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THAILAND I – Getting there
The first of a series of stories on Thailand

Thai Airways: An exception to the rule
Pleasurable expectations in the air
(To listen to an interview with Mr. Agkarajit Panomwon na Ayutthaya, please click here)

How can anyone be looking forward to fly?

Soaring fuel prices, cuts in food, services, personnel and additional fees for checking in luggage are part of the bleak image that travelers have to contend with nowadays, when they don’t end up grounded for last minute cancellations, a shortage of pilots-air and traffic controllers or the faulty maintenance of aging aircrafts.

But ‘there is always an exception to the rule’ and this became blissfully real on a recent trip to Thailand.

Faced with a 16-hour non-stop flight from New York City’s Kennedy Airport to Bangkok my worries started to fade away the minute I checked in at a THAI Airways Int’l counter. And not only did they completely vanish when I boarded the plane - on time – but I admit that I – oddly - felt a tinge of pleasurable expectation when entered the cabin and was greeted by smiling THAI flight attendants in warm and colorful outfits who handed me a wet towel fragrant of exotic flowers once I settled down.

I could go on and on with the spacious ergonomic seats, the calm atmosphere of the cabin and the charming attention … but would anyone take me seriously if I said I actually liked the food? airplane food? (By the way, I did like the Thai dishes and the artful fresh fruit carvings…)

But in 48 years of service, THAI Airways has not acquired its reputation for the warmth and the hospitality of its air attendants and the different, tailored outfits they wear at the several dinner services through the flight. In addition to outstanding meals, “Best SE Asian Airline at the 18th TTG Travel Award 2007,” “Best Travel Brand 2007 for leading air carrier,” “Telly Awards 2007 for in-flight entertainment supporting tourist destinations,” are only some of the awards and recognitions that the airline received in the last quarter of 2007.

THAI began its service in May 1, 1960 as the national carrier of the Kingdom of Thailand with a fleet of three aircrafts, and now carries more than 20 million passengers to 76 destinations across 5 continents in a fleet of 83 aircrafts. It also operates the fastest service to Southeast Asia from the U.S. with daily non-stop flights from New York and Los Angeles and, most recently, to the magical island of Samui and the mystical province of Chiang Rai.

“Within the next five years we will have 125 aircrafts,” proudly said Mr. Agkarajit Panomwon na Ayutthaya, Thai Airways General manager on the East Coast US whom I met at the Thai Orchid Lounge at the hyper modern airport in Bangkok. (To listen to an interview with Mr. Agkarajit Panomwon na Ayutthaya, please click here)

“Thai Airways has always been very innovative and very proud of the maintenance of its airplanes,” he said, adding that new hangars were being built to routinely service up to three airplanes under one roof “to minimize the opportunities for things to go wrong."

“THAI was the first airline in Asia that introduced flights to Europe. We are using the symbol of the Royal Orchid to express the traditional Thai hospitality,” he explained. “Thai people are very proud of their ways and their heritage. Thailand has always been an independent country, it is the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been colonized. In the old days, Thailand was Siam and its territory extended to Sumatra (N.B. Siam became Thailand in 1939; was renamed Siam between 1945 and 1949, after which the name Thailand was once again adopted, and Tai means free in the Thai language).”

“But despite European pressure in the 1800’s Thailand preferred to give away land rather than be colonized. So Thai people have a tradition of hospitality and are generous and friendly. And this transpires in the service given on the airline,” said Mr. Ayutthaya whose family name dates back to Thailand’s history, namely the kingdom of Ayutthaya in the 14th century.

As I nibbled on Pad Thai and other delicacies, we talked about people coming to Thailand from all over the world, attracted by the mythical sites, the beaches, the exquisite food, the mysterious northern provinces, the elephants, the exotic and lush vegetations, the food that changes from province to province, the prices that are still a bargain even for hard hit Americans, the shopping, the temples, the boat rides, and of course again the food.

But what Mr. Agkarajit Panomwon na Ayutthaya did not mention -- and I personally later experienced -- was the tradition of massages before the long flights at the airport in Bangkok. What could be more delicately sophisticated than a foot massage, or a Thai massage before going to bed and waking up in New York City? Perhaps being served a light Thai wonton soup at 2:00 am?

For more information on Thai Airway Int’l, log on www.thaiairwaysusa.com.

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