Thai Smile Airways

✅ Trip Verified | Bangkok to Phuket. The price of this flight was excellen , so my expectations weren’t too high. The aircraft was spotless, seats comfortable. I managed to have a spare seat in the middle, was happy I didn’t book their premium economy product the only difference being you get the middle seat free and an upgraded meal service, but on such a short flight it seems wasted. We were served a bottle of water and a dire chicken sandwich (which I felt unnecessary for a flight of such short duration). The all female crew I thought were quite aggressive in their manner, but when your flight is such good value this is a small grumble.

✅ Trip Verified | I want to warn travelers who are buying ticket via one of the search engines like Gotogate, Tripsta, Budgetair that by doing this according to the airline you incapacitate yourself so any further changes can be make only via your broker. I made change on their web site (which was not blocked), paid for it by my CC and nothing happen. They took the money and did not make change directing me to the broker I bought flight. Than I found out that the broker is charging additional fee ($100) for the change so you pay twice for the service accomplished by yourself on their web site. I have lost more than $300. Contact with customer service is pointless, they simply stop responding. Flight from Bangkok to Phuket was OK, on time and without issues.

✅ Trip Verified | As a STAR status member I booked the flight with the Thai Website and under a TG flight number. On the confirmation I read that the flight will be operated by Thai Smile, a subsidiary Airline of Thai Airways. We booked the longhaul flight with Finnair and we had a 4 hr stopover at BKK Airport. We asked the Finnair check-in agent at Heathrow Airport to check-in the bags on to Luang Prabang, which she did. We arrived at BKK Airport where we were met by an Airline representative, who told us that our bags could not be checked through to Luang Prabang and this was a mistake by the agent in London. We were asked to clear immigration, claim our bags, checkin our bags with Thai Smile and clear immigration again, as Thai Smile doesn't have an interline agreement with Finnair. (They only have one with Thai Airways) Everyone who has passed through BKK Airport knows that this can take more than a 2 hours. Our bags of course didn't arrive on the Finnair flight luggage conveyer belt. We asked the ground staff to locate our bags, which of course took ages again. Presumably they had been sent to the LPQ flight after all! In the end we made it to the flight just in time. The meal on this flight consisted of a juice and some sort of wrap. The staff appeared to be very young. Not to mention that the flight was nearly empty (20 passengers or so) and you don't get any miles or lounge Access although it cost GBP 140. Never again.

✅ Trip Verified | I flew from Bangkok to Phnom Penh with Thai Smile. I am a citizen of Kazakhstan and I am required to pay 2000 Thai Bhat (around 60 USD) for Thai Visa on Arrival if I want to enter Thailand. However, I arrived with Air Astana flight from Astana to Bangkok Suvarnubhumi airport without baggage (I had only hand luggage with me). Then in the international zone I approached the Thai Smile desk and I told them that I want to transit to Phnom Penh. Since the Thai Smile does not allow online check-in for international flights, I kindly asked the transfer desk to issue me a boarding pass. They refused me. They told me that I had to get Thai Visa On Arrival before I can get my boarding pass in the airport's departure zones. Again, I kindly explained that I did not have any luggage and, thus, I would appreciate if they allowed me to get boarding passes. Again, they refused. Then I had to spend 2 more hours going through Thai Passport Control and Customs and I paid 60 USD for Thai Visa on Arrival which I did not need since I left right away to Cambodia! I do not like Thai Smile Airways!

✅ Trip Verified | Flew Chiang Mai to Bangkok. Flying the first time Thai Smile and liking in general the product. They sell a Premium Economy product on the three first rows, where the middle seat is blocked, you have priority boarding and 30kg priority baggage, lounge access as well the possibility to reserve your preferred seat. During the 1 hour flight a three course (starter, cold main and desert). So actually you get what European airlines sell as Biz class. Only set back is that they do not accept Star Alliance Cards even though when booked on a TG number. In the rest a decent airline, about 35% less expensive than it's mother Thai Airways.

✅ Verified Review | Bangkok to Vientiane. I have been very disappointed flying with Thai Smile. I am Star Alliance Gold member (Senator 2 stars) since more than a decade and I have been surprised when I was told (at the check in desk) that I had to move from Thai Airways Gold check in to Thai Smile Economy desk, losing significant waiting time at checking which was not expected - I had then to rush to the boarding gate. Up to very recently, the line Bangkok to Vientiane was operated by Thai Airways (I travel on this segment very often), with all advantages offered for star alliance gold members. Now, for approx the same price, you travel on a kind of "low cost" company. In addition, I booked on the Thai website, and there is nowhere a clear statement that you do not book a Thai airways flight (the flight code remains TH). If this had appeared I would have flown Bangkok Airways instead which is from far a better company than Thai Smile. I consider this practice very unfair and damaging for the image of Thai Airways as member of Star Alliance.

✅ Verified Review | Kuala Lumpur to Khon Kaen via Bangkok. I checked in KLIA and counter staff issued me two boarding passes, one to Bangkok and another for Khon Kaen. To be sure I asked how will my luggage arrangements be, it was confirmed that it is checked in all the way to KKC. I also received the luggage tag for it KKC. However to my disappointment upon arrival in Khon Kaen at 2pm, my luggage was not there. Lodge a complaint & finally got my bag before 9pm. Thai Smile, please review your bag transfer.

✅ Verified Review | Bangkok to Penang. As Star Alliance Gold having bought my ticket online from the Thai Airways site, I expected to have lounge access that I usually get when flying on Star Alliance flights. But when I went to the Thai Airways lounge (in the Gate E area) at Suvarnabhumi Airport, I was denied entrance, because Thai Smile is not a Star Alliance member. I received the same refusal when I tried the EVA Air lounge. When we were finally allowed to board the aircraft (at a bus gate, departing about 30 minutes late), I noticed that the Thai Airways logo is printed on the side of the planes (in addition to the name Thai Smile). I thought other readers might want to be aware of this issue when making their plans. Advantages: there were lots of empty seats on the flight, so I had a row to myself. Food (a snack only, of course this is a short route) was OK but undistinguished. The price was not nearly as low as other budget airlines (I had chosen Thai Smile precisely because of its Star Alliance status--I thought!). This airline might be a good choice for leisure travelers (if they can get a better price than I did; this was a last-minute trip) as the cabin service was fine and the flights leave from Suvarnabhumi, not the understaffed Don Mueang airport (which is another reason I chose it). But for a business travelers in my situation, it was not.

✅ Verified Review | Penang to Bangkok. Thai Smile does not offer larger seats on their premium economy class, and do not accept the same luggage allowance as Thai Airways. If you are allowed 50 kg on Thai Air, Thai Smile will only allow 40 kg. When checking in, it has happened a few times that I am told they have not received payment from Thai Air, so checking in is always interesting. In the air you may experience that cabin crew does not speak English and today they had not ordered enough food, so they could not offer me any. Thai Smile are a subsidiary of a Star Alliance member, but you do not get benefits such as points, lounge access, etc.

✅ Verified Review | Flew with two relatives for a couple of days in Chiang Mai, from Bangkok. Thai Smile are an absolute joy to fly. They might be the low cost branch of Thai Air but there is nothing cut price about their service. Online check in with free choice of seats, 20 kilo baggage allowance. We ended up checking four bags in even though there was only three of us without any problem at all. The seats were comfortable with plenty leg room. Flights took off on time. Return leg landed a little behind schedule but that was down to air trafficcontrol in Bangkok. Cabin crew were brilliant. Happy and living up to the brand name, smiling throughout. Sandwich provided, which is something a well known high price British airline is unable or unwilling to provide these days. Will have no hesitation in booking Thai Smiles again.