[AMcWhirter]

Previously I have drawn readers attention to Thai International some years later and the fact it was mentored by Scandinavia’s SAS.

Indeed the Thai International livery even featured the Viking longboat along the fuselage (just as with SAS).

I thought readers would like to see Thai Airways of the 1950s.

Thai Airways 1950 @ThaiAirways #Bangkok #Thailand #RetroSiam pic.twitter.com/lfKnhvZsw8

— Retro Siam (@RetroSiam) May 17, 2023

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MarcusGB, Woodpecker, tomyam42, AndrewinHK, GivingupBA

[gregorynbaker]

Interesting information Sir
My first International flight was on TG from SYD/SIN/BKK in those days and we landed smoothly in a DC 10-30 at the old SIN airport. I recall the 3 flight crew (tech crew pilots were all Scandanavians seconded to train the Thai pilots. I was invited to the flight deck in SIN as I did not leave the plane. Good times
GB

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cwoodward

[AMcWhirter]

Thanks a lot for telling the Forum of your experiences, gregorybaker.

It would have been rather later because the DC-10s were not operational with TG until 1975.

I mean the 747, the first wide-body aircraft, did not fly overseas (with launch airline PanAm) until January 1970.

My first flight with TG was in June 1974 LHR-BKK with an en route (unscheduled) refuelling stop in Delhi. Aircraft was a DC-8/63 … the stretched variant and it lacked the range for LHR-BKK non-stop.

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SenatorGold, Ekond222

[Mark]

I love these nostalgia pieces.
Hopefully you will not be upset with me adding this interesting timeline changes with thai removing the First class onboard Lounge on the 747 and upgrading its Biz seats from economy style to true J class.

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SenatorGold

[gregorynbaker]

Sorry Mr Mc and of course you are correct and that flight of mine was Dec 25 1978.
So glad you went on the DC 8, the only jet pax (incl the Convair) aircraft I have not been on.
Happy and safe travels always.
GB

[AMcWhirter]

gregorynbaker wrote:

So glad you went on the DC 8, the only jet pax (incl the Convair) aircraft I have not been on.

Bear in mind there were some differences to the DC-8s.

Best variants were the later 60-series and especially the 62 series (which had a longer range than Boeing’s 707) and the stretched 63-series.

In fact Thai was the first carrier to offer non-stop flights Europe-BKK in the early 1970s.

The 63-series flight I took must have been a last minute aircraft change (Thai is well known for plane changes) hence the Delhi refuelling stop. It was purely a refuelling stop. No passengers left or joined the flight.

[AMcWhirter]

Mark wrote:

I love these nostalgia pieces.

Yes and I am sure many readers do as well.

Thanks for posting. Those early business class seats date from the 1980s.

I say that because Qantas introduced the first business class with wider seats in 1980 and it was some years before rivals caught up.

By the time Thai’s 747s were fitted with that seating they would be carrying the new non-SAS livery.

I was checking wiki and I now remember that years later Thai recreated a retro livery for one of its 747s.

It’s the SAS-inspired livery which dates from the 1970s.

That Viking longboat is prominent !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_Airways_International#/media/File:Thai_Airways_B747-400_HS-TGP_(4448615590).jpg

[AMcWhirter]

If the Thai image does not appear it can found under “Thai Airways International” on wikipedia.

Scroll down on the right-hand side and you will see the 747 image posted fourth from last.

[Mark]

Found these the other day.
Spotted this beauty in both Sydney and London

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AMcWhirter

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