Thai Airways, Worst Airline In Thailand

[PostmanPat]

Slipshod, arrogant, lazy and incompetent. All words I would use to describe my dealings with this terrible airline in the last 24 hours.

son was visiting me in Chiang Mai, he had an Emirates flight linking with his Thai Air CM to Bangkok. The check in refused to check him through to UK because she said she couldnt find the ticket number on his eticket issued in UK. She was also rude and arrogant. My son said, OK, if thats your attitude I ll pick up my bag at BKK and recheck in there with Emirates.

Today I follow him back to visit UK. As instructed on my ticket I arrive two hours before my flight only to find all International Thai Air desks closed, and no staff in sight. After being instructed, by them, to be here two hours before, their staff turn up 45 minute later to find a long queue of patient travellers, all of whom have been waiting since two hours as instructed!

Then I check in. I had pre booked an aisle seat online as I am very tall. When she printed my boarding pass, out pops a completely different seat next to a window! My very polite request for an aisle seat, indeed the one I had booked was met with a sullen look, and an attitude that suggested I was disturbing her!

Thailands premier airline? What a joke. If I can avoid, will try never to travel with Thai Airways ever again.

[neverdie]

If you think Thai are bad, try Qantas.....they're really hopeless and I'd rather deal with Thai any day of the week.

Both airlines deserve to goto the wall & probably will in the future.

[tartempion]

I like the publicity underneath the topic:

Thai Airways Tickets

Get the cheapest flights Deals! Find & Compare Prices on Flights.

And my next flight out to the world will be on Bangkok Air to Swampy and Qatar to Europe, both come cheaper: 1290THB for Bangkok A and 87K for Qatar biz as compared to 130K on Thai...

[mrtoad]

THAI are IMO absolutely useless, however on some domestic flights and destinations it's the only option. I have avoided using THAI as much as possible over the last few years; one biz flight to London, one to Manila and one to Singapore. Those flights were not first choice, but worked on availability and times. I haven't been impressed at all. The standard of service is generally poor, although biz class is OK, it is nothing as good as some of the other airlines when compared. Thie pricing is ludicrous for what they offer, premium prices for a standard service.

Years of greed, incompetence and corruption have taken their toll, if they didn't have government backing they would have gone to the wall.

[JoePai]

Flew to Paris with them a couple of months ago and they were as good as any airline - including the Arab offerings

[mrtoad]

And see all the freeloaders up front

[Briggsy]

You need to understand what the driver for the existence of Thai Airlines has become and what enables it to survive.

It has been a gravy train for RTAF families, politicians and high-ranking civil servants for many years. It is a cancerous tumour feeding off the Thai taxpayer. Yet despite the huge bleed of cash over a long time, business continues as normal because the people benefitting from it are too powerful a constituency to upset.

[martin81]

Well they are lousy on domestic and shorter Asian routes now.

But in tourist class DK to TH they have new aircraft b777 now and offer an ok standard service. And they have lowered prices too compared to a few years ago.

A return fare in the range 24000 to 35000 Baht is common now. Of course Emirates and Qatar is normally a bit cheaper and a have little better service but they do not fly directly to Thailand from Europe.

[khrab]

@OP

Then I check in. I had pre booked an aisle seat online as I am very tall. When she printed my boarding pass, out pops a completely different seat next to a window! My very polite request for an aisle seat, indeed the one I had booked was met with a sullen look, and an attitude that suggested I was disturbing her!

You cannot pre-asign seats on TG domestic flights

[Mason45]

Over the past 15 years since I married my Thai wife I use the budget airlines, I get what I expect " nothing." It appears that the more expensive airlines give virtually nothing at highly inflated prices. I've never had a problem as I go with the flow.

[paz]

I used budget airlines often and more than often got serviced nicely and with a smile.

[wooloomooloo]

I like AirAsia Thailand. I can book premium seats in row 1 for my long legs and none too expensive.

[mogandave]

I fly Thai six times a year Bangkok to Delhi and I think it's okay.

While it is not the greatest, I have certainly had worse service.

Incidentally, I'm not clear how an aisle seat more leg room, I generally find the opposite true, particularly if the aircraft is equipped with individual entertainment.

It has also been my experience that nice people are generally treated nicely.

Just sayin'

[yermanee]

I fly Thai six times a year Bangkok to Delhi and I think it's okay.

While it is not the greatest, I have certainly had worse service.

Incidentally, I'm not clear how an aisle seat more leg room, I generally find the opposite true, particularly if the aircraft is equipped with individual entertainment.

It has also been my experience that nice people are generally treated nicely.

Just sayin'

On top of that all OP's gripes are with the airport staff and NOT Thai Airways.

Airport staff work for the airport authorities and not the airlines.

Yermanee

[WhizBang]

You and me both. NEVER EVER Thai Air.

[WhizBang]

I fly Thai six times a year Bangkok to Delhi and I think it's okay.

While it is not the greatest, I have certainly had worse service.

Incidentally, I'm not clear how an aisle seat more leg room, I generally find the opposite true, particularly if the aircraft is equipped with individual entertainment.

It has also been my experience that nice people are generally treated nicely.

Just sayin'

On top of that all OP's gripes are with the airport staff and NOT Thai Airways.

Airport staff work for the airport authorities and not the airlines.

Yermanee

Who cares. SAME SAME

[Chivas]

I fly Thai six times a year Bangkok to Delhi and I think it's okay.

While it is not the greatest, I have certainly had worse service.

Incidentally, I'm not clear how an aisle seat more leg room, I generally find the opposite true, particularly if the aircraft is equipped with individual entertainment.

It has also been my experience that nice people are generally treated nicely.

Just sayin'

Aisle seats wont have additional pitch but always are better for taller individuals who can on occasion move sideways into the aisle itself.

[Chivas]

Am looking at options to fly now at £450 for ME carriers or £710 for Thai. Who would you choose !

[watcharacters]

I fly Thai six times a year Bangkok to Delhi and I think it's okay.

While it is not the greatest, I have certainly had worse service.

Incidentally, I'm not clear how an aisle seat more leg room, I generally find the opposite true, particularly if the aircraft is equipped with individual entertainment.

It has also been my experience that nice people are generally treated nicely.

Just sayin'

On top of that all OP's gripes are with the airport staff and NOT Thai Airways.

Airport staff work for the airport authorities and not the airlines.

Yermanee

Are you stating the staff at the airlines ticket counters work for the airport and not the individual airline carriers?

[jonnyramone]

What Postman Pat says is true. Thai airways was good 30 / 20 years ago, now it's a disaster. One of the most expensive airline with the worst service . My last flight with Thai dates back to 6 years ago, nevermore.

[Robert24]

as far as I know, the check in staff work for the airline, at least they wear the airlines's uniform, i.e. Nokair uniform, Air Asia uniform, Thai uniform etc.

but agree with the Op. Service from Thai has deteriorated a lot over the last years and looks like their employees seem to be unhappy with their job, at least that's the feeling I get when I fly Thai. I usually fly now with the Middle Eastern airlines like Emirates, Ethihad, Qatar, they provide great service, have a modern fleet and offer lower prices than Thai and others both in Economy and business class. For Asian destinations, I like Cathay, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air.

[JLCrab]

I fly Thai six times a year Bangkok to Delhi and I think it's okay.

While it is not the greatest, I have certainly had worse service.

Incidentally, I'm not clear how an aisle seat more leg room, I generally find the opposite true, particularly if the aircraft is equipped with individual entertainment.

It has also been my experience that nice people are generally treated nicely.

Just sayin'

Aisle seats wont have additional pitch but always are better for taller individuals who can on occasion move sideways into the aisle itself.

... and trip their fellow passengers as they walk by them in the dark.

[LawrenceChee]

Thai airways is overrated and just a horrible airline in general

The snacks they serve on the domestic routes is rubbish and unfortunately due to patriotic pride and a general lack of international travel for most Thais ...they generally believe the marketing efforts that it is one of the best in the world

For the savvy ...domestic routes are best served by Nok, AA and followed by the new entrants Lion ....all offer great service from chiang Mai to bangkok with no dramas

For a premium experience bangkok airways is always a plus

Edited November 21, 2014 by LawrenceChee

[sustento]

If you're flying Emirates out of BKK then Bangkok Airlines in CNX will not only check your bags all the way through to your destination but they'll also issue boarding passes all the way through too.

[tw25rw]

I've generally found them ok except for one guy who answered the ROP phone number in London and told lies.

But they are insanely overpriced on the LHR-BKK route, especially in their premium classes.

As for keeping you waiting in the queue, I wouldn't be surprised if they were late seeing off the previous flight having checked the boarding passes at the departure lounge. They seem to do that there.

[Chivas]

I fly Thai six times a year Bangkok to Delhi and I think it's okay.

While it is not the greatest, I have certainly had worse service.

Incidentally, I'm not clear how an aisle seat more leg room, I generally find the opposite true, particularly if the aircraft is equipped with individual entertainment.

It has also been my experience that nice people are generally treated nicely.

Just sayin'

Aisle seats wont have additional pitch but always are better for taller individuals who can on occasion move sideways into the aisle itself.

... and trip their fellow passengers as they walk by them in the dark.

No thats only the bald headed coots with sunglasses balanced on top of their noggins trying to look cool and failing dismally...

[smokie36]

Even in biz class Thai are hopeless....food crap and tiny tv screens...but worse miniscule wine glasses...bleep bleep bleep bleep bring more which to be fair they did.

Hopeless overall though and charge top whack.

Once and never again I'm afraid.

[smokie36]

Oh and the seats are 90's style cradle....hahahaha

[HaruHaru]

Thai is the cheapest airlines if you don't mind flying out of Seoul to LAX, They fly non stop, too.

[SheungWan]

Thai is the cheapest airlines if you don't mind flying out of Seoul to LAX, They fly non stop, too.

I don't know about that particular leg, but on the BKK-LHR route THAI has been hopeless for many years now on their pricing. You could form a club of ex gold and silver card members who have dumped THAI during the last decade due to disastrous pricing strategy compared to competitors.

Edited November 21, 2014 by SheungWan