Driving into the new Bangkok International Airport this morning on the way back home from Laguna Phuket. It was dark. The airport was quiet. I was looking at the signs and giant banners celebrating the birthday of His Royal Highness, The King of Thailand’s brithday the day before.
We crossed onto a section of the elevated highway leading into the airport that gave me a view of the Thai Airways operations hangar area.
Sitting there was an enormous white aircraft with “A380” on the tail. I couldn’t believe it: The Airbus A380 Super Jumbo in the flesh!
It was a big day for me. Huge. I had really been looking forward to seeing this aircraft and had no idea it would be this soon. Huge bonus!
So just how yellow was Bangkok? They love their King and wear more yellow than Lance.
When I was last in Bangkok it was the Queen, or the King’s mothers’ birthday…can’t remember which. Her color is sky blue and it seemed half the city was painted that color. the do love their royalty. I made the mistake once of folding a 100 baht bill with the King’s face on it in front of a street vendor and he gave me a mouthful.
Yellow everywhere for the King’s birthday: Yellow hats, yellow shirts, huge banners (we’re talkiing ten stories high) of the King. It was truly majestic in scale.
Tom, do you have a pilot’s license? If not, I highly recommend it as it seems to be something you would really enjoy. Let me know if you have any questions?
I can and have flown small helicopters, light aircraft (152, 172’s, Pipers, etc.) and even flown a king air and, of all things, a B-17! I don’t have a pilot’s license though and I’d like to have one. Someday.
Cool. Our company builds a significant part of that plane and we haven’t seen anything but pictures. It is always a rush to see our parts actually installed and flying. Hopefully, this isn’t the last A380 to actually take to the skies. Airbus is having some pretty serious problems getting them built…
MacGyver once fought with Chuck Norris, MacGyver won with Q-Tips, a cough drop, and an empty Powerade bottle. Jack Bauer and MacGyver were locked in a room. In five minutes, Bauer made a bomb out of MacGyver and blasted his way out.
Hey Tom,
I just saw Sarah’s post and was going to put a smart aleck comment about where the “plane” report was since no race report; but I checked the LR first…and you did not fail! I am jealous you got to see this. May be the only one ever made.
Had you been to Bangkok before? If so, I was wondering about the new airport. I have been there a half dozen or so times in the past couple of years, but not since the new airport. I can never seem to get my trips to work where I can do Phuket, I was hoping this year but ended up in Poland…at least it started with a P! .
Glad Sarah is healing up and good job on the photos. Did you take video and that will be on YouTube ;).
Be well and get down to Texas and do the 101…its warmer here in November…usually.