In June 2024, the opportunity to attend an eco-tourism conference in Bangkok saw me jetting off on the recently restarted Thai Airways non-stop flight from Perth to Bangkok.
As the only carrier connecting Perth to Thailand on a non-stop flight, this flight is a major drawcard for leisure travellers eager to enjoy Bangkok’s vibrant nightlife, delectable street food and rich cultural attractions. This flight also serves as a convenient starting point for exploring Thailand’s other natural attractions, like the postcard-perfect islands in the south or mountainous terrain in the north.
Additionally, the return of Thai Airways’ daily flights to Perth opens up numerous global connections for travellers heading to other Asian or European destinations.
Read on for my review of the non-stop service from Perth to Bangkok on Thai Airways, flying Economy on the Boeing 787-8. I’ll cover what to expect in terms of seats, meals and entertainment and other tips to plan for your own flight.
Flight Details
- Flight: TG482 Perth to Bangkok
- Departure: 16:20 Arrival: 22:20
- Flight Duration: 7 hours
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-8
- Class: Economy
Thai Airways resumed its daily service between Perth and Bangkok in March 2024, providing the only direct flight between Perth and Thailand – at least until Jetstar’s new flight from Perth to Phuket launches in August 2024, followed by Perth to Bangkok in September.
At the time of writing, Thai Airways’ current weekly schedule is split across two flight offerings:
| Thai Airways Flight Schedule | ||
| Perth to Bangkok | ||
| Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday | TG482 | Depart PER 1620 Arrive BKK 2220 |
| Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday | TG484 | Depart PER 0920 Arrive BKK 1520 |
| Bangkok to Perth | ||
| Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday | TG481 | Depart BKK 0720 Arrive PER 1505 |
| Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday | TG483 | Depart BKK 0001 Arrive PER 0745 |
Thai Airways operates a Boeing 787-8 on this route, featuring 256 seats configured to 22 Business Class seats and 234 Economy Class Seats. The flight from Perth to Bangkok is a 7-hour journey, while the return flight is slightly shorter at 6 hours 45 minutes.
My flight was purchased rather last minute, just a couple of weeks before departure, with a flexible return economy fare costing just over A$1800. However, I can see future flights outside of peak periods can be found for as low as $800 return for the cheapest fare.
Thai Airways offers four economy fare options: Saver, Standard, Flexi and Full Flexi. As a full-service carrier, all fares include seat selection, entertainment, meals, carry-on and checked baggage, though the checked amount varies depending on the fare.
My flight to Bangkok was a more expensive Full Flexi fare, providing a generous 35 kg of checked baggage allowance. My return Flexi fare flight clocked in at a slightly lower 30 kg allowance. It’s worth noting that the cheapest saver fare offers a free 20 kg of checked baggage, which may be tight for those travelling onwards to Europe unless an additional allowance is purchased.
Check-In Process
Checking in at Perth International Airport in the afternoon before my 4.20 pm departure, I was greeted with two separate check-in queues: one for online check-in baggage drop, and another (longer) queue for counter check-in.
Having checked in the day before online, I happily settled into the shorter queue for the bag drop. Carry-on luggage was checked and weighed at check-in, which was reassuring to see given it ended up being a completely full flight out of Perth.
On the return flight from the Thai Airways hub at the bustling BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport, I had the option of counter or self-kiosk check-in.
Tip: There is an additional security screening process for flights to Australia at the departure gate in Bangkok. You’ll need to make sure you have less than 100ml of liquid on you, so finish any coffees before heading to the gate. There are water fountains at the gate, so you can fill up empty bottles after making your way through the screening.
Boarding
Despite the incoming plane landing on schedule, our departure was delayed by 40 minutes. Boarding was called in groups, with boarding passes checked to deter line-skipping passengers (there’s always a few, isn’t there!).
Although take-off was 40 minutes behind schedule, the flight time was shorter than the advertised 7-hour duration, so we touched down in the humid capital of Thailand just after our planned 10.20 pm arrival time.
I’d already activated my AirAlo eSIM in Perth, so was able to access internet as soon as we touched down to message my transfer service and let them know I’d landed as they were waiting for me on the other side of immigration and baggage collection.
Comfort & Seats
Thai Airways B787-8 features a standard economy configuration of 3x3x3 seats in lively shades of maroon and orange across the twin-aisle cabin.
The seats offer a comfortable pitch of 32 inches with a width of 18 inches, providing a good amount of legroom for economy class. There was a retractable footrest, which I only noticed and tried out on the return flight – great for shorter travellers.
A blanket, pillow and earphones were waiting on the seat.
This flight was almost completely full on the way to Bangkok, with most travellers seemingly heading onwards to Europe based on conversations overheard at the gate and on the plane. My flight home a few days later was much emptier, with an empty seat next to me and a few lucky travellers snagging a whole row to themselves.
Peaking into the business cabin while boarding, It’s worth noting that the small cabin of 22 seats is set up in an older style 2x2x2 configuration, albeit with fully lie-flat beds.
Entertainment
The IFE unit can be controlled by either the remote in the seatback or the touchscreen. My remote was jammed into the seat back, so I relied on using the fairly responsive touchscreen.
There is a wide range of movies, though the selection of TV shows is fairly woeful. The movies include a mix of new releases, and many classics. The IFE also includes a USB-A charging port with a power outlet located between the seats.
While there was a flyer in the seatback pocket advertising In-flight WiFi on Thai Sky Connect, I was unable to connect to even check prices on both flights, so it’s not clear if the service is currently operational.
Meal
Meal service began about 45 minutes after take-off, with a selection of chicken with rice or beef with mashed potatoes. Opting for the more Asian-style chicken option, I was very happy with my meal, which also included coleslaw with smoked salmon, a bread roll, cheese and crackers, and a surprisingly delicious and moist carrot cake for dessert.
Alcoholic beverages, including white and red wine, beer and a small selection of spirits were available with the meal. An ice cream was served shortly before landing.
On the return flight from Bangkok to Perth, breakfast was speedily served about 20 minutes after take-off, followed by a savoury hot pastry much later in the flight about an hour before landing. I was glad for the snacks I had bought at 7/11 before boarding the flight, as the departure time of 7.20 am meant lunch was skipped.
The cabin lights were dimmed after the meal service, leaving the flight in darkness for almost the entire duration of the day-time flight (which if you’ve read my Philippine Airlines review, you’ll know is a pet peeve of mine!).
The service was polite but perfunctory on both flights – the cabin crew responded quickly to calls for service but were rarely seen in the cabin outside of designated service times.
Final Verdict – Thai Airways Review
The return of the direct Perth to Bangkok flight is a welcome addition to the growing list of direct international flights at Perth Airport.
With no other non-stop options available, this direct flight shaves hours off your travel time compared to alternatives like Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, or budget carriers such as Scoot and AirAsia, which require a transit stop in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.
However, competition on this route is set to heat up later in the year, with budget carrier Jetstar launching a Perth to Phuket route in August, and Perth to Bangkok in September. Despite this, Thai Airway’s fares starting from around $800 return for a full-service experience will likely continue to appeal to many travellers over budget alternatives.
Overall, the Thai Airway direct flight from Perth to Bangkok offers a comfortable and efficient option for travellers looking to explore Thailand or connect to other destinations globally.
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