I flew with Thai Airways to Bangkok and it was a very nice flight. It’s been many years since my last Thai Airways flight, so I had almost forgotten how great they are. Amazing service, even for those of us, down at row number 41.
For dinner, we had larb, which is a dish from the Northeastern part of Thailand. It can be really spicy, but the version served onboard was mild enough to please even delicate Scandinavian palates.
On the flight I couldn’t help notice how the clientele of Thailand travelers has changed since my first trip to Thailand almost 20 years ago. Back then, it was mostly backpackers and lonely old men, but nowadays, Thailand has turned into a full-blown family travel destination with Phuket being the primary center of attraction. I guess the backpackers have gone somewhere else to look for The Beach. And the old lonely men? They are probably still around, but you just don’t notice them so much in the hordes of mass tourism.
I had a window seat and after dinner I slept for 7 hours straight and didn’t wake up until breakfast was served. The couple sitting next to me were going to Phuket. They told me that they had already visited Bangkok once so they wanted to see something else, and I think that is how most people feel about Bangkok; that it is a city you visit once, and don’t return to. It’s a shame because Bangkok really has a lot to offer, and even though I’ve been to Bangkok so many times that I’ve stopped counting, I always discover something new and fascinating about the city.
