BackToFirst - Complete Listing

Collection Listing
Click on the "View Now" or "Open Now" links to view or open the file, or on the "Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")" link to jump to the file's page.

Return to Lobby

Name	Statistics	Comments

DSCN3074.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 636 x 640 Size: 40.2 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And so, after a relatively long hiatus from travelling, Willard is very excited to be finally picking up his ticket from the very nice staff at the Air France ticket desk in Manchester Airport. This flight will be from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur on Malaysian Airlines' new First Class, and then onto Bangkok and a connection to Chiang Mai. Since Willard is worried about loosing his frequent flyer status with bmi (he stopped flying them since they started charging for food in October) he is also going to be doing a "Mileage Run" between Chiang Mai and Bangkok a few times - to the cogniscenti on Flyertalk.COM, this is known as "the Baht Run".
Image042.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 28.7 kB Date: 01/26/2006	...but of course, Willard first needs to GET to Heathrow, and since he has a few "Free Rental" vouchers due to expire, he chooses to do this via a one-way car rental. Of course, Willard, used to the luxury of a chauffer on his previous trips, is a bit peeved to find himself in the driving seat of a Renault Clio!
Image043.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 49.3 kB Date: 01/26/2006	But we all finally make it to Heathrow Terminal 3, and the slightly hidden Malaysian Airlines First Class check-in desk.
Dscn3083.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 460 x 640 Size: 37.6 kB Date: 01/26/2006	On the way to the lounge, Willard finds what may well be a distant relative, who now seems to be in the employ of an Egyptian gentlemen!
Dscn3080.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 526 Size: 46.0 kB Date: 01/26/2006	But, Willard tears himself away from the reunion to take the lift up to the Golden First Class lounge. Here, he can re-acuaint himself with the little things he has come to enjoy about flying, a glass of Veuve Cliquot Champagne, hot and cold snacks, and the company of his fellow First Class passengers.
DSCN3088.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 34.4 kB Date: 01/26/2006	The water feature isn't quite as grandiose as the one Willard found in the BA First lounge in Singapore, but, overall, he gives the Golden First lounge a "two paws up" and it certainly seems to be amongst the best lounges he has investigated in Heathrow Terminal 3, neck and neck with the Singapore Airlines lounge just up the corridor.
Dscn3089.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 479 Size: 37.2 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And a quick stop for a photo-op of our Malaysian Airlines 747-400, that will be Willard's habitat for the next 12 hours.
DSCN3090.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.4 kB Date: 01/26/2006	....and speaking of habitats, this one is HUGE! The open airy feeling of this cabin, in the nose section of the 747 is very difficult to convey! Willard has never seen so few seats in so much space! This makes the equivalent cabins on BA and Singapore look positively CRAMPED by comparison, and they are still very roomy.
Dscn3091.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 25.9 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Being a bit daunted by the seat pitch, Willard quickly takes his favoured position on the electrically operated "Ottoman" jump seat, strapped in and ready for take off!
Dscn3092.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 39.7 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And, of course, Malaysian Airlines signature appetiser is a selection of Satay! Take your pictures quickly, because it is so good that if you blink, you may well miss it!
DSCN3094.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 35.5 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And, later on in the flight, after a civilised 6 hour nap, Willard decides to sample the in-flight entertainment. This is, of course, a BIG SCREEN experience, Willard is impressed, and, as he watches the latest film from Aardman, he feels a strange sense of kinship with it's star, Gromit, who also seems to find himself taking care of his sometimes hapless master!
DSCN3112.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 35.0 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Back to terra firma as we check in for a quick one-night stopover at the Westin Kuala Lumpur. As a Platinum Preferred Guest, Willard is immediately escorted away from the lobby into the more refined environment of the Executive Club, where his check-in needs are seen to in comfort.
Dscn3097.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 497 Size: 33.6 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And the nice people at the Westin have thoughtfully allocated Willard a top floor room with this premium view of Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers, a feat of engineering that Malaysians are justly proud of!
DSCN3100.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 44.4 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And since he slept well on the flight over, (Where DID tuesday GO, anyway?!) Willard decides to drop in at the trendy "Living Room" bar for a cool glass of Tiger. He then spends some time talking to Satku, one of the hotels management team, who is understandably fascinated about his travels, and how this hotel compares with others in the Starwood family.
Dscn3106.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 611 x 640 Size: 49.3 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And, after many attempts to take a picture that does justice to this towering structure, Willard settles for this view, and vows to buy a Wide-Angle lens soon!
Dscn3109.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 394 Size: 44.4 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Since the waiting list to go up to the viewing section of the suspended walkway would have caused Willard (and his travelling companions) to miss his flight, he had to be content with messing around in the fountains outside.
Dscn3113.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 37.1 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), and after the lofty heights of Malaysian Airlines First Class service yesterday, Willard has hit bottom with a resounding THUMP! The airline has chosen to close both of it's lounges in the main airport building, and is directing business class passengers onto the monorail service to the satelite terminal. However, this is quite a trek, and makes it a difficult choice between the comfort of the lounge or actually catching your flight. This is NOT a good start to a "Premium Travel Experience", and Willard doesn't look happy!
Dscn3115.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 490 x 640 Size: 29.4 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Finally on the plane, and Willard settles down to a glass of bubbly, after the 45 minute ground delay after boarding. Yesterday, he was sipping Dom Perignon on the flight over from Heathrow, today the Champagne on offer is "Joseph Perrier", who Willard thinks, must be Laurent Perrier's poorer long lost brother, sadly held back in the family business by non-functioning tastebuds.
Dscn3117.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 29.8 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Moving swiftly on to the meal, and things do improve, with an acceptable Light Meal of Lemon Chicken, though, given the delay, the flight is now flying very much in "Dinner" territory, the food is tasty and welcomed.
Dscn3121.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 39.9 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And so, after our hair-raising trip through immigration and over to the Domestic terminal at Bangkok (Malaysian refused to check us through to our Thai Airways flight, and, given the nearly 1 hour delay to the sechedule of the flight from Kuala Lumpur, I can't help but think that they knew something we didn't at check-in!) so we find ourselves in the newly refurbished Thai Domestic lounge, sipping soft drinks and enjoying the ecclectic selection of snacks that Thai offers.
Dscn3124.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 46.5 kB Date: 01/26/2006	So this is what they mean when they say "crammed into your seat!". After having to rebook onto a later flight due to the earlier delays, we find that this later flight to Chiang Mai is, itself, further delayed on the ground - some days nothing seems to go your way!
Dscn3126.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 31.7 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Thankfully the load is light in the Business cabin, so Willard quickly moves to an unoccupied seat!
DSCN3127.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 37.5 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And so, to Chaing Mai! We're staying at the Sheraton, and, as their reputation amongst members of the Starwood Preferred Guest program had indicated, they were kind enough to offer us an upgrade to this huge suite! Willard is in the middle of the picture - honestly!
DSCN3134.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 28.3 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And the bedroom is also to WIllard's liking, with lots of nice touches like electronically switched lights, and fresh orchids laid on the pilllows.
Dscn3138.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 485 Size: 25.4 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Many people wonder about the technical side of Willard's photography - how does a small bear take all of these pictures? This accidental shot in the mirror gives away all of our secrets!
DSCN3146.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 41.9 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And this is what happens when you put too much bath foam into the Jaccuzi! Good for our modesty, bad for the bathroom floor (and, if left on for too long, we wondered if it would continue to grow and engulf the whole suite!)
Dscn3147.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 70.9 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And so, after a night's sleep, today's planned activity is a trip to the Chiang Mai Thai cookery school, run by the Wok restaurant, and as recomended by a long list of satisfied Flyertalkers.
Dscn3150.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 532 Size: 45.9 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Pounding your own Penang Curry paste makes you realise that proper Thai cookery is hard work, not just hard Wok!
DSCN3153.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 54.1 kB Date: 01/26/2006	But after a good workout, and a bit of assistance from our three instructors, Willard gets down to the serious business of slaving over a hot Wok! Willard Bear is.... Licenced to fry!
Dscn3154.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 404 x 640 Size: 35.7 kB Date: 01/26/2006	Our main instructor for the morning Roong really REALLY liked Willard, indeed, I think she would have liked him to stay!
DSCN3156.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 38.3 kB Date: 01/26/2006	But all that hard work pays off, and the final result, a Penang Pork Curry, certainly hits the spot for Willard! Don't fall asleep yet! You've got another 5 dishes to cook!
DSCN3159.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 47.5 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And with a little help from Willard's now considerable expertise in the field (being "Teacher's Pet" obviously helps too, we think) his companions also manage to reach an acceptable level of competence.
Dscn3160.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 587 Size: 41.7 kB Date: 01/26/2006	And so Willard settles down to his first self-cooked Thai lunch. And by this time we all know why so many people on Flyertalk have recomended this school - their combination of skilled demostration, humour and firm discipline (AUGH! you've burnt your garlic again, throw it all away and start over!) make this by far the best cookery school of any sort we've experienced, with many of our fellow students today doing multi-day courses covering a wide range of Thai styles of cooking! If only we had the time....
Dscn3164.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 27.4 kB Date: 01/27/2006	And Friday is mileage run day! Here is Willard checking into the somewhat under-sized Royal Executive Lounge in Chiang Mai. By this point, things had already started going horribly wrong, with over zealous Thai Ops having cancelled one of our two bookings and "helpfully" merged the remaining segments. To make matters worse, the 10:15 flight we are booked on is already showing a 25 minute delay when we check-in at the lounge, and since our onward bookings have been cancelled, we don't have a return boarding pass that would allow us to run for the gate for our first return flight.....
Dscn3165.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 49.4 kB Date: 01/27/2006	However, every cloud has a silver lining! This flight normally operates as a 747-400 plane, and we have managed to secure First Class seating on this sector, as a result of our Business Class booking and Star Gold status, which helps to justify the point of this "status run". If only bmi treated it's loyal customers half as well as Thai treats bmi's loyal customers! (Apologies for the dodgy focusing, I'm sure I told the camera to flash, but I think it had other ideas!)
Dscn3166.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 24.6 kB Date: 01/27/2006	And so Willard says goodbye to Chiang Mai airport for the first time today...
Dscn3167.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 27.9 kB Date: 01/27/2006	This is our morning snack, courtesy of Thai's domestic Royal Executive Service. OK, so there isn't any Champagne (in fact, like the lounge, there aren't any alcoholic drinks at all), but it is still streets ahead of the equivalent domestic service in the UK, and at less than a third of the price, it is difficult to really complain!
Dscn3175.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 19.6 kB Date: 01/27/2006	Here we are, landing at Bangkok's Don Muang airport for the first time today (and hopefully not the last). This gives you a "Willard's eye view" out of the window, and yes, those really are golfers. Don Muang is virtually unique in having an 18 hole golf course INSIDE the airport (between the runways, in fact). Obviously, this helps to stop taxing aircraft overshooting the exits from the runways (green fees are significant, and you are not allowed on unless you've booked) and I understand that hitting a departing Jumbo with your initial drive from the tee invokes a 2 stroke penalty!
Dscn3177.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 376 Size: 27.8 kB Date: 01/27/2006	Now, it appears that our luck may be changing! Thanks to two angels at the Thai customer service desk (not these gorgeous ladies, I thought I should protect their identities, as I'm not sure how far the rules were bent in our favour) we now have a booking on the 14:00 flight back to Chiang Mai (which is actually the 13:15 flight, delayed), and our other cancelled booking is resurrected, albeit with confirmed seats for tommorow. The mileage run may yet be ON! So, buoyed up by this news, you see us checking in to the Thai domestic lounge for a celebratory (if non-alcoholic) drink!
Dscn3178.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 548 Size: 40.1 kB Date: 01/27/2006	And here is Willard, hanging out at the gate, waiting for the (first) flight back to board. Note that this is a bus gate (i.e. our plane is parked on a stand, and we're going to be taken by bus to it) which is usually a BAD THING....
Dscn3179.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 24.7 kB Date: 01/27/2006	....but in this case - SCORE! Another 747-400! It appears that Thai have addressed their chronic lack of availability on this route by substituting a Jumbo jet on this 55 minute sector - looking at our seat allocation, we're in the First Class section again... could it be that this is......
DSCN3180.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 28.5 kB Date: 01/27/2006	....YES! DOUBLE SCORE!! This is one of the very rare refurbished Thai 747's that feature the new First Class seat! Perhaps the Patron Saint of frequent flyers (St. Randy of the Sacred Springs, in case you wondered) is smiling on us after all.
Dscn3181.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 25.7 kB Date: 01/27/2006	So, Willard can gladly take his favoured position on the elecric ottoman again on this flight. Things are not just looking up, they are looking oddly familiar... Deja Vu brought on by one too many ham rolls in the domestic lounge perhaps? No, these seats are exactly the same design as the ones we were so glad to be seated in on our Malaysian long haul flight from London, only a few days ago.
DSCN3182.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 34.8 kB Date: 01/27/2006	So, Willard relaxes into his brand new seat (no time to turn it into a fully flat bed on this ultra-short flight) and muses on the striking similarities between the Malaysian and the Thai First seats....
DSCN3205.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 33.3 kB Date: 01/27/2006	....and the differences! The cabin does not have the open, airy feel of the Malaysian equivalent, and it's not just the choice of a deep mahogany colour scheme (which looks quite refined actually!), but the seats really are closer together. Though the cabin still goes back past the front (1R/L) doors, the space is encroached on by the toilets and galley on the right, and an extension of the business cabin on the left. As Willard kindly demonstrates, the storage areas are in the same locations as on Malaysian, but they are a lot shallower, useful only for storing wallets and spectacles, not bears. Also, there is a protruding bulkhead that delimits the front extent of the middle front seats (3D,G I guess) that sticks up about 100mm ( thats 6 inches for our stateside readers) from the floor, and we've already seen one flight attendant trip over it. I'm guessing this is not an uncommon ocurrance. As a passenger, the seats are a tremendous improvement, but you can see where cost savings have been made during the refurbishment (like leaving the huge CRT-based video projector in place, that many a First Class passenger has cursed as they hit their head on it getting out of row 1 during the night!).
Dscn3189.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 622 Size: 30.4 kB Date: 01/27/2006	And again, a "Bear's eye view" as we taxi out from Bangkok International, with two Thai jets (one in the old livery, one in the new) visible as we taxi down to the runway.
Dscn3206.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 417 Size: 34.9 kB Date: 01/27/2006	And, once in the air (after our 45 minute delay, but, given the circumstances, perhaps this is understandable) the Thai Business Class meal service starts once again (Roast Duck and Noodles, with a side salad and some uniquely Thai fruit-shaped deserts) is a welcome meal at this point in our trip!
Dscn3207.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 28.6 kB Date: 01/27/2006	Willard tries out the In-Filght Entertainment (IFE, in the "lingo") in this new seat. It's a great step forward from the portable DVD solution on the oldest Thai jets, but, having seen the "Big Screen" on Malaysian, Willard can't help but notice that it's a lot less, well, big... Doesn't make it a bad system though, naturally, as it's personality that counts, not size, isn't it?
Dscn3210.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 616 x 640 Size: 24.8 kB Date: 01/27/2006	And so. we're back at Chiang Mai. After the ministrations of YET another ANGEL on the Thai customer service desk, we've got a confirmed flight today from Bangkok back to Chiang Mai (again), and we are listed for standby on the 16:00 flight from Chaing Mai TO Bangkok (for the second time). By the time we get to the check-in desk, we've cleared the standby list and are clutching outward and return boarding passes in our hot sticky (and furry) hands like they are the winning tickets for the EuroMillions lottery draw! Just enough time to sit down at an unoccupied internet PC in the lounge to update Willard's faithful public on Flyertalk!
Dscn3208.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 42.0 kB Date: 01/27/2006	And imagine the surprise when we step onto the SAME plane, with the SAME cabin crew, to sit in the SAME seat that we just vacated less than 45 minutes ago. It's Deja Vu, all over again! The crew all do double takes, recognising us from the last flight (and, let's face it, we make a pretty recognisable pair!) At least this time Willard knows the score, and can recline and relax during this flight!
DSCN3212.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 31.9 kB Date: 01/27/2006	Obviously, since this is the 3rd time the cabin crew have seen Willard today, they start to take more of an interest in him, and he is happy to pose with them after we land at Bangkok (again!). Whatever minor (and let's face it, they ARE minor) gripes we may have over the specifics of the Thai refurbishment programme, the cabin crew, and the service they provide, is simply the best we've experienced - it made Thai competitive even when their seating was looking more than a little "old hat" and with the new product, it should take them to the top! I just hope their management realises that their greatest asset isn't their fleet, route network or new seats, it's these people you see here, and the honest, personalised and human service they consistently provide.
DSCN3215.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 41.8 kB Date: 01/27/2006	A half-hearted attempt to standby on the earlier flights later (not only are all the seats taken, but I think they've also got passengers on the wings and in the overhead bins!) we resign ourselves to our booked flight (the last flight of the day to Chiang Mai). And so after a trek (and I DO mean TREK!) over to the international terminal to reconfirm our flights home on Sunday (Domestic Lounge to Terminal 1 Malaysian Airlines office is about as far as you can walk without ending up on a runway, I think) Willard is ready for some refreshment, so, after wisely taking the SHUTTLE BUS back to Domestic, we indulge in some amber throat lubricant to steel us before our long wait for the final flight.
DSCN3216.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.0 kB Date: 01/27/2006	And here we are again, in a much emptier Thai Domestic lounge, partaking of the fine hot pastries and soft drinks yet again.
DSCN3218.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 35.1 kB Date: 01/27/2006	So we settle down to updating our travelogue for the day. As a "First Class" bear, Willard sees his role in the authorship of these annals as less creative and more executive and editorial. Here you see him casting a proprietorial eye over the rough draft before authorising the copy for your reading pleasure....
DSCN3221.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 24.3 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And to the last flight of the day, the late flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai - Thai have now returned to their scheduled Airbus A300 aircraft, but it's still looking pretty full up front, hence Willard's restricted seating position. At about this point, the conscience is twitching a little bit, and so it's time to have a walk through the aircraft...
DSCN3222.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 44.2 kB Date: 02/05/2006	..And an appropriate point to take a sidebar and discuss "the Ethics of Mileage Running" (not necessarily that different from "The Ethics of Madness" with apologies to Larry Niven). Obviously, if I had known how busy this route was going to be on the Friday before Chinese New Year, I'd never have considered doing a mileage run today, however, when I booked, the filghts still looked fairly open. Normally, mileage runners are filling up seats that would otherwise be empty, and effectively causing little harm to anyone (and a bit of amusement for the airline staff) but when the flights you are on are full, you have to start thinking what effect you are having on the people around you - the ones who actually NEED to get to the places they are going! I was glad to find empty seats in the rear business cabin on this flight (around 11 of them, actually) and this shows that whatever effect my 4 flights may have had today, everyone who needed to fly between Bangkok and Chiang Mai today managed to do it. Indeed, given that Thai cancelled my original bookings, a few of them may even have been able to do it earlier than they had planned. It does however remind us that as Frequent Flyers, we do still need to be aware of the needs of our fellow passengers, and consider the effect we may be having!
DSCN3223.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 52.8 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And, the morning after the night before! Buffet breakfast in the main restaurant at the Sheraton Chiang Mai.
DSCN3225.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 62.0 kB Date: 02/05/2006	...and that's Willards idea of a good breakfast!
Dscn3229.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 44.0 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And it's time for some sightseeing in Chaing Mai, on this, our last day before we fly back. Here is Willard at Wat Maharam, just outside the Thapae Gate.
Dscn3238.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 56.6 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And we carried on through the gate, and walked down Ratcha-Damneon Road, and had a walk round Wat Phra Singh, pretty much the centre of Chaing Mai.
Dscn3243.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 54.1 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And how does Willard get around these places? Here you see Willard relaxing whilst his minder does the legwork around the backstreets of the city!
Dscn3246.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 65.3 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And yet more proof of my theory that there is an Irish pub in every city in the World! Guiness has a lot to answer for, that's all I can say..
Dscn3247.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 52.0 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And I hold on tight as the staff walk around the moat that surronds the inner walled city of Chiang Mai.
Dscn3250.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 34.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And all of that walking is evidently taking it out of my companions, as they stop for a meal (and a few drinks) at one of the many small restaurants just off the Mun Muang Road. Of course, Tom Yum Goong soup is on the menu for this quick lunch!
Dscn3253.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 432 x 640 Size: 46.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Hmmm - nothing left for me? It must have been good....
DSCN3257.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 47.8 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And no trip to Thailand is complete without a ride in a Tuk-tuk! Here we are speeding and weaving through the busy afternoon traffic back to our hotel, which is a fair way outside the centre of the city.
DSCN3259.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 45.1 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Definitely a fun (if not always completely comfortable) way around the city - but do watch the fares! We originally intended to go into Chaing Mai by Tuk-tuk, but the quoted fare was far too much, but the driver was keen to ensure that none of his colleagues waiting outside the hotel were allowed to undercut him, so the normal operation of the laws of supply and demand was temporarily suspended. We walked down the street, and within 5 minutes found ourselves in a Songathew (shared pick up style taxi) that was going in our direction, for a third of what the previous driver was demanding. The moral? In Thailand, negotiate, and if you don't get the deal you want, don't worry, another deal will be along shortly!
Dscn3260.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 463 Size: 38.5 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And here it is, in all it's glory - TEAM WILLARD!
DSCN3261.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 28.5 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And, sadly, it's time to check out of the Sheraton Chiang Mai. It's not in the centre of Chaing Mai, and it is decorated in a shamelessly "international comfort" style, but it is a good hotel, especially if you are an SPG member. And, given that we were lucky enough to catch a peek at the Thai Royal Princess who chose to stay at the hotel last night, we can hardly argue with such an endorsement.
Dscn3262.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 39.8 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And so, for the last time, we check-in at the domestic executive class check-in at Chiang Mai. Willard now seems to be recognised as a regular!
DSCN3263.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 31.4 kB Date: 02/05/2006	But the lounge is now empty enough for us to take some pictures - it's a nice lounge, but for an airport that has so many Thai flights, it really is a bit tiny.
DSCN3264.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 38.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Well catered though! If only they could stretch to at least a few beers in the chiller (they do this at Phuket, but not, as far as I've seen, at any other of the domestic lounges) it would be a reasonable lounge.
DSCN3267.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 41.2 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And here we are, back on a Thai Airbus, a somewhat newer model this time, with newer business class seats that are quite acceptable for a short flight.
Dscn3268.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 61.2 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And after having experienced the walk from domestic arrivals to international terminal 1 a few days ago, we sensibly opt for the domestic shuttle bus this time. Thai have managed to check our hold bags through all the way to London, but cannot issue boarding passes for our Malaysian flight, so we need to present at check-in for our flight.
Dscn3269.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 492 x 640 Size: 36.5 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And here we are, checking in for the last leg of our journey!
DSCN3274.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 42.2 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Malaysian do not have a lounge at Bangkok airport, but luckily they have chosen to use the Thai Airways lounges, which are pretty much the nicest lounges in the airport anyway (now that they have been refurbished). In fact, the last time we were in this lounge it was being used as the First Class lounge for Thai's long haul flights.
DSCN3270.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 36.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	It's a bit early to hit the selection of beers and spirits in the lounge, so Willard settles down with a glass of Coke...
DSCN3271.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 32.2 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And we go for a wander upstairs, and find a huge lounge, with computers, showers, and massages (which are sadly only on offer to customers on Thai flights).
DSCN3273.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	So Willard can grab a PC and check in with Flyertalk to see what feedback he has on the work he has posted so far.
DSCN3276.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.8 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Time to board, at least here (unlike at their home airport) Malaysian have priority boarding for their premium passengers.
Dscn3278.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 30.9 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And so Willard can make himself comfortable in the front seats on this Airbus A330. This time Champagne is (reluctantly) on offer as a pre-flight drink, it hasn't got any better, but it's nice to be asked anyway. You can't see it here, but the front seats on this newer configuration Airbus (4A,C) really are VERY close to the bulkhead. If this was a longer flight I'd have been moving to different seats!
Dscn3288.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 608 x 640 Size: 31.9 kB Date: 02/05/2006	As we climb away from the airport, Willard says goodbye to Don Muang, Bangkok, and Thailand - for this trip, anyway.
DSCN3290.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 31.3 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Lunch on this flight is a much more substantial meal than on the flight from Kuala Lumpur. This Lamb Masala makes a good meal!
DSCN3291.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.5 kB Date: 02/05/2006	After a good meal, Willard can relax with a coffee and a Cognac!
DSCN3307.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Back at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, here we are checking in at the huge Malaysian Lounge complex in the satelite terminal. Willard is really looking forward to this, as reviews on Flyertalk have indicated that this lounge is on a par with his favourite airport lounge, Cathay Pacific's Wing in Hong Kong!
DSCN3292.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 31.6 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Well, sort of.... The design and decor of the lounge are indeed very impressive, but not everything is up to the standard you would expect. There is WiFi internet access, but it doesn't work very well, neither do the two PC's in the lounge. Talking to the business centre, they seemingly have been having problems with it all day - in fact, the Wireless network seems to work better in the Business section of the lounge. Here is Willard wondering if old age will overtake him before he gets an IP address for his connection.
Dscn3296.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 38.2 kB Date: 02/05/2006	...but the massage chair is good! With a range of programs, and a REALLY WIERD automatic acupressure pressure point detection sequence, this is a nice toy to play with!
DSCN3301.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.5 kB Date: 02/05/2006	So, why don't we like this lounge? After all, it's got a good selection of drinks, Champagne (a very acceptable Pol Roger), a dining section and lots of toys.. The service is non-existent for a start off! After having been waited on in the Heathrow lounge, the complete lack of anyone to serve drinks or food (or even help us find where they are) is a real let-down. It's unnerving when you are obviously having trouble (in this case trying to pick up a few chocolates for Pat) and two staff are looking on, enjoying your difficulty, rather than offering assistance. Other things, such as half of the supposedly clean coffee cups being stained and/or cracked (everytime I found a dirty cup, I put it on the side, and every time I came back the staff had put them back for others to use) make this lounge feel somewhat "unloved".
DSCN3305.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 32.3 kB Date: 02/05/2006	But it's a long connection (soon to become even longer, but we didn't know that yet) and so Willard chooses to do a little "lounge-hopping" to see what the general standard is, and in the interests of providing valuable intelligence for his readership. Here we are in the Shared "Plaza Premium" lounge, which is where you would find yourself if all you had was a priority pass. The lounge staff were unwilling to let us in for a look round, so we checked in with our Priority Pass card, courtesy of American Express (after persuading the staff that Willard did not count as an additional guest!).
DSCN3302.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 41.9 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And we immediately found out why we could not access the lounge "for a look". If anyone looked at it, they would never, ever be willing to pay for it afterwards. This is definitely one of the smallest, worst catered lounges Willard has seen. Drink options are, erm, beer, beer, or beer, and the food spread is also pretty limited.
DSCN3303.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 36.0 kB Date: 02/05/2006	So Willard grabs a Coke and sits down to take stock. It's better than sitting downstairs, but certainly not worth what Priority Pass pay for it! I'd be pretty upset if this were the only lounge I could use!
DSCN3304.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	There is one PC in the lounge, and, as you can see, Willard decided to leave his website open on it, as, by this time, the other occupants were starting to wonder what our little bear was up to!
DSCN3306.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 33.8 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And so we said goodbye to the Plaza Premium lounge, and walked down the corridor to find.... ANOTHER Plaza Premium lounge! This one is a little better (I actually first saw it though a locked door in the first lounge, and assumed it was inaccessible to us). This lounge has a more acceptable selection of drinks and food, and slightly better seating. It turns out that this lounge is the one used by Business and First Class passengers of the airlines who contract with the airport, and Priority Pass holders can check in and use both lounges, what a shame the staff at the first lounge didn't tell us this!
Dscn3310.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 42.6 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Back at the Malaysian First Class lounge, and at least we now understand why they do not feel the need to extend a full "First Class" service, given the competition. As we enter the lounge we start to see the signs of trouble - passengers in heated discussion with the reception desk over missed connections, unhappy faces in the Business Class section, and, sure enough, when we check, we find that our flight is delayed by over an hour and a half. It was already a late flight, but now.....
DSCN3316.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 23.6 kB Date: 02/05/2006	At least the lounge offers some nice facilities! The Shower stalls are very nice (remember to take in a towel though, there are none inside, and no attendants!). And, given the extra delay, Willard decides to take a sleeper room, and have a little snooze to prepare him for the flight. As he snoozes, he muses that if Malaysian were to re-assign the person who set up the servce concept at Heathrow to their main hub in Kuala Lumpur, whilst perhaps at the same time taking some of their staff to Hong Kong to see how Cathay service their First Class lounge in the Wing, this could really be a world class lounge. As it is, it sadly detracts from the in-flight service that they have obviously worked so hard on.
DSCN3317.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.9 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And, at 01:20 in the morning, well over an hour and a half later than we should have been, Willard is back in a Malaysian First Class seat. Even with this delay, missed connections have meant that only half of the expected passengers have arrived in the cabin, so we replace our split seating with 1A,K and see what things are like in the front seats.
DSCN3318.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 32.9 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Willard, always keen to demonstrate, shows that the storage lockers in these seats REALLY are deeper than the ones on Thai!
Dscn3319.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 15.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	...and quickly gets out when it dawns on him he might end up in that locker for the whole flight (as if we would!). As you can see, though the front seats are not as close as the middle seats intended for couples, if you are happy to sit on the ottoman seats, you can actually get close enough for an intimate chat!
DSCN3322.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 31.6 kB Date: 02/05/2006	The extra delay and the extended transits have taken their toll on Pat, who has turned in for the night, so I get to share my Satay course with Willard! Sadly, this flight was scheduled as a "supper" service, so the meal service is very truncated, and one of the things to be dropped is the caviar service, however, on the plus side, they've not forgotten to load the Dom!
DSCN3324.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 25.1 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Willard isn't very happy with his initial sleeping accomodations....
Dscn3325.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 22.5 kB Date: 02/05/2006	...better, much more comfy, but somehow Willard still isn't comfortable, I wonder what's missing?
Dscn3328.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 635 Size: 32.3 kB Date: 02/05/2006	Ahhh! Now Willard is happy! Snuggled down and cuddled up!
Dscn3332.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 34.1 kB Date: 02/05/2006	After a very refreshing 6 hours sleep, Willard decides to try out the In Flight Entertainment again. This time Malaysian have provided noise cancelling headphones (though the first pair didn't work). Unfortunately, they didn't have a sleeper suit in Willard's size, but luckily he had thought ahead and packed something to change into...
DSCN3334.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 26.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And, after another 4 hours and another meal (nominally breakfast, but since I chose the Steak, I'm not sure if it really counted as breakfast!) it's time to get ready for landing, and Willard is strapped in and ready for anything.
DSCN3335.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 31.6 kB Date: 02/05/2006	And after the rugby scrum that is Heathrow Terminal 3 Immigration, we're almost glad to be landside again! Since Malaysian do not have an arrivals lounge, and we're definitely not ready to drive home yet, we push our luggage over to Terminal 1, and traverse the hidden corridors of the Queens Building for Heathrow's best kept secret....The Heathrow Business Centre!
DSCN3336.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 36.7 kB Date: 02/05/2006	This oasis of calm is open to Priority Pass holders, and, since it is landside, does NOT require you to have a boarding pass, or even an intention of flying! It provides a lounge, tea and coffee, paid internet access, and peace and quiet. A great place to relax and work out what timezone you are in, and prepare for the drive home.
DSCN3339.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 33.6 kB Date: 02/05/2006	At least this time Willard has a car with some style! Avis have found him a Peugeot 407, and, after a long and tired drive, Willard manouvers it into the Avis agent in Birkenhead.
DSCN3341.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 23.0 kB Date: 02/05/2006	As Willard's local AVIS office, he is obviously no stranger, and so he gets though the formalities of handing back the vehicle reasonably quickly, with the only confusion being over the odometer, which was set to read kilometers when he took the car out, and quickly changed to miles for the drive. This caused the staff at AVIS some confusion, as the reading thus indicated that we had undertaken the entire drive back from London IN REVERSE!
Dscn3183.jpg View Now Back to First (AKA "Willard on the Baht Run")	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 19.8 kB Date: 02/05/2006	So let's say goodbye to Willard for another trip! And Willard knows that if he isn't a good little bear, he'll suddenly find himself flying not in FIRST CLASS but in OVERHEAD BIN class! Bye bye Willard!