On a recent family vacation while traveling in SE Asia I had a layover at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport and visited the Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge. Flying Business Class on ANA, a Star Alliance partner airline, gave us access to the Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge. Many Star Alliance program partners share other partner lounges in locations where they may not have one of their own. In this case ANA uses Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge to service their Business and First Class passengers. The Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge in Bangkok (BKK) give access to their lounge to Business / First Class passengers of Thai Airways and Star Alliance Partner airlines, as well as Star Alliance Gold Members.

As a frequent airline traveler, especially on international flights, I have grown to truly appreciate the use of the airport lounges hosted by several of the major airlines or their alliance partners. I frequent American Airlines’ “Admirals Club” lounges, as well as United Airlines “United Club” lounges depending on which airport terminal I find myself in. I also take advantage of Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and Star Alliance lounges in many major airports and other international locations. Some are definitely better than others and no two are the same. I’ve been in some really nice lounges at one airport, just to be disappointed in the same lounge brand in another airport. Be sure to see our other lounge reviews here.

During a layover or a delay it’s really nice to have a place where you can go without all the busyness and noise of a crowded terminal. There is a sense of relaxation when you have a nice comfortable chair to sit in, high speed Wi-Fi, free drinks, free food, magazines and newspapers to read. Don’t forget how it is the nice to have a clean restroom too! For family travel many lounges also tote a kids’ room or a play area. Business travelers typically have access to a room with printers, copiers, and fax machines, etc. The best part of taking advantage of an airport member lounge is it just gives you that VIP feel and experience. Another nice perk that many forget about is the concierge service available to you when you have access to an airport member’s lounge. The concierge can monitor your flight and notify you of any boarding time changes.  Did you know they will also help you make flight changes, work on getting you on the upgrade or standby list, or book other travel? The concierge service is a hidden gem.

There are several Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounges at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport. They are pretty consistent and very similar. The one in this review is the main one near gate D2. The first impression which is a lasting one is the politeness and friendly greeting you receive from the Thai Airways employees as you enter the lounge. In general people of the Thai culture are extremely friendly to begin with. The service you receive in the lounge is no exception.

The lounge is rather large and can get quite crowded since it services both Thai Airways, whose hub is Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport and all other Star Alliance partner airlines. The lounge offers various styles of seating from couches to several different types of chairs, each with their own ambiance. The one thing to note is the lack of power outlets to charge up all your portable electronics and smart phones. Not ever group of seats had electrical outlets and where there were outlets not all of them tended to work. This can be quit annoying for business travels and family travelers that tend to have a lot of electronic devices on them while traveling. The Wi-Fi did work well and provided relatively fast speeds. You will receive your own login credentials upon checking into the lounge. There is no universal password so be sure to ask at the front desk for a personal slip with credentials to get access.

The Royal Silk Lounge did provide rather good food options. They provided rather delicious warm Thai food and other SE Asia influenced dishes. Also there is a good variety of finger food and snacks. The Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge employees rotated the food out each hour providing a nice variety and ability to sample different dishes. The lounge also provided free soft drinks, juices, several Thai beer brands, white and red wines, as well as premium brand liquors. Finding the bar was not obvious at first as it is not in the center of the lounge where the food is located. The bar is located on the far end of the lounge just outside one of the entrances and on the other side of the escalators making it somewhat hidden. Just ask one of the many lounge employees and they’ll point you in the right direction.

Overall the lounge offers clean facilities, a nice ambiance, and nice amenities, to include a good food selection. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. The lounge is suited for both business travels and traveling families. If you are flying out of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Business / First Class on Thai Airways or another Star Alliance partner airline or have a layover there be sure to visit the Royal Silk Lounge near gate D2. It is well deserving of a solid B+ grade or 3 ½ stars out of five.

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