Bangkok Airways offers two types of lounges at airports around Thailand, as well as in Cambodia and Laos.
The first of those are “Boutique Lounges” that provide simple refreshments to all of its passengers including those traveling in economy class. The second are slightly higher-end “Blue Ribbon Club Lounges.”
Prior to taking a flight from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to Da Nang, I briefly visited the Blue Ribbon Club Lounge in the international departures area of Thailand’s largest airport.
In this review, I’ll show you what the lounge was like.
Location, Opening Hours & Access
The international Blue Ribbon Club Lounge can be found in Concourse D, near gate D7. It’s on the third floor – the main departures floor – and it’s open from 4:30AM until 10:00PM every day.
Because of the way Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport is constructed, you can easily get to the lounge regardless of the concourse that your international flight is departing from. The domestic concourse is separate, and so you cannot access this lounge if you are traveling within Thailand.
Bangkok Airways business class passengers can enjoy complimentary access into the lounge. Its economy class passengers can pay 950 THB (about 30 USD) at the time of booking to secure access.
Alternatively, you can also be enter the lounge with a Priority Pass membership regardless of the airline or class you are flying.
In that case, your stay will be limited to a maximum of three hours. That should be more than enough in most cases. And, if you find yourself with a longer transfer, you can always “lounge hop” and visit a different Priority Pass lounge at the airport – like the Air France-KLM Lounge or Oman Air Lounge – after your time expires.
Lounge Tour
Right past the lounge’s entrance, there was a reception desk where a friendly agent checked me in and provided me with a slip of paper that included a Wi-Fi access code.
Unlike with some other lounges, there was no seating in the reception area. There were an aircraft “model” and a large teddy bear, though. Both of them were, of course, wearing a blue ribbon.
There was also a wall decorated with a Bangkok Airways logo made out of various plants.
The lounge itself was basically split into two parts – one mainly designed for lounging and working and the other for dining. What I found nice about the lounge, though, was that there were some smaller areas and rooms within those main areas which increased the sense of privacy.
First, let’s take a look at the lounging and working area which was on the left side of the lounge.
The main part of this area was a fairly small room with about a dozen retro-chic sofa chairs arranged around coffee tables. Similar style of furniture could be found throughout the lounge.
There was also a drawer with some magazines on top of it.
Going further in this area, there was a small business center which consisted of a counter with two computers.
There was a great-looking large illustration on the wall above the counter. Just like with some of the other decor, the illustration featured a lot of blue tones.
At the very back of this area, there were three smaller rooms.
Two of those were private seating area, each featuring a coffee table, a large sofa, and a pair of sofa chairs.
The third one included a small coffee table with a pair of sofa chairs, and more importantly, a pair of massage chairs.
The dining area on the right side of the lounge featured, besides the buffet counter, some more chairs around coffee tables. There was also a long bench along one of the walls.
There were no proper dining tables. It was understandable considering that the food offered in the lounge is fairly limited (as you will see in the next section) and that Bangkok Airways flies mainly short-haul routes.
There was some more secluded seating at the back of this area as well, featuring a pair of coffee tables – each with a pair of chairs and a sofa.
The lounge was equipped with showers – one in the men’s and one in the women’s restroom, I believe – as well.
Food and Drinks
Immediately after settling down on one of the lounge’s sofas, I was approached by one of the staff and asked whether I wanted a shrimp wonton soup and anything to drink.
Not long after that, I was brought the soup, a can of Coke Zero, as well as a bottle of water.
Besides the “a la carte” soup, there was, as mentioned earlier, also a small buffet in the dining area.
Cold drinks offered included lemon ice tea, Thai ice tea with milk, ice chocolate with milk, and ice coffee with milk – all in pitchers. There were also orange, apple, and tomato juices, and cans of Coke Zero. Bottled water was available as well.
As for alcoholic drinks, there were none available in the self-service buffet. However, based on a sign on one of the refrigerators, wine and beer could be ordered by asking the lounge staff.
Hot drinks included a selection of coffee from a coffee machine, instant ginger, and a selection of Twinings teas.
The food selection was quite simple.
There were some cereals, croissants, sandwiches, and yogurts. Vegetables including lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers were available too.
The only warm food – other than the wonton soup – was a selection of steamed dumplings and buns.
Finally, besides all that, there was a selection of Thai desserts.
Blue Ribbon Club Lounge (International) Bangkok Summary
Overall, I really liked the decor of the lounge. That said, the food and drinks selection was nothing to write home about.
As such, while I would certainly visit this lounge if I was flying in Bangkok Airways’ business class, had some time to spare at the airport, and had no Priority Pass, I would likely skip it in all other situations. I certainly do not recommend paying 950 THB for entry.
If you have Priority Pass, it’s still a nice lounge to visit for a quick drink if your departure gate is nearby. Otherwise, I recommend visiting one of the other Priority Pass lounges at the airport – especially the Oman Air Lounge and Air France-KLM Lounge.