Flying to Bangkok on EVA Air & Thai Airways Review
After a long and non-stop trip throughout Asia and the United States my dad wanted me to meet him in Bangkok for Thai New Years. This past April we made it happen on EVA Air & Thai Airways.
The Line Up – EVA Air & Thai Airways
I flew from LAS-LAX-TPE-BKK and arrived at Bangkok just in time for the Songkran festival. I won’t detail the Los Angeles flight too much but the EVA Air & Thai Airways legs were interesting and worth going into further detail.
At the Gate – Los Angeles International
We all know LAX to be crowded and complicated but ultimately a useful airport for flying globally. Living in Las Vegas, LAX is the place you have to go to get a lot of places around the world. With that being said I even got lost this time trying to find the right terminal for my connection!
Generally I love LAX because of its somewhat decent selection of food and shops at the gate, but the boarding area for my flight was pretty sparse. A phone call from a friend proved as a good distraction though until the dreaded bus boarding began. Before long we got onto the bus, took a short trip on the tarmac and took our seats for the 13 hr 15 min flight.
EVA Air – The Flight
Whenever I fly long distance international flights I always go into it trying to make myself feel at home. In my opinion EVA Air didn’t make it too hard in economy. The decor of the plane was nice and the seats were comfortable. Not to mention the playful Hello Kitty theme of the service. I knew I was in for it the second they printed me a Hello Kitty inspired boarding pass. The Hello Kitty theming didn’t stop there as it could be found on the seats, in the bathroom and even in the food service!
Speaking of seats, EVA’s 777-300 features a standard 3 seats to a row with 9 across seating. Because of this the seat felt wide.
The in-flight entertainment didn’t have much of a variety of English programming which isn’t really competitive with what I have seen on other airlines. It was easy to use though.
Not long after taking off I wrapped myself in the blanket provided and put my head on the little pillow that came with it. I tried sleeping through the flight and I failed. However I woke up to a steaming plate of food, how could that make anyone upset?
We were given two options for our main course meal, Chicken Cordon Bleu with potatoes or Fish with Hot Bean Sauce and rice. A tough choice but in the end I chose the chicken. It also came with spinach, fruit on the side and slices of salmon. While eating my meal I turned on Spider Man Into the Spiderverse and turned into a vegetable for the rest of the flight. A little before landing we were served porridge with fruit and bread.
As for the lavatory on the plane, it was actually refreshing. The bathroom provided enough space and in it was complementary lotion, a ‘facial mist’ (which made me feel fresh throughout the long flight) and other goodies including some themed to Hello Kitty.
When it was all said and done we landed in Taipei with no complications and I searched for my next connection.
At the Gate – Taipei
When I got to Taipei I was on the look out for good places to eat and somewhere to just relax. I found myself at a little beer-garden type cafe and got a snack while I waited around for an hour or so. TPE had a different feeling than most airports that I’ve visited but it was a good thing. The terminal that I was situated in had art, playrooms for kids and plenty of delicious looking restaurants serving Asian cuisine.
Barely realizing the time, I rushed to my gate and boarded my Thai Airways flight to Bangkok.
Thai Airways – The Flight
My experience on Thai Airways wasn’t too bad and the flight went by quickly. The decor wasn’t quite my taste but definitely unique from other airlines. I took a browse at the in-flight entertainment, attempting to pass the 3 hrs 45 mins flight and liked what I saw. The content they provided in English was older but for a flight far away from home I did not mind it.
Mid-way through the flight the flight attendants came through the aisles with a pork and rice meal.
They came around for drinks every so often and took care of us. The flight attendants were pleasant as well.
After the upright and uneventful flight I landed in Bangkok on a search for my Boxtel.
Staying the Night – Boxtel
Considering I was landing in Bangkok at Midnight I booked the Boxtel to catch some sleep inside of the airport before heading into the city in the morning. The Boxtel is located to the extreme left of the entrance to the airport near the Metro. It consists of little wooden boxes meant for airline travelers to rest through the night. It also has a small lobby and check in desk.
I checked in and settled into my box. The outer aesthetic of the place was interesting and a little oasis in the desert of familiar airport surroundings. The room itself consisted of a twin size bed, a light, a trashcan and a mirror.
The size of the room was truly box sized. The length was almost the length of the bed itself and the width being only a few feet. I slept through the night easy and went on my merry way to the heart of Bangkok.
Conclusion
I had a good experience flying trans-pacific on EVA Air and connecting through on Thai Airways. TPE was a fun and interesting airport and the Boxtel at BKK was a new experience. To tell you the truth I was tired after all that flying and a bed at the airport was relieving. Overall I would say that I was comfortable and that I had zero trouble with all of my flights.
Comment on your experiences with these airlines below!
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Thank you for this report; glad to see others interested in Songkran! I’m doing this a similar trip to be at Full Moon Party / Songkran in April 2020. SFO-SIN-USM in SQ Y, and Flying BR J BKK-TPE-SFO on the return. Good to know about the Boxtel option as well…