Cambodia

Trip Index

Flights

Phnom Penh

Bangkok Don Muang

In the terminal I headed to the Transfer Desk to ask about the gate for the flight to PNH and, if I could switch my window seat to an aisle seat, which was not possible. The agent was in a certain way unfriendly, she only told me after I asked about a seat change “Not possible”. Okay, the flight is only 1 hour. I went upstairs to go to the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge / Frequent Traveller Lounge.

I was greeted by the lounge staff who wrote down my FTL Number. I settled down in one of the grey leather seats and drank a coke, eat some cookies and made some notices about the flight in my Psion Revo Plus and read some news information I loaded on it via Mobipocket.com the Monday before leaving my flat.
The Lounge itself was quite empty, they were during my visit not more than 10 passengers inside, so no problem to relax, no disturbing noise. The only thing I missed was the opportunity to take a shower, but hey, I am only FTL.
As the Lounge is near Pier 4 and my flight to PNH left from Pier 2 I leave the lounge some minutes before boarding time. I thought about buying some duty free items, but I did not find something, that was as cheap as it was worth to carry with me all the way to PNH.

I passed security check after queuing some minutes. My belt and the zipper of my “Replay” sweat jacket causes this time a beep, so I was patched down by a security agent manually and had to put my sweat jacket and my belt though the x-ray machined again. I will never understand, why my clothes are no problem at some security checkpoints and but not at other checkpoints. But the staff at Bangkok were unexpected strict from my point of view. The gate was changed from 26 to 25, but boarding had not started as I reached the gate some minutes after the scheduled boarding time 16.50.
It seems, that they had several problems with at the gate, as the monitor shows “Final Call”, than “Boarding”, than nothing, than again “Boarding”, “Final Call”, etc.. Some passengers, who arrived later, were a little bit confused as some other waiting passengers, who went to the gate but were send back to the waiting area. But after round a quarter of an hour boarding started with Business and families and than the Economy Class. This causes some trouble, because a huge Korean Group was on the flight and their places were no together.

13 January 2004
BKK – PNH
[Bangkok – Phnom Penh]
TG 698 (Thai Airways); Boeing 737 – 400
17.30 – 18.45 [ 17.45 – 18.55 ]
Economy Class
Seat 41 K

Boarding was a mess because of the Korean group. The overhead bin was full after I put my carry on in it, so that I put my sweat jacket on the left arm rest. Good to have a window seat this time and no reason to worry any more about not having an aisle seat. Some of them went in the rear part of the plane, only to find out that their seats were in the middle part. A little bit chaotic, but after 20 minutes all passengers were seated and we were soon pushed back.

During take off, the curtain between Business Class and Economy Class was open, but closed at once after the seat belt signs switched off.

10 minutes after take off the service started and meals were distributed.

This is my menu transcription, there were no written menus handed out.
The drink service followed soon after the trays were distributed and I take a coke and a coffee beside the dessert. The whole time the flight attendants made beverage rounds and offered more coffee or tea, while others handled out visa applications and the Arrival and departure cards. I get my visa through the Cambodian Embassy in Berlin, but had to fill out the Arrival and Departure card. As my passport and my pen was in my carry on in the overhead bin, I had to ask my neighbour to give me his biro after he had fill out his Visa Applications and Arrival and Departure Cards. I do this during landing, which was a little bit bumpy, but I could finish it during the roll off and on the way to our gate.

The flight was bumpy and sometimes it was difficult to drink, but the seatbelt sign was not switched on during the flight.

The service of the flight attendants was very good, the work very efficient and one does not feel, that they were in a hurry, although they finished everything just a few seconds before the call “Cabin Crew prepare for landing was made”. I like it to have a full service on such a short flight, because here one could see if a crew is good. To be honest, is it not necessary to have a full service on such a short flight.
This time, it took me some minutes to leave the plane, which landed 10 minutes after scheduled time.

Phnom Penh Po Chentong International

The airport is new, very new. At my first visit to Cambodia in 2001 the Airport building was small and old, but now, Phnom Penh has a brand new, nice Airport building with a modern Arrival Hall, where one gets the Visa and could fill out the Arrival and Departure Cards. I only had to put in some further information like the number of my passport and the date of issue.
I was able to pass immigration before the Korean Group arrives. I had a few words with my seat neighbour, an American, who visited Cambodia for the first time and told me, that it was cheaper for him, to get the visa here. I told him, that for me, it was the other way round.
I had to wait for my checked luggage a long time; it seems that the Cambodian Airport Workers or Thai does not care about the Priority sticker.
Once passed customs, I was greeted outside by my friends, who awaited me.

Top

next flight