Bob Chittie Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 As a matter of interest: When Thai Airways hires its flight attendants, they usually get about 5000 hopeful girls coming in from all over the country. They all believe they have a chance. In reality, only the girls who are able to pay very large bribes or who are very well connected will get the jobs. If you have ever wondered why TG flight attendants seem to pay little attention to those in economy and especially to those who god forbid, don't have white skin, it is because the vast majority are 'hi-so' girls who's only interest in becoming a flight attendant is being able to travel. They belong back in Bangkok spending their Daddy's money, not working in a position which requires substantial ability, patience and politeness. Yes, I realize this is Thailand. This is the way things work. But in my opinion if TG insists on this policy of 'big connections and big money equals a job' then they should never even hold open interviews. They should spread the word among the hi-so circles in Bangkok and no regular girls need to waste their time and money applying. I know I am not the only one who is bothered by this. i have a number of Thai friends who won't fly TG anymore because they feel that they are almost discriminated against by their hi-so counterparts who are only interested in giving service to farang. For myself, personally, I will not fly TG again either. I would prefer to fly with an airline who hires based on merit and talent rather than last name. And yes I think these airlines exist, especially the American and European carriers. My 2 cents for today... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson steer Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Well said. Thai Airways are one of the worst airlines as regards service. The flight attendants are rude, ignorant, stuck-up, snivelling, unpleasant, unhelpful, clueless and sneering, and that's just the good ones! Never fly Thai, ever, even if you have to pay more. Word of warning; Always check code share flights, some good airlines codeshare with Thai. For example once I flew Bangkok-Dubai-London and the Dubai-London leg was Thai, I did my nut! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwildgrube Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I'm sorry that you folks seem to have had problems with your flights on Thai airways, but I have flown with them to Vietnam and around the area and have had nothing but good experiences. I've found the attendants, both women AND men, to be sweet and helpful not only to me (a farang) but to others as well. I'm looking forward to my next flight with Thai Airways and that's my 2 cents as for wilson steer -- you seem like the kind of guy that I inevitablely end up have to sit next to on a flight -- always expecting Concorde service when paying the super saver coach fare --- that's the kind of attitude that makes a flight miserable for me, all those around you and *gasp* even the flight attendants Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_Pat_Pong Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Get balanced, put chips on the other shoulders. So Thailand is not your cup of tea....the remedy is readily available, why not take it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rakthai Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I've never had a problem with Thai air. They are all polite and prefessional. Some of you should try British Airways.... now there's a thought ( 48 hrs of delay due to spoilt staff complaining about being "clocked in" when they arrive for work !!!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Chittie Posted August 6, 2003 Author Share Posted August 6, 2003 Get balanced, put chips on the other shoulders. So Thailand is not your cup of tea....the remedy is readily available, why not take it ? Don't you think that's a bit extreme? I readily acknowledge that that is the way things work here. That doesn't mean I must immediatley flee the country. It does mean that I will not fly Thai. Furthermore, I'm quite interested to hear the readily available remedy you suggest for the well qualified Thais who can not get a job they deserve because their Father is not golfing with the right people. A job that inevitably ends up with a snotty brat who has no interest in the service industry and in many cases has not even passed the second round of a 3 or 4 round interview process. I await your reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Chittie Posted August 6, 2003 Author Share Posted August 6, 2003 For anyone posting here with an opinion as to TG's service, please tell us if you are white, a non white foreigner or a Thai and whether you fly economy or not. The chief complaint against TG is that the service and attitude given to Thais and dark skinned foreigners is far different than the service they give to white people. (I am white) Many of my thai friends agree and will not fly Thai because of this. The reason for this problem is that they hire girls who get their by paying bribes or using connections almost exclusively. This personally bothers me as I have a number of well qualified friends who can not get jobs they deserve do to this fact. It saddens me to see them spending large amounts of money to go to Bangkok and apply when nearly all TG flight attendants attain their position through 'sen yay'. For those who are not bothered by this hiring practice, at least this might to explain any lack of service you may have experiences while flying TG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chonabot Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I'm using Thai on Friday , haven't had probs before , flown over 40 times to Bkk, Worst Airlines = Aeroflot ( get what you pay for ) BA ( Stuck up ) Phillipine Airlines ( kin rude ) ps It helps that I'm wealthy, speak perfect Thai and look like Brad Pitt....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Chittie Posted August 6, 2003 Author Share Posted August 6, 2003 ps It helps that I'm wealthy, speak perfect Thai and look like Brad Pitt....... That will help you anywhere in the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markt Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Bob, my wife, who is from Korart and has quite dark skin, did not enjoy flying THAI. She said that she felt that the female attendants were ignoring her, although she praised the male attendants. It's just a class thing i suppose. After all, if the female attendants are indeed from poo dee families, then what must they think when they see dark skined Isarn girls married with farangs? And living abroad too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Chittie Posted August 6, 2003 Author Share Posted August 6, 2003 Bob, my wife, who is from Korart and has quite dark skin, did not enjoy flying THAI. She said that she felt that the female attendants were ignoring her, although she praised the male attendants.It's just a class thing i suppose. After all, if the female attendants are indeed from poo dee families, then what must they think when they see dark skined Isarn girls married with farangs? And living abroad too! Hi Mark, You've said it exactly. The TG flight attendants simply look down on those from other classes or those who are not white skinned. They do this because they are spoiled and don't deserve the job in the first place. I believe that there will be far more thais who agree with what I have written than farangs because most farangs get treated great. I know I've never had a problem. BUT, I think their hiring practices are simply corrupt and wrong and i do feel sorry for those people I know who are led to believe that they have a chance at becoming a flight attendant with TG. If they put a disclaimer in their ad in the BKK post 'NO CONNECTIONS-NEED NOT APPLY' atleast these girls wouldn't spend three months wages to travel to Bangkok and go through the process, only to see some girl who didn't make it past stage one, get the job. I don't pretend I can change anything, only share this information and when at all possible not support Thai Airways myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnustedt Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I (a Brit) and my wife (Isaan Thai) fly very frequently. My wife loves Thai Air, never had a problem. Mind you, she can insist on good service! It's fine by me also, my favourite airline is Singapore tho'. I recall that Thai didn't fair too badly in George's poll on airlines recently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flackjacket Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Sorry but all the flights I have had with Thai Inter have been good experiences but then i am a white foreigner!! In the past, flying Muscat-Karachi-BKK many times, I had great sympathy for the Thai staff dealing with the rude unwashed hordes that got on in Pakistan, who object to taking instructions from a mere female. My trips to UK have always been good and my wife (light brown Thai) has to my knowledge always been treated well. If you are not happy, DONT fly Thai, try BA, Contintntal, Kuwait, Air India, P.A.F, its horses for courses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Chittie Posted August 6, 2003 Author Share Posted August 6, 2003 yes, of course, if you're not happy with TG then choose another airline. I suppose for me it is a bit more of a personal issue since I have so many friends spending money on going to Bangkok to apply for jobs they deserve, but won't get do to TG's hiring policies. And TG will never come out and tell the 4000 girls without connections that they never should have come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson steer Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Bob, I am a white British male living in Thailand, my partner of two years in a dark skinned Isaan lady. jwildgrube; I fly approximately 30-40 times a year, internationally, and have travelled in every class; business when the company pays, economy when I pay. I have flown concorde three times. You appear to be satisfied with Thai Airways on short-haul trips around S.E.Asia. This is normal. The cabin crew push a trolley, smile, serve a quick meal, a few drinks, then Bingo! you arrive. The staff are happy, it's short haul, you don't beckon them by bell for an additional drink, the lights are on, it is short haul. Believe me when you are long haul on a Thai flight it is different. As I said before the service is grade Z. I would rather swim than go Thai Airways! Dr Pat Pong, I do not understand the chips on shoulder thing, I have no argument with Thailand the country, because I live here and moan a bit, but love it as well. Bob, yes, the selection of cabin crew is bent, but I doubt that will change in the future. Passengers will vote with their feet and opt with learned wisdom that long haul flights are more agreeable with other airlines. I favour Emirates, KLM and Qatar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stopper Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I find the TG staff very polite and friendly. I am a farang who flys often from USA to Thailand. I have been on almost of all of the major carriers flying into Bkk and TG staff are by far the most polite (Thai style). Try the old veteran flight staff on Northwest! Wow, they are so high on the seniority pay scale and burnt out from years and years of Transpacific flights, they don't care to smile anymore. At least the "hi so" staff will smile sometimes. But I don't like to fly TG. Not because of the staff, but because of the uncomfortable seats. I think they use seats from the 1970's. TG seating is the most uncomfortable of any of major carriers. Definitely an "F" grade. So in the end, I will talk with the flight staff about 45 seconds on a transpacific flight but I will sit in that seat for 19 hours. I will choose the modern seats of United or American, and some JAL flights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolf5370 Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I find most Oriental Asian airlines have very polite staff. I have flown Thai, Guaruda and EVA to Thailand. Have flown the latter two in First mostly (so expect the service), but due to kids, now fly Economy. Thai Airways are just as polite. Middle-Eastern (Arab) airlines also have great staff - Gulf etc. Have flown many times; stop over usually pees me off though. European airlines are the absolute worst. The staff are always snotty, miserable and short (not in stature!). Even in first class! BA/Quantas especially - they also have managed to loose or break somethibng everytime I've flown with them! Sure, connections get the jobs. Try and find any job in Thailand that this is not the case - Monk perhaps. Sorry, but TiT. The rich are probably better educated too (or at least attended better/famous Unis), so their CVs will look better. The Thai upbringing and culture seems to limit the brattish behavior we find rich kids tend towards in the west - in my experience at least. In fact most of the people (Thai's) I know that I would call rude are all of the lower classes - except one, and that's a guy! My wife has never had a problem - even when flying alone. Although she is middle-class and very light-skinned (Chinese tint). TG chairs are fine by me, but then I'm a short arse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D80 Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Personally, Thai airway is the airline that I have the least problem with. I've flown with EVA, garuda, Swiss Air, Aeroflot, BA, American Airline etc etc but I found, in my experience, the staff on Thai airway are the nicest bunch. I had a problem with them once or twice but then again there are poor employees everywhere in every industries. Most of the time (99%of the time) they treat me exceptionally well. I also have a few friends and family members working for Thai airways. Most of them as stewardess. I agree that there are corruptions there. However there are also people who got there by their own merit. My best mate got in a while ago. She speaks 3 languages (English, French, Chinese-all fluently), got a degree in IR, is very beautiful and got lovely personalities. She didn't have to pay anyone to get in. Some of you using Thai airways might have met seen her already! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_Pat_Pong Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 You have had your say Bob. I disagree totally. I am not privy to Thai's employment policies so comment by me would be pure speculation ( like your opinion ). A lengthy thread leading nowhere is not a lot of use. I confess to having a gutful of malcontent farangs and anti Thai sentiments; hence my suggestion that the disgruntled head for other horizons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRIPxCORE Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 My best mate got in a while ago. She speaks 3 languages (English, French, Chinese-all fluently), got a degree in IR, is very beautiful and got lovely personalities. She didn't have to pay anyone to get in. Some of you using Thai airways might have met seen her already! Well I haven't met her and probably no one else has either but now that you have talked about her so favorably, and described her as so wonderful, I am sure some of the guys here would love to meet her. :-))))))))) She sounds really great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCustom69 Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 D80 -- Your friend sounds great! Does she do the international flights? :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Chittie Posted August 7, 2003 Author Share Posted August 7, 2003 You have had your say Bob. I disagree totally. I am not privy to Thai's employment policies so comment by me would be pure speculation ( like your opinion ). A lengthy thread leading nowhere is not a lot of use. I confess to having a gutful of malcontent farangs and anti Thai sentiments; hence my suggestion that the disgruntled head for other horizons. Dr, You're an interesting guy. First, because I am unhappy with TG's service in general, you suggest that I leave the country. Second, because I am saddened to see the level of corruption as far as the hiring process, you automatically assume that this is based on pure specualtion, which I assure you it is not. It is based on numerous first hand stories from Thai friends, many of whom went through the hiring process and eventually found jobs with JAL, Emirates and others. It is based on first hand knowledge of flight attendants currently in training with TG who didn't even pass the second round of interviews, but who had boyfriend's and Daddy's call the right people, taking jobs away from the well deserved candidates who passed the interviews legitamtely. And yes I will concede that it is not only those who bribe and use their connections that get the jobs, but based on my forst hand knowledge, it is the vast majority. And yes I agree that airlines like Northwest, BA and United are terrible service wise. My point again is simply that I am saddened to see many well deserved candidates being turned down while many undesrving applicants get the jobs. This does not mean that suddenly I will leave Thaialnd. Believe me, I enjoy life here much more so than in the US. It does mean that I will at least call attention to this fact and avoid flying Thai myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Hmm. A lot of angst seems to be bottled up in some of these posts. If the concern really is that some people are suffering by being overlooked even though they are deserving then the topic should probably be a lot broader than TG and probably a lot broader than Thailand . On the TG side, I travel extensively globally - sufficient that I hold a gold card with them. The quality of every airline depends on the particular cabin crew and if you are looking for bad service you certainly dont have to get out of the USA. I fly TG a lot from Australia to BKK in both economy and business class. I would rate the cabin service as airline average - so that puts it in the same class as most. I would rate the airline service as a whole as airline average plus. Don't forget that it is not just what happens on the plane that counts (although it is important). Ease of booking changes, support at check-in, availability of seats, willingness to honour frequent flyer points when it suits you, reliability of schedules, availability of services and so on. I will continue to travel TG. Now lets start rating airlines - the best cabin service I have found is Lauda. The worst is United. These are consistent ratings, not just one-off experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRIPxCORE Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 When we fly, seat comfort, customer service, flight attendants, etc etc are secondary concerns to the most important thing and that is safety. Passenger service might leave a lot to be desired, but when I fly I make an effort to go on United simply for their safety record and the excellent maitenence that is done on their aircraft. They have better than average seats too. Singapore Airlines is also good but not sure about how well their planes are maintained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Don't wish to seem disagreeable but my last intercontinental flight on United in business class had a seat with cushions that had collapsed putting the bones of my backside on hard steel. Not terribly comfortable... I do agree re maintenance, etc. There are some national carriers that are renowned for a lack of that. I also watch out for those with financial problems as maintenance is a nice area to make large, quick savings... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlfisher Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 I confess to having a gutful of malcontent farangs and anti Thai sentiments Hey Doc, All I have to say is HERE, HERE. I'm with you, at least as far as all the malcontent farang stuff. Bob, not a remark aimed at you by the way. Been cruising this and tithailand board and have no clue why a lot of these guys are here. BTW Bob, the people I'm referring to are complaining far more than you and very often. Think I'll start a new thread :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exchange1973 Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Hi there, related to ThaiAirways: My wife (not dark and not white, something in the middle ;-) ) and I (whiteskinned ;-) farang) flew several times with ThaiAirways (econonmy). But I have to say that the service was really great. Doesn't matter if the flight attendant was female or male. Also when my wife flew alone she felt very comfortable. No discrimination or somewhat in that kind. Did you ever flew with a german airline. If so, you know about bad service, arrogance and so on. So in future we will fly thai ;-) The one thing i should mention: special thai-citizen-offers make me really feel pissed on. One time, when I have to pay (only some baht) more than my wife, it ended up with a loud discussion in a thaiairways-office in UdonThani. But hey, I got the thai-citizen-price. That's the one negative experience with thaiairways, but its not related to flight attendants :-) related to "being well connected": I think this is not a typical problem in LOS. Look around allover the world. If you are good connected, if you know someone who knows someone, you will probably get the job, right? And take a close look at relationships between companies or between private persons and companies: a little bribe here and a little bribe (ehm... I mean present there) ... that's the way it works allover the world! GTX exchange1973 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevinnow Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Next time you fly TG check how many Cabin crew are wearing Rolex watch's (and not the type from Patong market) and I think I would agree with Bob that they are from very priviliaged back grounds, sure as h*ll the wage dosn't stretch to afford one. As for service I usually stand at the back of the aircraft near the galley and just help my self when I want a cold beer, never get any complaints from the cabin crew doing that, maybe some of want to try my self-service idea. Regards Sev :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chonabot Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Chaps , I wil be using them in 24 hours ( LHR- BKK) and will check the attitude/rolex count/babe meter etc , will post my results here.....or mabe I'll just follow Sev's route and cane it until everyone seems nice...hic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Chittie Posted August 7, 2003 Author Share Posted August 7, 2003 Thanks everyone for the varying replys and calling to my attention that corruption is more or less a worldwide activity. In this case, perhaps it just hit a little close to home with so many Thai friends being left very dissapointed by TG. I do agree with the Doctor and others in so far as if you really can't stand Thailand and aren't being held here against your will, then you're better off leaving than complaining. But I don't think there is anything wrong with calling attention to specific matters that could be improved, especially when it involves the welfare of the average Thai. (Remember, I'm not complaining about anything that has affected me directly apart from seeing the impact it has on hopeful and qualified Thais) And i like this Rolex count idea. All those flying TG, why not post your observations when you have a chance. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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