Thai Airways' Boeing 787-9 features a premium Business Class with 1-2-1 reverse herringbone seating and spacious Economy. Discover the best seats to book and which ones to avoid for maximum comfort on long-haul flights.
The 787-9 offers excellent Business Class privacy with reverse herringbone configuration, though no direct aisle access for middle seats. Seats 11A and 11K are bulkhead favorites with extra legroom, while 15K offers mid-cabin privacy. Avoid rows 18A/18K near Economy and bulkhead center seats 11D/11G due to aisle exposure and foot traffic.
Thai Airways' Business Class features a sophisticated 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout across 30 seats with an impressive 43-inch pitch and 20-inch width. This configuration provides direct aisle access for all passengers and ensures enhanced privacy. However, note that there are no privacy doors between seats, so you may experience some visibility from adjacent aisles during service.
Economy Class utilizes a 3-3-3 configuration with standard 32-inch pitch on most rows. Rows 31-34 offer enhanced 36-inch pitch spacing, making them premium economy-style seats without formal designation. These upgraded rows provide noticeably more legroom for the same price if available during booking.
Seat | Cabin | Why |
|---|---|---|
11A | Business | Bulkhead position with larger footwell and direct aisle access |
11K | Business | Bulkhead companion seat with extra legroom and window privacy |
15K | Business | Mid-cabin location offering optimal privacy and service convenience |
31-34 (Window/Aisle) | Economy | Enhanced 36-inch pitch provides superior legroom over standard rows |
Seat | Cabin | Why |
|---|---|---|
18A | Business | Last Business row positioned directly adjacent to Economy, compromising cabin separation |
18K | Business | Last Business row near Economy section with reduced privacy perception |
11D | Business | Bulkhead center seat exposed to aisle traffic with limited privacy |
11G | Business | Bulkhead center seat with direct sightline to galley and service aisle |
Thai Airways operates a single standardized 787-9 Business Class configuration with the 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout across all aircraft in their fleet, eliminating the version-hunting gamble that plagues some carriers. You can identify your specific aircraft via the tail number on your booking confirmation, though configuration consistency means this matters less than on competing carriers' 787s. Since all Thai Airways 787-9s share identical cabin specs, there's no strategic advantage to flight-switching based on seat generation or layout variants. This uniformity is a genuine win for frequent flyers who value predictability over the false hope of upgrading into a "better" version.
Against Cathay Pacific's A350 and Singapore Airlines' A350 on regional Asia-Pacific routes, Thai Airways' 787-9 Business holds its own on privacy (thanks to the aisle-access herringbone) but falls short on sheer comfort - Cathay's suites have closing doors and wider seats at 20.5 inches, while SQ's A350 offers superior cabin pressure and humidity at altitude, which matters on the 8-10 hour hauls where Thai competes. For solo travelers, Thai's window seats in the 1 configuration win decisively (direct aisle, no middle-seat chatter), but couples should pick Cathay or SQ for genuine privacy and larger shared storage. Tall passengers favor SQ's A350 for generous pitch and better IFE headroom; Thai and Cathay tie for legroom but Thai's no-door setup means less enclosure. The honest call: book Thai for the price-to-privacy ratio on regional hops under 6 hours, but switch to Cathay or SQ for 8+ hour overnight flights where door closure and cabin science justify the premium.
Thai Airways' Bangkok Suvarnabhumi hub centers on the Royal Silk Lounge (Business Class access on all paid fares), which offers a Thai restaurant, cocktail bar, shower suites, and traditional Thai massage bookings - facilities competitive with regional standards but not exceptional against Changi's or Hong Kong's top-tier lounges. Access is automatic for Business Class passengers, and oneworld frequent flyers at Sapphire+ status also qualify, making the ground experience a genuine perk for alliance members. The lounge justifies routing via Bangkok primarily for connectivity between Indian subcontinent and China routes; on pure Asia-Pacific city pairs, the neutral ground experience (clean, functional, not luxurious) doesn't offset longer layovers versus direct competitors based in Singapore or Hong Kong. For a genuine hub experience advantage, Thai's timing and oneworld partnerships matter more than the physical lounge amenities themselves.
Book seat 1A or 1K (window positions in the single-seat cabin sections) if routing overnight: these offer direct aisle access, a solid sidewall to lean against, and minimal passenger flow past your seat during the flight. Skip the four-course dinner service if wheels-up is after 20:00; order a light snack instead and go straight to sleep, as digestion disrupts rest on the 787's red-eye routes to Europe - you'll land sharper and your body clock will thank you. Bring a quality neck pillow (Thai's provided pillow is thin) and compression socks to manage the 8-10 hour cabin time; the 787's better cabin pressure helps, but your own kit is non-negotiable for premium sleep. Upon arrival, request a crew cabin walk 90 minutes before landing to activate your legs, then hit the airport lounge shower immediately - Thai's ground handling at hubs like Bangkok includes fast-track immigration for Business, so use that advantage to shower, change, and reset before ground transportation, which collapses jet lag by 6-8 hours on westbound arrivals.
Thai Airways does not offer a dedicated premium economy cabin on this aircraft. However, Economy rows 31-34 feature 36-inch pitch spacing compared to standard 32-inch, providing a premium-like experience.
No, the Business Class cabins do not feature privacy doors between seats. While the reverse herringbone layout provides direct aisle access and enhanced sightline privacy, you may see adjacent passengers during service.
Rows 31-34 offer 36-inch pitch spacing, providing an additional 4 inches compared to standard Economy rows. Bulkhead rows also offer extended footwell space.
The 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout ensures all passengers have direct aisle access. Center seats (D/G) are not middle seats but positioned on the sides, though they face some aisle exposure.
Business Class offers 43-inch pitch and 20-inch width. Economy provides 32-inch pitch on standard rows and 36-inch on rows 31-34, with standard 17-inch width.
