Review: Thai Airways Business Class (A350)

Following our stay in Bali, my brother and I continued on to Bangkok as part of our trip through Southeast Asia. Our flight was on one of Thai Airways’ Airbus A350, which offers the airline’s flagship business class product.

Thai Airways has been struggling with significant financial challenges for over a decade, suffering record losses for more than 10 consecutive years. The airline is only now beginning to recover from the prolonged impacts of its years-long bankruptcy proceedings and the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

This has had an effect on much of the overall flight experience. Although the airline operates the modern and passenger-friendly Airbus A350, the cabin and seats feel not only outdated but also poorly maintained, with clear signs of neglect in their upkeep.

Let’s take a look at the current state of Thai Airways and what you can expect when flying in business class on the A350.

Booking Thai Airways Business Class

Business ClassAircraftRouteFlight Duration
TG 432Airbus A350-900Denpasar to Bangkok4 Hours

I booked this flight as part of a larger trip through Southeast Asia that included several legs. The Air Canada Aeroplan program offers a particularly valuable sweet spot in the Pacific region, allowing members to book one or multiple flights covering up to 5,000 miles in business class for just 45,000 Aeroplan points.

Booking this flight as an individual segment will cost 30,000 Aeroplan points, as it falls within the 1,001 – 2,000-mile distance band on the “Within Pacific Zone” of the Aeroplan award chart. However, by moving up to the next distance band, which covers 2,001 – 5,000 miles, you can travel an extra 3,000 miles in business class for just 15,000 additional Aeroplan points.

air canada aeroplan within pacific zone award chart

The “Within Pacific Zone” section of the Aeroplan award chart offers some of the best value for redeeming Thai Airways business class, as the airline does not serve any North American city. However, Thai Airways boasts an extensive network across Southeast Asia, Europe, and Australia from its Bangkok hub. 

Canadians have plenty of ways to earn Aeroplan points for flights like this, particularly through the welcome bonuses offered on various co-branded Aeroplan credit cards. Additionally, American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio.

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Cabin Arrangement

Thai Airways operates four different cabin configurations across its fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft. Three of these variants feature a 1–2–1 business class layout, while one is equipped with a dense 2–2–2 seating configuration. We flew on the most common business class layout within the fleet, which is branded as “Thai Airways Royal Silk business class”.

The aircraft we were on has 32 business class seats spread across eight rows. Each seat has direct aisle access.

thai airways airbus a350-900 business class seat map

In this layout, each row alternates between the seat being positioned closer to the aisle or positioned further from the aisle. For those traveling with a companion, the seats positioned closer together (E and F) in the middle of the Royal Silk cabin are ideal. These offer a closer seating arrangement with your partner and provide more distance from the activity in the aisle.

Thai Airways business class cabin.

Solo travelers may prefer selecting one of the window seats located farther from the aisle (A and K). These seats are positioned directly against the window, offering extra privacy and distance from the aisle.

Seat

Upon first glance, and from a distance, the seat and cabin appear quite impressive. I appreciate the bright, spacious interior and the distinctly Thai design elements and colors, such as the bold floral print adorning the cabin bulkhead. However, once I settled into the seat, a different story began to unfold.

As soon as I sat down, I immediately recognized this seat—it’s the exact same business class seat used by Asiana Airlines on its A350 aircraft, which I recently flew on from Seoul-Incheon to Seattle. At the time, I was quite critical of Asiana and its outdated seats, and most of the same issues I raised back then also apply to Thai Airways. 

The seat is severely lacking in terms of privacy, storage, and technology by today’s standards. While I wouldn’t go as far to call it a bad business class seat, it’s undeniably outdated and well past its prime. 

Thai Airways business class seats side by side.

I must commend Thai Airways for choosing a more visually appealing color scheme compared to Asiana. The cabin is predominantly highlighted in a rich, regal shade of purple, perfectly complementing the “Royal Silk” theme. 

These seats also exhibited noticeable wear and tear, which is understandable considering the extensive use these aircraft have seen, with most of Thai’s A350 fleet having been in service for almost 10 years. However, I would like to see the airline invest more in maintaining the seats, as there were several heavily scuffed and damaged surfaces throughout the cabin.

I selected seat 12A, one of the window seats positioned further from the aisle. In these “true” window seats, the console is positioned between the seat and the aisle, providing an added layer of separation and enhancing privacy from the aisle.

Thai Airways business class seat.

Despite the drawbacks, there are several positive aspects of this seat. It offers a generous width of 30 inches, providing ample space, and the legroom is excellent. Additionally, the footwell provides a comfortable spot to rest your feet when the seat is partially reclined.

As I was getting settled into my seat, one of the flight attendants came around to offer a welcome drink. I chose Thai Airways’ signature Violet Bliss drink.

The entire crew earns top marks from me. Each member greeted business class passengers with the traditional Thai wai, consisting of a slight bow with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like gesture. I found the service to be universally outstanding and it’s one of Thai Airways’ greatest assets, though it’s unfortunately overshadowed by the lackluster hard product.

Thai Airways' signature Violet Bliss drink.

The controls for adjusting the seat recline and lights are located in the side console. 

Directly below this is the handheld entertainment remote, positioned in one of the least practical locations for a touchscreen controller. Its placement often leads to your forearm accidentally brushing against the screen, causing unintended inputs.

This area in particular is showing considerable wear, which isn’t surprising given it’s a primary touchpoint on the seat. However, the level of wear gives the airline an immediate negative impression, suggesting a lack of care and attention to the condition of the cabin and its fixtures. The remote, especially, has most certainly seen better days.

thai airways business class seat and entertainment console controls

Beneath the armrest, you’ll find a small storage pocket. This is the only meaningful storage space in the seat, providing just enough room for maybe a bottle of water or a pair of headphones.

thai airways business class armrest storage

An adjustable reading light is positioned at shoulder height, with the seat’s literature pocket located behind it.

thai airways business class literature pocket

Located alongside your legs are a headphone port and a universal power outlet.

thai airways business class charging ports

The 16-inch HD entertainment screen is a decent size, but its poor resolution and lousy touch responsiveness make it frustrating to use. Underneath the screen is a pair of USB-A charging ports.

thai airways business class entertainment console screen

The footwell is sufficient for relaxing when the seat is only partially reclined. However, once the seat is in lie-flat mode, I find the footwell to be quite restrictive, and you’ll almost definitely need to remove your shoes to get comfortable.

thai airways business class footwell

The tray table is securely stowed upright against the seatback in front. Once released, it can be folded down and rotated into position. Among all the aircraft I can think of, this seat’s tray table is the most sturdily built, with virtually no wobbling or shaking. I appreciate how this design allows the tray table to rotate away from the seat, enabling passengers to access the aisle even when it’s extended.

The amenities provided include a pair of noise-canceling headphones and an amenity kit. Additionally, a blanket and pillow are placed on the seat before boarding.

thai airways business class amenity kit and headphones on tray table

Overall, this is a very outdated seat, showing all the typical signs of an older generation product, with what appears to be little more than basic maintenance keeping it functional. Despite this, the seats are arranged in the preferred 1–2–1 layout, and the aircraft itself is an Airbus A350, one of the best aircraft in service today, ensuring a pleasant cabin atmosphere, so it’s not all bad news.

Bed

The seat reclines into a fully flat bed and comes with a pillow and blanket, both of decent quality. However, there’s no mattress pad provided, which is disappointing, as the seat’s cushioning has been noticeably worn down, making it a less-than-ideal sleeping surface. This was precisely the same situation I experienced on my Asiana flight. It came as no surprise, nor was I disappointed, as I had fully anticipated the same outcome with this seat on Thai Airways.

thai airways business class seat in lie-flat bed mode

I think a mattress pad would go a long way in addressing many of the comfort issues I have with this lie flat seat, but there’s not much that can be done about the cramped footwell. That said, I hesitate to complain too much; I always value the extra space and the opportunity to stretch out and enjoy even a modest level of comfort on any flight.

thai airways business class lie flat seat side view

Amenity Kit

Thai Airways has partnered with Jim Thompson, to provide the amenity kit for business class passengers. I wasn’t initially familiar with the brand, so I took some time to look it up and discovered that it’s a fashion label for both men and women, based in Bangkok.

The amenity kit includes all the usual essentials including an eye mask, earplugs, a dental care kit, a shoehorn, a pair of socks, and skincare products from Bangkok-based ERB Cosmetics.

thai airways business class amenity kit with contents

Dining

On our midafternoon flight, only one meal service is offered. Although the hard product onboard Thai Airways may fall short on several levels, the meal and the exceptional service from the cabin crew helped compensate for some of these shortcomings.

No drink or wine menu was provided on the flight. Instead, the crew wheeled a drink cart up and down the aisle, allowing passengers to request any beverage they wanted. A drink cart isn’t something I see in business class very often, which may indicate a part of Thai Airways’ cost-cutting measures.

There were three options to choose from for the main course, and all passengers were served the same appetizer, choice of bread, and dessert.

The first dish was a seared tuna salad accompanied by some cured meats and sweet potatoes. This was a fantastic way to begin the meal, and the rest of the food that followed was equally as good.

thai airways business class seared tuna appetizer

I ordered the sous vide chicken breast for my main course.

thai airways business class sous vide chicken breast entree

My brother ordered the stir-fried tiger prawns. This was paired with a Thai omelette, jasmine rice and vegetables. He found the flavors to be excellent, but would have appreciated a few more prawns.

thai airways business class stir friend prawns with omelette

I finished up my meal with the cheese plate that also included some dried fruit and pecans.

thai airways business class cheese plate

Although the airline seems to be implementing some cost-cutting measures, I found the meal service to be the highlight of our flight. Overall, the food was satisfying, and every interaction I had with the crew was both professional and friendly.

Entertainment

Entertainment Console

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably already guessed that the entertainment system and screen also leaves much to be desired. Its resolution is subpar, and the interface is straight out of the early-2010s.

The library is reasonably well stocked, offering a good selection of both new and classic Hollywood releases. However, many of the latest titles available on other Asian airlines are notably absent from Thai Airways’ catalog.

thai airways business class entertainment console movies

The TV show selection was quite outdated, with many of the shows having peaked in popularity a decade or more ago.

thai airways business class entertainment console television shows

Thankfully, my favorite form of entertainment was available on this flight: the tail camera. It’s my go-to option when I can’t decide on anything to watch.

thai airways business class tail camera view

I didn’t personally use the AKG headphones provided by the airline, but my brother gave them a try and thought they were acceptable, though nothing remarkable.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi was available on our flight and on most of Thai Airways’ widebody aircraft, though not on all of them. However, unless you’re on a long-haul flight to or from Europe or Australia, the prices may not be worth it.

thai airways business class in-flight wifi prices

Since our flight was only 4 hours long, I didn’t purchase any of the Wi-Fi packages, so I can’t comment on the speed or coverage.

Conclusion

I wouldn’t go so far as to label Thai Airways a bad airline, but it’s certainly falling short in several key areas at the moment. This is primarily due to the airline’s current financial struggles, and while it’s clear they’re aware of the potential for improvement, we’ll have to wait and see if they can turn things around.

Thai Airways has placed orders for dozens of new aircraft, but those new plane deliveries are as far out as 2033. In the meantime, the airline is likely to remain in its current state. While new aircraft are certainly a positive development, more significant changes are needed within the airline to move past the cost-cutting measures and the challenges of maintaining both current and future fleets; factors that are crucial to not only the current flight experience but also the long-term sustainability of the airline.

I wouldn’t personally avoid flying on Thai Airways again, nor would I advise others to steer completely clear of it. That said, given its current state, you’ll need to manage your expectations accordingly.

Jeff Jamieson

Jeff Jamieson

Contributor at Frugal Flyer
Jeff stepped into the ring of points and miles in 2018, this was during his first trip to Italy where he had only just dipped his toe into what was possible with loyalty programs. After eating pizza twice a day for two weeks straight and taking in all that Tuscany of Rome had to offer he knew he was hooked on “la dolce vita” of points and miles. Always fascinated with aviation, Jeff obtained his Private Pilot’s License in 2006. Now he fuels his affection for travel and aviation by seeking out new strategies while building upon existing opportunities along with the help of his close circle of fellow travel enthusiasts.

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