Airlines Review: Thai Smile Airways to Bangkok and Back

As a person who travels to Bangkok quite often, I was on the lookout for a Bangkok flight out of Kolkata which would not be in the middle of the night. However, for a long time, the only options I got would either be overbooked, or randomly cancelled and rescheduled to a late-night flight without any reason (I am looking at you, Indigo!). So, this time when I was flying to Bangkok with my family, I got the option of returning to Kolkata in an afternoon flight by Thai Smile Airways, which was slightly more expensive than what I generally pay, but I realised it was worth every cent, and so, I booked it without a second thought.

Here’s why I thought the timing is awesome:

1. The flight from Kolkata is at 4.30 pm and reaches Bangkok at 9 pm. If you’re smart and get an e-visa done, then you will be out of the tarmac and into your cab by 9.30 pm (because immigration is seriously fast in Thailand), and
2. The flight back to Kolkata is at 1.55 pm in the afternoon, and reaches Kolkata around 3 pm, which means you can go home when its still light outside, and not wait inside the airport till the morning (which I have done on a couple of occasions when my flight landed at 3.30 am in the morning and it was absolutely dark outside, and therefore, not 100% safe to venture out).

Since these Thai Smile Airways flights were launching on the 2nd of May, 2019, I only could book the return flight for my parents as well as for myself. I booked the flight back for the 4th, while my parents took the flight back on the 2nd.

Flying to Kolkata Via Thai Smile Airways

The day my parents returned, there was a cyclone warning, with heavy rains and a storm brewing, so my flight had to be pre-poned by a day (3rd). I called up Thai Smile Airways helpline to reschedule my flight for the 3rd (+662 118 8888), and they changed the dates within five minutes after charging me a small fee for rescheduling. I didn’t mind, since safety was my priority. On the day of the flight, I reached the airport bright and early, and after check-in, had a few minutes’ panic attack since my parents kept on calling me and telling that the airport was closing down earlier than I had thought, but since my flight wasn’t cancelled, I decided to soldier on.

At Check-In, I picked a window seat since isle seats tend to make me nauseous, and I was immediately assigned one. On board, you can pre-book your meals, but on several 3rd party sites, when I tried to pick a non-vegetarian meal (not Hindu), I wasn’t offered the option. The only non-vegetarian option I got was a non-vegetarian Hindu Meal, and I chose it since I had no option. Thankfully, I did get my option during this meal.

I liked the smart design of the seats, and the allowance to adjust the little cushion on it to allow for a comfortable rest. I also liked the fact that they provided some in-flight entertainment, but the programs displayed were not personalised, which I believe can be changed later.

They provide a limited selection of free beverages, including coke, fruit juices, diet coke, beer, and blended whiskey. You can ask for a refill of the drinks when finished, however, there obviously were some people trying to get more drinks, which did hamper the service time.

The food came in specially branded packages – with rice, bread, a curry, sweets, margarine, and after dinner mints. I liked the packaging since everything was kept separate, and my meal was quite hot. I did think that the quantity of sweets was quite a lot, a fact that I later pointed out to the good people from the brand, and on my next flight back to Kolkata, I did get a serving of ice cold tamarind sorbet – fabulous for parched throats and those who love a tangy dessert.

I have to admit, the flight on the 3rd was an exceptionally smooth one. Given the huge storm warnings, airport shutdown threats, and the rain-clouds that hovered ominously right above our flights on our way back, the flight itself was a rather fast ride – landing a whole half hour before its scheduled time, and we were left standing on a nearly deserted airport, where even the immigration officers were glad to see us go.

Flying to Bangkok via Thai Smile Airways

A few days after my return, I revisited I was invited by Thai Airways and Thai Tourism for a joint FAM trip to explore Bangkok, and I was quite excited, since my previous visit had been cut so abruptly short. Our flight down to Bangkok was a short and uneventful one. I had bought e-VISA so the immigration procedure was quick for me too. The flight itself had a really smooth check-in. I had asked for a window seat, and within a minute was assigned one, despite the flight being quite full. I quickly moved through immigration and boarded the flight – my seat was clean, comfortable, with enough leg space and I liked the simple lunch, though they ran out of non-vegetarian options after a point. I did like the fact that they had diet coke on offer (especially important for diabetics and health-conscious) as a drink option, and also some peanuts, for those who do not like a carb-heavy option.

The flight was on time, and right after immigration, it took me two minutes to get my luggage and walk out. Thai Smile and Thai Airways’ hanger is based slightly away from the main airport, so it is a good idea to have a seat in the airport bus, especially if you’re carrying heavy luggage, or aren’t able to stand for a long duration (the journey takes about 10 minutes). I had a rather pleasant experience, and I would definitely be going back to Thailand in flights such as these and explore more of the country.

Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee was invited by Thai Smile Airways and Tourism Authority of Thailand New Delhi for a FAM trip to Thailand for one of the trips made to Thailand. Her opinions are personal and unbiased and also partially based on a separate trip which was independently paid for.