3:30 pm Chiang Rai, Thailand (CEI) to Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)
Thai Airways Flight 135 Business Class Seat Assignment at Check-in
Duration: 1h 15m Airbus A300-600R 414 miles traveled

We left the hotel a little bit after 2pm for our 3:30pm flight and even that was more than plenty early. We were at the airport in about 10 minutes, checked in within two minutes of our arrival (after running our bags through security screening at the entrance) and there was no line whatever for security screening before the gate area.

There’s a Thai Airways lounge at the airport, but it’s not much better than waiting outside in the terminal. A woman checks eligibility for entry into the lounge, but there’s a sign on her desk that says “Self Service.” Although there’s not much service you can provide yourself! That bathroom is clean, there are some very modest snacks and beverages, and an ancient TV and some newspapers. The lounge is tiny although a mirrored wall gives it a slightly larger feel. No wireless internet, there was a single mid-90s computer available for use.

The airport isn’t well trafficked, our flight was mostly full in back, and about 1/3rd full in business class. By the time boarding was announced the lounge had become really packed, I’d hate to be in the lounge with a full business class. (Many of the lounge guests were elites rather than flying up front.)

The gate area was nearly deserted when we walked into the lounge, though it did fill up somewhat with our flight’s passengers.

Next to the gate itself is a comfortable seating area with a sign that it’s reserved for Buddhist monks.

Another A-Bloody-6 for our aircraft, but that’s preferable to the 737s that run the other couple of flights on the route. This time it was an aircraft with the foot rests protruding from the back of the seat in front of us instead of attached to the bottom of each person’s own seat.

A snack was served, it was a fruit gelatin cup of some kind and some of the fruit seemed rotten, I didn’t eat but a couple of bites.

A short hour passed and we arrived at Suvarnabhumi. We had a gate this time, no apron position, so we were off the flight quickly. Unfortunately the wait at baggage claim seemed interminable.

Once we had our bags we headed out towards the airport Novotel.