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SQ A330 to Bangkok, the W Hotel, and the New BKK SilverKris Lounge

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  • SQ A330 to Bangkok, the W Hotel, and the New BKK SilverKris Lounge

    “Where are you going?”, the man asked, as I jogged down the narrow lane between wooden homes towards the Chao Phraya River.

    The road ahead was a dead end. It was obvious, from the way the residents in the makeshift homes lining the lane looked at me, that few outsiders found themselves down this path, in a small riverside community on the banks of the Chao Phraya river, just a few kilometers south of central Bangkok.

    Google Maps on my cellphone had gotten me this far, but no further. I would have to rely on the locals for help.

    “I want to cross the river to the other side, is there a boat?”, I replied.

    “Yes, but not this way, you have to go that way…”

    He pointed back the way I came, and walked me up to a narrow alley which could not have been more than 1 meter wide, lined on both sides with makeshift homes, with open doorways and laundry hanging outside...

    “Go down this way to the river, then turn right…”

    I pressed on down the narrow alley, and emerged in a clearing where a small canal led to the riverbank, where a couple of kids were playing. I could see across the Chao Phraya river.

    On the opposite bank, the trees of Bang Krachao, a island in the middle of the Chao Phraya, also known as the “Green Lung” of Bangkok, across the waters of the river. It looked so close...but how would I get to the other side? There was a small jetty not far off, with a few boats moored to the pier, but this was a private pier, with no ferry service or water taxi’s in sight…

    I pressed on along the road just inland of the river bank, and entered into a large trailer parking lot with trucks and trailers. Several stray dogs began barking and approached fast...it seemed I was encroaching into their territory...

    I jogged quickly out of the trailer park and headed further east along the dirt road, and wondered where the road would lead.

    As I jogged along the dusty road, with the sun high overhead, it occurred to me that it was a long way back to the W Hotel on Sathorn Road, and I might have to rethink my route back to the hotel, in time to check out, then head to the airport for my flight home to Singapore. For perhaps the briefest instant, I felt something close to panic: was I lost?
    Last edited by yflyer; 13 July 2017, 11:16 AM.

  • #2
    But all that was far in the future (OK just two days in the future…)…when I arrived at Changi Airport T2 to head out for a short business trip to Bangkok.

    My airline of choice? SQ of course, in Economy there and back, with both outbound and return sectors operated by A330’s.

    And on my outbound sector, I would have a travel companion. By sheer coincidence, fellow SQTalker Kyo was on the same flight, flying to Bangkok in the J cabin. Brilliant! I would have company on this flight, even if his experience in the Business Class cabin would probably be a little different from mine...

    It was a cloudy afternoon when I arrived at Changi T2.





    Changi Airport is a bit of a construction site these days on account of the new structures being built in the T1 area, but thankfully the work in progress is largely happening outside the terminals.



    Kyo arrived at Changi wearing this T-shirt…



    “You do know we are on an Airbus today, right?”…I said with a grin…

    “I am going to shower in the lounge and change into something else”, Kyo replied.

    Oh well...I would have loved to see the cabin crews' (Or the pilots') faces, if Kyo had boarded wearing that!

    T2 was busy, but not overly so…



    Some new décor in the airside areas…



    We headed to the T2 SilverKris Lounge…



    To be continued…
    Last edited by yflyer; 13 July 2017, 11:18 AM.

    Comment


    • #3
      can't wait to see what happens after that cliffhanger....

      Comment


      • #4
        Wow! The TRs are next level now! Keep them coming please.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by banoffi View Post
          can't wait to see what happens after that cliffhanger....
          Well the fact that I am writing this up means that it couldn't have ended THAT badly...

          Originally posted by 9V-JKL View Post
          Wow! The TRs are next level now! Keep them coming please.
          Haha...just a regular business trip ...

          Comment


          • #6
            I hardly ever get to use the SQ SilverKris Lounge in T2. On this occasion, I was with Kyo and he was kind enough to guest me in...



            This is a lounge that hasn't yet undergone a revamp to SIA's new "Home Away from Home" lounge concept, which has been rolled out in Sydney, London, Hong Kong, Manila, and last month, Bangkok as well.

            The Changi T2 SilverKris Lounge has been around for quite a while, and seems to have been launched during a period of time when SQ picked their lounge locations with little consideration for decent views, not to mention a strange propensity for siting lounges in windowless, cave-like locations.

            Thankfully, that seems to have changed for the better in recent times, with the new BKK lounge in an excellent location, close to the gates, with windows all round.

            All that said, the Changi T2 lounge has still got quite an attractive ambience, with warm toned marble, plush carpeting and beautiful floral displays giving the lounge an air of sophisticated luxury.







            There is a Mac-equipped work area...



            There are bathroom facilities and several well equipped shower rooms available in the lounge...



            Kyo and I settled into seats in the dining area of the lounge for a drinks and snacks.



            One of the friendly lounge staff members brought over a couple of glasses of bubbly...



            A nice way to start the trip...

            Kyo pointed out to me that the SQ logo at the bottom of the stemless champagne flutes was visible as a reflection in the bubbly if the angle was just right...



            What kind of champagne was it? We didn't ask, but perhaps the jar of corks along the counter held a clue...

            Last edited by yflyer; 13 July 2017, 11:20 AM.

            Comment


            • #7
              Aside from champagne, which was available from the lounge staff upon request, there was a full self service bar with a decent liquor selection...



              ...and Tiger Beer on tap...



              Red and white wine was of course available, but the selection was fairly limited, with just 2 choices of red (A Medoc appellation Bordeaux, and a McLaren Vale Shiraz), and one white (NZ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc)...
              Last edited by yflyer; 6 July 2017, 12:40 AM.

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              • #8
                The hot and cold buffet selections were quite impressive, with quite a range of Asian and international dishes on offer.

                Salads...



                ...and a few Japanese style snacks, including Japanese vegetable maki and cold soba noodles...



                Indian style vegetarian fritters and pakoras...



                Red date and longan...



                ...and tropical fruit...



                There were also savoury hot pastries and a smallish cheese selection.
                Last edited by yflyer; 27 June 2017, 10:32 AM.

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                • #9
                  The range of hot selections was also very substantial...one could easily have a full, and very satisfying meal in the lounge...

                  Cream of cauliflower soup...



                  A scrumptuous looking Asian fish curry...



                  ...sweet and sour pork...



                  Thai-style spiced chicken drumlets...



                  Vegetable, mushroom and black fungus stir fry. One of many dishes suitable for vegetarians.



                  Mushroom and pea stir fry...



                  Nama udon noodles....



                  Eggplant and chickpea curry...



                  A full range of different chilli's as condiments, from mild green pickled chillies to tiny but fiery chilli padi (Eat those at your own risk...)...



                  Western selections included braised lamb and potatoes...



                  ...as well as ravioli...



                  Kids' selections were also available.



                  In all, a fairly impressive catering selection, although it would have been nice to see at least one local speciality, like laksa or mee siam, on the menu as well.
                  Last edited by yflyer; 27 June 2017, 01:59 PM.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    A nice selection of TWG tea...



                    ...as well as self serve coffee and hot chocolate...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Overall, this is a lounge which sets very high standards, although it is not as jaw-dropping as one would expect in SQ's home base in Changi.

                      I wonder what the future holds, as SQ progresses in its lounge revamp across different locations. Certainly the T2 lounge is due for an upgrade.

                      And what SQ has done in its newest outstation lounges, like BKK, covered later in this report, is a tantalizing glimpse of what may be in store for the next iteration of the T2 SilverKris Lounge.
                      Last edited by yflyer; 13 July 2017, 11:22 AM.

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                      • #12
                        We headed to our gate, F50, at the other end of T2...



                        9V-SSG taking us to Bangkok today...



                        Like all of SQ's A330's, this was a 2 class aircraft, with J and Y cabins.

                        The business class cabin had the regional J seats in 2-2-2 layout...



                        These are slanted lie-flat seats. Of course, on this 2 hour sector, I doubt any pax would mind that these were not the fully-flat variety.



                        As Kyo settled into his J seat, I stepped into the Y cabin into my seat in the front row of the Y cabin...



                        The Y seats are wide and comfortable, in 2-4-2 layout -- pretty much standard on the A330, and quite similar to the 2006 Y seats on the SQ A380 and 77W.

                        Of course mine was a bulkhead seat, which on the A330, has the widescreen IFE mounted onto the wall ahead, rather than in the armrest or seatback.



                        The row 31 bulkhead window seats are very desirable on the A330. You have two full windows to look out of, and there is enough space to head out to the aisle without your seatmate in the aisle seat having to get up.

                        2 Hours 15 Minutes to BKK today...

                        Last edited by yflyer; 27 June 2017, 02:01 PM.

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                        • #13
                          Hot towels handed out prior to pushback...



                          I browsed the Kris Shop magazine...some interesting new items on sale from this month, including these kebaya-clad Hello Kitty plush toys...



                          Pushback, once again with wing walkers carrying bright orange sticks...



                          Take-off towards the southwest on runway 20C, with nice views of the reclaimed land and new Tanah Merah Coast Road as we climbed out...





                          The port side RR Trent 700 engine about to ingest a large container ship...



                          And views of Singapore's northwestern region, including Punggol, Seletar, and Yishun Dam, as we climbed out.

                          Last edited by yflyer; 26 June 2017, 07:27 PM.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Great cabin ambience in the 8-abreast 2-4-2 Y cabin on the A330...spacious and airy. While many pax may prefer the 9-abreast Y cabin on SQ's newest A350's, the different isn't night and day, and SQ's A330 Y remains a very good product for the sectors it operates. Both A330 and A350 Y are of course far preferable to the 9-abreast cabins on the 787, or 10-abreast on the 777.



                            Very broad selection of entertainment options on the Krisworld AVOD IFE.





                            No wifi on any of SQ's A330's but you do have A/C power in every seat, as well as USB charging.

                            Last edited by yflyer; 27 June 2017, 02:06 PM.

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                            • #15
                              A full hot meal is served on the SIN-BKK sector.

                              No menu's were handed out, and I didn't see any laminated cards with photos of the 2 meal choices either.

                              Cabin crew asked each passenger whether they wanted pork with rice, or fish and pasta...

                              I opted for pork with rice...



                              The starter was a fairly generous portion of salad with a slice of salami-style meat...this tasted a little bland, but at least the vegetables were crisp.



                              The braised pork and fried rice was quite tasty and satisfying...



                              Pandan cake for dessert...



                              A decent meal, which I finished despite having just eaten in the SilverKris lounge an hour before...

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