Bangkok Reopens (Did it Ever Close?): SIN-BKK-SIN on TG A350/787 Y

[yflyer]

Overall I would say the Dnata T1 lounge was a decent lounge, rather than a great one.



Perfectly good for a pit stop for food/drink and a shower before a flight. It wasn't crowded, which was an important consideration.

I left the lounge and headed to my gate...

[yflyer]

There were shower rooms...



...with ensuite WC -- always a good thing.

[yflyer]

There was a self service bar, and a buffet spread comprising hot and cold selections.



Two red wines...



..and two whites...



Beer, soft drinks/mixers and fruit juice...



Coffee/tea...



Overall, an average selection as far as bar and beverages were concerned, the bare minimum for a J lounge in an Asian airport I think.

On to the food...



Fruit salad...



I was there in the late morning, so the breakfast selections were still out: mushrooms, scrambled eggs and pancakes...



...as well as rice and congee...



There was also teriyaki chicken, radish cake, and chicken frankfurters...




It looked like they were changing over to the lunch spread when I arrived, so some of the dishes above might have been part of the lunch menu (The teriyaki chicken maybe?)...as well as pasta.



I thought the food selection was decent, although the presentation was quite average. Again, about the bare minimum I would expect from a J lounge in Asia.

[yflyer]

I headed to the Dnata Lounge, which was the designated lounge for TG.



This was a long, spacious lounge...



With comfortable seating...



...and a dedicated dining area.



There were high counters/bar stools for work / dining, and these had A/C and USB power.

[yflyer]

My trip began on a sunny day in November...



TG departs from Changi T1...



TG counters were not busy at 10.20am...



Flight schedules that day...



The beautiful Kinetic Rain sculpture was still there...



Lots to do in the airside area -- shops and restaurants were open...

[yflyer]

I headed to Bangkok in November 2022, just as the world was returning to normal after the pandemic. I was there for a business conference -- just one of many that were now taking place all over the world. This would be my first trip to Thailand since the start of the pandemic. How had the city changed? Would I find a deserted city centre like I did in San Francisco? Or would it be still recognizable as its old self, the way Barcelona was when I was there earlier in the year.

The title of this TR might have given it away. Bangkok was bustling. It was as if Covid never happened. The crowds, the heavy traffic...it was all the same, as far as I could tell. More folks were wearing masks, but the irony is that mask mandates weren't really in force. Folks there were just masked up on their own accord. I spent a few days there soaking in the atmosphere and attending a packed business conference.

I flew there and back on TG in Economy. I would have flown SQ like I usually do, but SQ fares were just so much higher than TG fares I decided to save a few bucks (for my employer) and fly TG instead. While there, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Erawan. Not only was it one of my favourite hotels in Thailand, it was also walking distance to my conference venue -- perfect.

I didn't manage to head out for a run while I was there -- my schedule was just too tight, but I did eat some interesting things (Is there anything not interesting to eat in Thailand?)

It was interesting to fly Thai again after a long time. My impressions of their inflight product on both the A350 / B787 later in this TR. Prior to my return, at BKK, I checked out both the TG Royal Orchid Lounge and SQ's SilverKris Lounge.

All that coming up shortly!