Suvarnabhumi International Airport

Thai Airways TG 0319 flight route: Bangkok-Kathmandu.

After Fajr, I rushed to find flight information board to make sure my connecting flight would be on time or maybe it would be delayed. I found it in main transit hall corridor.

The boarding pass which I’ve held since leaving Soekarno Hatta International Airport.

As a follower of eating on time, by 06:00 hours, I was busy to looking for halal food. Now only halal which would be the my requirement….Because I couldn’t choose a menu with street food price, of course. Exploring 3rd floor of Suvarnabhumi, I finally stopped at Silom Village.

Couldn’t find a “Halal” logo….Finally, I stopped at a “Non-Pork” restaurant.

My menu: fried rice chicken served with salted egg for THB 220 (USD 7.34)

I closed breakfast that morning by sipping a cup of warm tea which was able to expel the wind in my body after a night of cold sleep in the main corridor of transit hall and continued at prayer room.

Then I headed to gate C10 to wait for Thai Airways TG 319. This time I only needed to step one more floor via escalator to reach the gate.

Those were gates at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

While waiting for boarding time, it was better to charge my smartphone as the only documentation tool which I carried….As usual, I was the amateur backpacker. I also tried to reread an itinerary which I was ready to use for my exploration in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Interesting spot in departure hall area.

My boredom in seeing planes in Suvarnabhumi International Airport runway was broken by presence of Thai Airways, BOEING 777-200 type. Paid close attention to loading process so that I didn’t feel boarding time arrived on time.

Thai Airways TG 319 was preparing to immediately fly for 3 hours 33 minutes.

Entering aircraft cabin and in a blink my eyes became fresh. Apart from the beauty of flight attendants, also because airplane seats have colorful seat covers. Plane cabin looked like colorful candy.

I sat at right side of cabin and flanked by two young girls. On the right, a Chinese girl who I didn’t know what her name was and a Japanese girl on the left whose her surnamed was Kawaguchi….Very beautiful with her ponytail.

I sat down while feeling a little sorry for being unable to quickly choose an airplane seat after online ordering ticket. This caused my opportunity loss to sit in a ideal position for photographers, i.e window seat. Because this flight would be very close to some of peaks of Himalayas which would show off their snow blankets.

When that moment happened, almost half of passengers stood up and faced to right window. It was the position where I sit. I couldn’t take pictures very well and prefered to still sit and recorded brief flight sessions right over Himalayas in my brain memory. It was still beautiful memorized, until this article was published….Amazing flight.

Started to filling out an immigration form which was given by a cabin crew.

The landing process was equally attractive. The view presented residential building of Kathmandu residents which were dominated by brownish square shape. Now I was ready to set foot in Tribhuvan International Airport which had become a gateway to Nepal for the last few decades.

Aviation security: “Hi, Sir. Please, directly stepping to airport building!”, He said, forbidding me to take a selfie image under Thai Airways.

Me: “OK, Sir….I’m sorry“, I answered with a little annoyed….Hmmh.

The arrival hall which wasn’t too luxurious and was only equipped with an old screening gate, made me smile because I felt like on Indonesia’s 80s era.

Then I submitted a Visa on Arrival application at visa issuing machine and then paid for USD 25 at a counter which was guarded by elderly female staff, I finally entered Nepal.

Are you looking for a flight ticket from Bangkok to Kathmandu? You can buy it through 12go Asia. This is the link: https://12go.asia/?z=3283832

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12 Hours Staying at Suvarnabhumi International Airport

13 January 202128 January 2021travelingpersecond

<—-Previous Story

Through aerogbridge, I immediately headed to transit hall to waiting for next Thai Airways connecting flight. The time was 23:15 hours. I tried to find an information center location to ask about the most comfortable place to rest at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Me: “Hi, Ms. Where is a better place for rest and getting food ?, Transit hall or departure hall?“

Staff: “I think you will be better staying in transit hall. Departure hall is very crowded than you think. There is food court in transit hall, so don’t worry ”.

Me: “Oh, okay Ms. Thank you”.

Finally, her suggestion led me to immediately enter the transit hall. Smoothly passing a ticket and passport checking counter, then I quickly ended it through a x-ray screening.

I would spend a night for 12 hours until Thai Airways flight TG 0319 went to Kathmandu. Arriving at transit hall, I immediately looked for the best spot to closing my eyes. The situation was still busy, it wasn’t possible for me to find a row of empty chairs to stretch out my legs.

Finally, it took about 1.5 hours to explore the entire transit hall.

Midnight began to pass, slowly the airport began to lose its visitors. The long row of blue benches seemed to be empty. Some cleaning services were seen starting to wipe that benches with perfume and sterilizer. They seemed to know my signs to immediately use that benches which looked like a springbeds in my eyes.

Really soundly asleep with backpack as pillow until dawn. Slowly, sound of passengers in their morning flight started to interrupt my “Nepal dream”. I woke up but still feeling sleepy, I decided to look for a prayer room and hoped to continue my dream.

Fajr time in Bangkok was on 05:20 hours. While waiting for it to arrived, I swiftly took a sleeping spot at the back end of mosque. But this time, I had to curl up due to the coldness of room due to prayer room’s large AC.

A few hours later, congregation’s footsteps began to often be heard entering the room. Fajr time was approaching. It couldn’t sleeping anymore, get ready to do Fajr in congregation.

I was happy to be able to pray with Suvarnabhumi’s moslem workers in Bangkok. I mingled with security, immigration staffs until airport polices. After praying, I had a little conversation with one of immigration staff. A thing that I caught was that Bangkok’s moslems account for about 10% of total population of the capital. That percentage was ranges from 800-900 thousand people.

As dawn has passed, it was time to clean myself in toilet then got some snacks for breakfast before TG 0319 taked off on 10:30 hours to the capital of Nepal.

Next Story—->

Selimut Putih Himalaya dari TG 319

16 March 202021 March 2020travelingpersecond

Jalur terbang Thai Airways TG 0319 Bangkok-Kathmandu.

Selepas Subuhan, aku bergegas mencari keberadaan flight information board untuk memastikan apakah connecting flightku akan tepat waktu atau mungkin delay. Aku menemukannya di koridor utama transit hall.

*Boarding pass* yang telah kupegang sejak meninggalkan Soetta.

Sebagai penganut paham makan tepat waktu maka menjelang jam 6 pagi, aku sibuk berjibaku mencari makanan halal. Kini hanya halal yang akan menjadi syaratnya….Karena aku tak bisa memilih makanan harga kaki lima tentunya. Menjelajah lantai 3 Suvarnabhumi akhirnya aku hinggap di Silom Village.

Tak bisa menemukan logo “*Halal*”….Aku singgah di “*Non-Pork*” resto.

Menuku: *fried rice chicken served with salted egg* seharga Rp. 99.000

Sarapan pagi itu kututup dengan menyeruput secangkir teh hangat yang mampu mengusir angin dalam tubuh setelah semalaman tidur kedinginan di koridor utama transit hall dan bersambung di mushola.

Lantas menujulah aku ke gate C10 untuk menunggu Thai Airways TG 319. Kali ini hanya perlu menaiki satu lantai lagi melalui escalator untuk mencapai gate.

Itu dia barisan *gate* di Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Sembari menunggu boarding time, lebih baik mengecharge handphone sebagai satu-satunya alat dokumentasi yang kubawa….Biasa, amatiran. Aku juga berusaha membaca kembali itinerary yang telah siap kugunakan untuk eksplorasi Kathmandu dan Pokhara.

Kebosananku akan lalu-lalang pesawat di runway Suvarnabhumi International Airport dipatahkan dengan kehadiran Thai Airways berjenis BOEING 777-200. Memperhatikan proses loading dengan seksama hingg tak terasa waktu boarding pun tiba tepat waktu.

Thai Airways TG 319 sedang mempersiapkan diri untuk segera terbang selama 3 jam 33 menit.

Memasuki kabin pesawat sekejap mata menjadi segar. Selain karena kecantikan para pramugari juga karena bangku pesawat yang memiliki seat cover penuh warna. Kabin pesawat terlihat bak permen warna-warni.

Aku duduk disisi kanan kabin dan diapit 2 perempuan muda. Sebelah kanan berkebangsaan Tiongkok yang entah siapa namanya dan seorang gadis Jepang di sisi kiri yang kutahu namanya bermarga Kawaguchi….Sangat cantik dengan kuncir kudanya.

Duduk sembari sedikit menyesal karena kalah cepat memilih bangku pesawat pasca pemesanan tiket secara online. Hal ini mengakibatkan hilangnya kesempatan duduk di posisi istimewa bagi para photographer yaitu window seat. Karena penerbangan ini akan sangat dekat sekali dengan beberapa puncak pegunungan Himalaya yang akan memamerkan selimut saljunya.

Saat momen itu terjadi, hampir sebagian penumpang berdiri dan menoleh ke jendela sebelah kanan. Itu adalah posisi dimana aku duduk. Aku tak bisa mengambil gambar dengan baik dan lebih memilih untuk duduk tenang dan merekam sesi singkat penerbangan tepat di atas Himalaya itu dalam memori otakku. Masih terbanyang indah hingga tulisan ini terbit….Amazing flight.

Mulai mengisi *immigration form* yang diberikan oleh awak kabin.

Proses landing juga tak kalah memikat. Pemandangan yang tersaji adalah deretan bangunan tempat tinggal penduduk Kathmandu yang didominasi bentuk kotak kecoklatan. Kini aku bersiap menginjakkan kaki di Tribhuvan International Airport yang telah menjadi gerbang wisata Nepal dalam beberapa dekade terakhir.

Avseq: “Hi, Sir. Please, directly stepping to airport building!”, Ujarnya melarangku mengambil foto selfie tepat di kaki Thai Airways.

Aku: “OK, Sir….I’m sorry”, menjawab dengan sedikit kesal….Hmmh.

Arrival hall yang tak terlalu mewah dan hanya dilengkapi dengan screening gate uzur membuatku tersenyum karena aku seakan berada di Indonesia era 80-an.

Mengajukan aplikasi Visa on Arrival dalam mesin penerbitan visa dan kemudian membayar Rp. 337.500 di sebuah konter yang dijaga oleh staff perempuan tua, akhirnya aku shah memasuki Nepal.

Cari tiket penerbangan dari Bangkok ke Kathmandu? Bisa beli kok melalui 12go Asia. Berikutnya linknya: https://12go.asia/?z=3283832

12 Jam Menginap di Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

12 March 20207 March 2020travelingpersecond

Melalui aerogbridge, aku segera menuju transit hall untuk menunggu connecting flight Thai Airways berikutnya. Waktu menunjukkan pukul 23:15. Aku berusaha menemukan lokasi information centre untuk menanyakan tempat ternyaman beristirahat di Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Aku: “Hi, Ms. Where is better place for rest and getting food?, Transit hall or departure hall?”

Staff: “I think you will be better staying in transit hall. Departure hall is very crowded than you think. Many food stall are in transit hall, so don’t worry”.

Aku: “Oh, okay Ms. Thank you”.

Akhirnya, sarannya menuntunku untuk segera memasuki transit hall. Melewati konter pemeriksaan tiket dan passport dengan lancar, kemudian aku mengakhirinya melalui x-ray screening dengan cepat.

Aku akan bermalam selama 12 jam hingga pernerbangan Thai Airways TG 0319 menuju Kathmandu. Setiba di transit hall, aku segera mencari spot terbaik untuk memejamkan mata. Situasi yang masih ramai, tak memungkinkan bagiku menemukan deretan bangku kosong untuk selonjoran.

Akhirnya, menghabiskan waktu sekitar 1,5 jam untuk mengeksplore seluruh *transit hall*.

Tengah malam mulai berlalu, perlahan airport mulai kehilangan para pengunjungnya. Deretan bangku-bangku biru memanjang itupun nampak mulai kosong. Beberapa cleaning service terlihat mulai menyeka bangku-bangku itu dengan pewangi dan sterilizer. Mereka sepertinya tahu gelagatku untuk segera meniduri bangku-bangku yang tampak seperti springbed dalam penglihatanku.

Sungguh terlelap berbantal backpack hingga menjelang fajar. Perlahan suara geretan koper para penumpang penerbangan pagi mulai menginterupsi “mimpi Nepal”ku. Aku terbangun tetapi masih tak kuasa menahan kantuk. Kuputuskan untuk mencari mushola dan berharap bisa melanjutkan mimpi.

Ruangan mushola yang kosong dan menggoda.

Waktu subuh di Bangkok adalah jam 05:20. Sembari menunggunya tiba, dengan sigap aku mengambil spot tidur di ujung belakang mushola. Tetapi kali ini, aku harus meringkuk disebabkan dinginnya ruangan karena AC besar mushola.

Beberapa jam setelahnya, derap langkah para jama’ah mulai sering terdengar memasuki ruangan. Waktu Subuh kian menjelang. Sudah tak lelap lagi, bersiaplah diriku mengerjakan Subuh berjama’ah.

Bahagia rasanya, bisa shalat bersama kaum muslim Bangkok pekerja Suvarnabhumi. Aku berbaur dengan security, staff imigrasi hingga para polisi bandara. Sehabis shalat aku sedikit bercakap dengan salah satu staff imigrasi. Satu yang kutangkap adalah kaum muslim Bangkok berjumlah sekitar 10% dari total penduduk Ibukota. Persentase itu berkisar di angka 800-900 ribu.

Subuh telah berlalu, saatnya bersih-bersih di toilet lalu mencari sedikit kudapan untuk sarapan sebelum TG 0319 take off pada pukul 10:30 menuju ibukota Nepal.

Tag: Suvarnabhumi International Airport

Thai Airways TG 319 from Bangkok (BKK) to Kathmandu (KTM): White Blanket of Himalaya

12 Hours Staying at Suvarnabhumi International Airport

Selimut Putih Himalaya dari TG 319

12 Jam Menginap di Suvarnabhumi International Airport.