Thailand’s national company Thai Airways, which has for months grounded most of its planes, decided to transform the cafeteria of its Bangkok headquarters into an airline-themed restaurant and opened it to the public. Thursday, more than 100 diners craving in-flight meals after months of travel restrictions flocked to Thai Airways International Pcl’s offices to try a new pop-up restaurant and get a reminder of the forgotten flavors of onboard dining.
“I ate a lot,” said Pirachat Pengthongworrapetch, 36, who heard about the restaurant online. “It’s better here than in the air because it’s cooked to order.” Diners can still get to meet cabin crew, who greet them in full uniform as they enter the restaurant. The place is decorated with airplane parts and seats to lend it an authentic aircraft feel. “Spare parts from engines, windows, and fan blades were used as furniture,” Thai Airways Catering Managing Director Varangkana Luerojvong said. Each decoration has a QR code attached so visitors can look up information about the parts if they want to.
The restaurant, which serves about 2,000 meals per day, is a way to recoup some lost revenue during the coronavirus pandemic, and there are plans to turn other Thai Airways offices into similar dining experiences.
