giving Thai a chance to repeat the experience.

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Thanks for the review. I’m taking the midnight MEL-BKK service in March and haven’t flown J with them for many years so keen to read your review

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Flew with them a few days ago on the 0030 MEL-BKK service and was pretty impressed with them TBH. Been a fair while since I have flown long haul with TG but this was a far better flight than previous times.
Food was excellent and service outstanding by a very friendly crew. Managed several hours sleep in what is a much more comfortable seat than SQ’s A350. Mattress topper was comfortable and both pillow and quilt were soft and remarkably comfortable. Entertainment was fairly limited and unable to get WiFi connected but only a couple of small faults. Would definitely fly with them again and they had excellent award availability on Aeroplan at the time.

View image at the forums

View image at the forums

Had a great feed in the NZ lounge and was keen to get some sleep so just chose the Pork Belly mains and it was superb. Real tender pork belly with a great sauce. Offered 4 serves of garlic bread and had 2 pieces. Was soft, fluffy and tasted nice. Drink’s proactively offered

View image at the forums

About 2hrs prior to arriving in BKK breakfast was served. I chose the Hoisin Duck buns and wow, absolutely stunning restaurant quality. Buns were soft and fluffy and the dish was an explosion of taste. Massive tick for me. Fruit and yoghurt was run of the mill stuff but croissant was superb as I find many airlines serve up poor quality or poorly prepared croissants (I know it’s hard in the air)
Crew came around twice more with extra baked goods like rolls, danishes and other pastries but I was too full. Coffee was the percolated type but more than adequate.

View image at the forums

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Good to see TG servicing MEL-BKK. If only they would release some award seats

On life miles I can see 2x J awards on both MEL flights to BKK from 1/2/25 to 5/3.

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Took the Wed evening 08 MAR TG flight BKK MEL in J booked with LifeMiles. Full cabin in J. Good food, beverages and helpful attentive service, as previously in December 2023. LifeMiles offers this slightly better than does Aeroplan IMHO.

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