Where is it?
There are five Thai Airways Royal Silk lounges at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport and the largest one is located in Concourse D, in the international transit hall on level 3. If starting the journey in Bangkok there is an escalator from the Thai Airways first class and business class check-in leading directly to the lounge. If in transit there is another entrance on level 3 not far from the transit area East.
How do I get in?
Thai Airways and Star Alliance business class passengers get in. Thai Airways first class passengers obviously get in as well, but there is really no reason to choose this lounge instead of the vastly superior Thai Airways Royal First Lounge nextdoors.
In the past Star Alliance gold passengers travelling in economy class were not allowed inside this lounge, instead they were directed to the other Thai Airways lounges in the terminal. However on this test visit there was no problem entering with an economy class boarding pass.
What’s it like?
This is the Thai Airways flagship lounge in Bangkok and easily the largest, measuring 2410 sqm with seating for 314 guests. The lounge has been built along the D concourse, stretching all the way from the entrance from the transit hall close to transit area East to the entrance from the Thai Airways check-in area at the opposite end. All the seating areas, the self-service buffet areas and the other facilities are placed along what is essentially a very long corridor.
The lounge has the typical Thai Airways Royal Silk lounge design with the interior mostly in brown and with the characteristical orchids. There are plenty of different seating areas with beige, brown, dark blue and purple armchairs
Unfortunately there is not much of a view as the the apron is obstructed by frosted glass. But there are plenty of TVs inside the lounge, in pretty much all the seating areas.
In spite of its size the lounge can be fairly crowded at peak times, especially in the morning and in the late evening when most flights depart. If so it may be worth going to one of the other Thai Airways lounges in the terminal, the nearest one being in the concourse C, just a short walk away.
Food and drinks
There are several self-service buffet areas in the lounge, the largest one being right in the middle of the lounge which has the widest selection of food and drinks.
The food varies depending on time of the day with breakfast items in the morning. During the rest of the day hot food is offered with mostly Asian dishes. There are also sandwiches, vegetables, fresh fruits and different desserts.
The drinks selection includes juices, sodas, a selection of Thai and international beers, a good selection of spirits and of course coffee and tea. However no wine is offered in the lounge, for some reason red, white and sparkling wine are not offered in any of the Royal Silk and Royal Orchid lounges in Bangkok. Wine is only offered in the first class lounge.
Facilities
Restrooms and several showers are available in the lounge. There are plenty of TVs and a good selection of both Thai and international newspapers, including papers from many of the destinations served by Thai Airways even covering some intercontinental destinations. However newspapers from countries in other continents may be one or two days old.
Free wireless internet is offered in the lounge and there is a large business centre with several internet computers.
For families there is a kids room with toys.
Final impression
The lounge is large and there are plenty of seats and facilities for both business travellers and leisure travellers. The setup for departing passengers is also very convenient with a dedicated check-in area for first class and business class, a dedicated fast track channel through security and passport control and then an escalator from passport control down to the lounge reception. The drawback of the lounge is the size as it becomes somewhat impersonal. In that aspect the smaller lounges are much more pleasant to visit. Singapore Airlines and Eva Air also run lounges at the airport.
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