Best TG lounge at new BKK airport

Old Nov 5, 2006, 4:43 pm
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by kinchai
Any news on the Royal Orchid Arrival Lounge anyone?

Any chance it will be ready by the end of the month?

Thanks in advance for any info on that.
Had a peek at the construction on Saturday. It's come a long way in the past month, but still has a long way to go. I estimate about one more month minimum, but if they really hussle, you might be in luck for an opening at the very end of this month, though I think next month is more likely.
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Old Nov 5, 2006, 4:48 pm
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by Monet01
One Royal Silk lounge at concourse C is open now and there are also two nice showers - there is some hope ...
Glad to know it's actually open. Interestingly on Friday I saw signs on arrival with arrows pointing upstairs which said "Royal Silk Lounge, Concourse C", so figured they were likely open based on that. Also when I departed domestic on Saturday I glanced at the entrance to the TG lounge on Concourse D on my way down the escalator and saw it wasn't busy at all compared to previously, so it appears the new lounge is definitely taking a load off the other one. Have you been in both the TG lounges? How do they compare?
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Old Nov 5, 2006, 9:48 pm
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by Monet01
One Royal Silk lounge at concourse C is open now and there are also two nice showers - there is some hope ...
On Oct 23 I saw two lounges under construction (at the same stage of completion) at Level 3, Concourse C...I wonder if those are the new additional TG Royal Silk lounges??

It will be nice if more TG lounges take some of the load off of the existing main TG lounge at Concourse D...

also, does anyone know if any of the other Star airlines (like LH or SQ or UA) will open up their own lounges?? or will everyone crowd into TG lounges?
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Old Nov 6, 2006, 4:30 am
  #34  
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Currently (06 1130 UTC Nov 06) in the Concourse C Royal Silk Lounge. Not busy, and better than the domestic lounge at Concourse A. I've taken some pic and will post in a day or so after I return from my flights.....

As reported, showers, meeting rooms, 6 or so computer booths, well placed food area (but still no food labels).

Better finish up my Asahi and find gate C4.....

Cheers,

TK
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Old Nov 6, 2006, 1:41 pm
  #35  
 
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Qantas has announced that all eligible passengers can have lounge access from the 13 November, rather than just F and J passengers. I wonder if this means that another TG lounge will open on that date so some of the overcrowding will be reduced.
Note: Qantas also announced that there will be a delay to opening the QF & BA lounges until 2007.
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Old Nov 6, 2006, 7:58 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by RTWSTARALLIANCE
I have to say I was very disappointed in the new BKK. The outside might look ok but the inside does look like the old parts of CDG. Really it does. It is an architects disgrace aka small budget. The immigration lines are still bad. There seems to be more posts but of course everyone is at them all the time.

The TG Lounge staff has no personality. I tried to enter near those premium immigration posts downstairs and was refused entry. I had to walk down towards the C gates. I entered then you end up walking back towards the D gates to enter the lounge area. The stupid system it is. I could swear this is all the same Lounge as has been reported herein. The Lounge is long and if you search you can find some private space. Definitely better than the old TG Lounges. Along the wall with the standing lights you will find chairs of two with plugs running along the base. The food and beverage is embarassing and cheap. It is starting to clear but it is also mid-night. BTW that 500 baht departure fee is still being collected so hold onto some baht. You would think they would fix that system. Regards from BKK and looking forward to the land of many Lounges at ICN
After my first TG flight from Suvarnabhumi, I agree with just about everything RTWSTARALLIANCE said. Although I'd take the two-storey Don Muang lounge any day over the main lounge here. No seats to be found at 7am, the floor was dirty like a BKK street with construction nearby. The toilets were filthy. If they can't be bothered to bring food from Don Muang, please get BFS or somebody with they catering facilities ready to provide it. Worst food in any SE Asian lounge I've visited recently, even the Louis Taverns have better offerings.

On top of that, Star Gold check-in is a complete joke. Four desks with longer lines than the 40 or so Y class desks nearby. Any experience if *G in Y can check-in at the C counters?

Paying the departure fee is an experience itself - there's about 2 metres between the end of check-in counters and these departure fee desks - with a couple hundred pax trying to make their way to departures.
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Old Nov 7, 2006, 1:48 am
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Thai-Kiwi
Currently (06 1130 UTC Nov 06) in the Concourse C Royal Silk Lounge. Not busy, and better than the domestic lounge at Concourse A.
I was at both international lounges yesterday and with C open there was not overcrowding in either. C had a slightly better selection of foods and beers. The spirit liquor was on a high shelf, too tall for most people to reach, especially most Thais. Maybe this is part of the current government program to reduce alcohol consumption
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Old Nov 7, 2006, 10:52 am
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by Blackcloud
Qantas has announced that all eligible passengers can have lounge access from the 13 November, rather than just F and J passengers. I wonder if this means that another TG lounge will open on that date so some of the overcrowding will be reduced.
Note: Qantas also announced that there will be a delay to opening the QF & BA lounges until 2007.
Last time I was there, the TG lounge attendants said that only Star Alliance Golds allowed into TG Royal Silk lounges...so Im not sure what you are referring to.....has this changed??

also the CIP (Louis Tavern) lounges at the E & F Concourses (Level 3) said that Qantas passengers temporarily have entry rights...

see also the Qantas website....click here

"The Qantas and British Airways First and Business lounges at the new Bangkok airport have not yet been completed. Until late December 2006, Qantas will be using temporary lounge facilities for our First and Business customers in Bangkok. Due to space limitations, access will be restricted to customers flying in Qantas First and Business on the day of travel."
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Old Nov 7, 2006, 10:54 am
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by gfowler-ord-1k
I was at both international lounges yesterday and with C open there was not overcrowding in either. C had a slightly better selection of foods and beers. The spirit liquor was on a high shelf, too tall for most people to reach, especially most Thais. Maybe this is part of the current government program to reduce alcohol consumption
The TG website said there would be an addtional two Royal Silk lounges in Concourse C....did you see the second one by chance?
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Old Nov 7, 2006, 5:36 pm
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I take back my comments about the arrival lounge. It must have looked deceptively unfinished last week, because I just had another look and the furniture is all in now, they had a video monitor installed and being tested, a security room off to the left looked finished with CCTV cameras/monitors all working. The furniture still was covered in plastic, as was everything else, and the flooring had some protective covering. That can all be removed in a day and then maybe of week of check-out and tweaking before being ready to open. I'd give it two weeks based on what I've seen now.

As to the lounges on Concourse C, I asked the attendant on the one open (to your left as you go towards the gates) about the other lounges. She said the one opposite it on Concourse C will open next week and it is identical to the already open lounge. It looked totally ready to go already. She said the lounges on Concourse E will open sometime later, but didn't know when. She had no idea about the arrival lounge as she said the people for departure lounges and the arrival lounge are totally separate.
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Old Nov 7, 2006, 5:38 pm
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by Trajan
The TG website said there would be an addtional two Royal Silk lounges in Concourse C....did you see the second one by chance?
I don't believe that is correct. There are only two total TG lounges on Concourse C with one already open and the other to open next week.
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Old Nov 7, 2006, 5:43 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by Thai-Kiwi
Currently (06 1130 UTC Nov 06) in the Concourse C Royal Silk Lounge. Not busy, and better than the domestic lounge at Concourse A. I've taken some pic and will post in a day or so after I return from my flights.....

As reported, showers, meeting rooms, 6 or so computer booths, well placed food area (but still no food labels).

Better finish up my Asahi and find gate C4.....

Cheers,

TK
Ah, we were both at Suvarnabhumi at the same time, though I was flying domestic at that time. Later on my international departure I wished I had time to check out the lounge fully myself, but didn't have enough time after seeing the long queues for baggage check at Concourse C. I think those queues are noticeably longer than they used to be at Don Muang. I think it's due to the majority of TG flights using Concourse C compared to being more sprawled out at Don Muang.
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Old Nov 7, 2006, 5:55 pm
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by LH747FTL
After my first TG flight from Suvarnabhumi, I agree with just about everything RTWSTARALLIANCE said. Although I'd take the two-storey Don Muang lounge any day over the main lounge here. No seats to be found at 7am, the floor was dirty like a BKK street with construction nearby. The toilets were filthy. If they can't be bothered to bring food from Don Muang, please get BFS or somebody with they catering facilities ready to provide it. Worst food in any SE Asian lounge I've visited recently, even the Louis Taverns have better offerings.

On top of that, Star Gold check-in is a complete joke. Four desks with longer lines than the 40 or so Y class desks nearby. Any experience if *G in Y can check-in at the C counters?

Paying the departure fee is an experience itself - there's about 2 metres between the end of check-in counters and these departure fee desks - with a couple hundred pax trying to make their way to departures.
My experience differs significantly with yours. Regarding *G check-in, no you can't use the business-class check-in at Rows A/B. that area is only for First and Business class passengers. Yesterday the *G check-in only had one or two people in each lane, while two long queues for the standard economy lanes. If you're traveling without checked luggage, use that lane as there wasn't anyone at all in line there.

As to the lounge, I much prefer the food selection at the TG lounge to the Louis Tavern lounges, but maybe that's just down to personal tastes. I found the TG sandwiches slightly better, being fresh, as opposed to the Louis Tavern sandwiches being somewhat stale. I liked the quality of the TG fruit over Louis Tavern as well. Beyond that, the Louis Tavern lounge just has cookies and cake...too sweet for my liking...much preferred the not-so-sweet TG pastries. I'm not really into hotdogs, but the TG lounge had those mini hotdogs, which I didn't see any equivalent to at the Louis Tavern lounges. In the TG lounge you may have to visit multiple food stations to be able to sample their entire selection. If you just went to one station, the selection might not have been so great. Or maybe they have a problem supplying the entire selection so early in the morning.

With the extremely heavy usage of the one TG lounge, I imagine it was a bit hard to keep clean, but when I was there the attendants were working diligently, though seemed to miss certain spots at times as they didn't quite have a good routine down. With the easing of the crowding now, I imagine that will improve. Didn't see any problems with cleanliness at the Louis Tavern lounges, but with only very light usage that I've seen, wouldn't imagine they'd have the same problems as TG.

Agree about too many people just hanging out near the departure tax booths, but the same thing existed at Don Muang also. I imagine those booths will be gone by early next year though, as they'll be including the tax in the ticket price.
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Old Nov 7, 2006, 8:59 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by Soju
I don't believe that is correct. There are only two total TG lounges on Concourse C with one already open and the other to open next week.
sorry, I meant a total of two TG Royal Silk lounges in Concourse C...I think that is right from your comment....
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Old Nov 7, 2006, 10:11 pm
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by gfowler-ord-1k
I am in the domestic lounge now. The wifi is just as bad here. Both lounges do not have power outlets for your laptops. So people unplg to table and floor lamps to get power. This can be partially solved but putting in multil outlet strips leading from the outlets that the lamps use but this will look ugly. This is a major oversite in the lounge design.

It is not as crowded as the intl one. I hope not as it looks like it will be the only TG domestic lounge.

I do not see a bar here. There were 2 at the intl lounge, one being self service. The temperature here is reasonable also. I was working up a sweat in the intl.
There was only one domestic lounge at Don Muang as well, which was fairly unimpressive -- just one big room with some sofas. I would guess that whatever is at Suvarnabhumi would be an improvement. There was also no bar at the Don Muang domestic lounge, just a service counter providing non-alcoholic beverages, sandwiches, and small snacks. I don't think I've seen alcohol served at any TG domestic lounge, actually, though I would certainly welcome a change in that policy!
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