Another trip... Bangkok, Pattaya & Cambodia

The ongoing unrest in the Middle East made me hesitant to book new flight tickets to Thailand. I’ve always flown with a layover in Qatar, and occasionally via Dubai, simply because I prefer not to spend 12 hours straight on a plane; I like having the journey broken up halfway through. Plus, being a bit of a luxury-seeker, I enjoy flying business class, which is often significantly cheaper when routed through the Middle East compared to direct flights and the quality of business class offered by airlines from the Arab states is exceptionally high.

However, in August, I spotted a great deal I couldn’t pass up, this time with Etihad Airways. For the past few years, I’ve consistently flown with Qatar Airways, as I’ve been very happy with them; their "Qsuite" business class (featuring private, enclosed cabins) is particularly excellent. But Etihad was considerably more affordable, and I’d read in various reviews that their business class product is also top-notch. So, I went ahead and booked it!

In the last year, Thai Airways has also started offering direct flights from the Netherlands (Amsterdam), where I live. But who on earth came up with that terrible flight schedule? On the outbound leg, you arrive in Bangkok at 6:30 AM, and the return flight departs at 5:30 AM... Absolutely awful.

For me, Qatar Airways still offers the best flight times; on the outbound journey, I arrive in Bangkok in the early afternoon. Perfect timing to check into the hotel, catch a quick nap, and then head straight out to the bars that same evening! With the flight I’ve booked to Bangkok this time, I won’t arrive until around 8:00 PM. I wonder if I’ll still have the energy to hit the bars, or if my first night in Bangkok will just be about relaxing in the hotel room and heading to bed "early."