Thai Airways Business & First Hong Kong Lounge
The Hong Kong Thai Airways lounge is actually pretty good, and one of the best on Thai Airways International network. It has to be - by the time you've got to the far end of the long pier at Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok airport, you'll need somewhere for a bit of a rest.
The lounge is at the end of the long pier, upstairs, and at the other side of the V shape to United's somewhat poorer offering. It is open to the roof, with great views of the rif-raf below you. Throughout the lounge there are great views of the aeroplanes, and of the sunset over the sea.
The Thai Airways Hong Kong lounge takes up most of the point of the V, with large armchairs that are harder than you expect, and a small quiet room in the middle of the V. The chairs go all the way around the V, and there is even a pair of chairs on the "third" side of the V if you want to sit away from the crowds.
There is a small slumber area, with three slumber chairs (one reserved for First Class passengers) but they are in the full glow of the lights, and only separated from other passengers by thin slats of wood. It's not very relaxing.
In the 'inner' part of the lounge there is a small TV room, with doors that close, and air-con. This area of the lounge is great, as you can get away from the heat and noise of the terminal. The downside is, of course, occasionally people want to use it to watch the telly!
Food
Food is pretty good, with a self service salad bar (which is quite special, having salad, sweet corn, tomatoes, ham, cucumber & pasta salad) plus hot soup and pasta in heated tourines, noodles, Dim sum, rice porridge, curry, satay and various hot entrees are available. There are sandwiches tightly wrapped in cling-film, and ice-cream in the small table-top freezer. Packets of Lay's Crisps are by the bar.
In the first class lounge there is a la carte service available with hot food.
Bar
There is a self-service bar in the Hong Kong Thai Airways lounge which is mostly OK, with two types of wine (white or red) but is fairly nondescript. Wine is rarely topped up, and you have to ask the cleaners for more, but at least there are large full sized wine glasses.Orange and mango juice is in big glass jars on the worktop. There is only one type of beer- Carlsberg - in the fridge. Spirits are Beefeater Gin, Stoli vodka, Bacardi, Martini (x2) Campari, Black Label whisky, Jim Beam, and Connoisseur brandy.
Bathrooms
There are showers in the lounge, but the facilities in the United lounge at Hong Kong are better. Indeed, even the bathrooms in this lounge have seen better days.
Business Facilities
In the Hong Kong Thai Airways lounge there are two very large HD TVs, showing CNN, and which the staff will not let you change onto any other channel.Computer facilities are very good in the lounge with 9 new, fast, internet PCs, on strange minimalist glass chairs with thin designer chairs. There is of course free wifi.
At the back of the business class lounge there are also three playstation computer game consoles. You have to talk to reception for a joystick, and hand it back after 20 minutes.
Newspapers are also good, with a decent pile on the table by the playstations that also has a few magazines such as the economist and Newsweek in the rack underneath.
Thai Airways First Class Lounge Hong Kong
Thai Airways has a Royal First Class lounge in Hong Kong, however it is the most ridiculously separated First Class section you'll ever see in a lounge. For aircraft operating flights that still operate with a First Class cabin, the section of the lounge nearest the desk overlooking the sunset & the sea is roped off, and you can sit there in all your isolated glory.
One of the relaxation chairs is also has a temporary barrier put in place. The only other advantage in flying First Class in Thai out of Hong Kong is that there is a slightly better selection of booze, with two different wines, Gordon's Gin (odd, the cheaper version is in First!), and Bailey Irish Cream.
Video: Thai Airways Lounge
