I had two reasonsto make this trip. One was to attend a Hope event in Singapore, the other was accompany Andrew during part of his visit to Thailand.
Finding the right flights was somewhat of a challenge. United flies to Singapore via San Francisco, and the trip takes about 24 hours. When I checked about a month ago, prices were ridiculously high. Add the Singapore - Bangkok segment and we are talking may be as much as $5,000. Admittedly prices dropped as the travel date gets closer, but one had no way of knowing. Singapore Airlines, on the other hand, offered a EWR-SIN-BKK-(SIN)-EWR premium economy seat at about $2,200. (SIN-BKK segments are economy) So despite my being a slave to United, and really wanted to go for being a 4-million-miler, I opted for Singapore. That also gives me a travel time of less than 19 hours, and a chance to try one of the longest commercial routes, why not. SQ is in the Star Alliance, so it also had that going for it.
View from my room in Four Points Sheraton Riverview.
11/26 Saturday. Anne drove me to the airport, leaving the house at around 7:30 am. I am very used to the United and Terminal C processes, but Singapore Airlines at Terminal B is different. While I checked in on line, I needed to get the boarding pass at the airport. This flight had only business and premium economy, about 160 seats, and there were four agents. I used the premium economy line, as a Star Alliance Gold member I could have used the business line, but it would have taken about the same amount of time. On its website Singapore Air seems to have a rather restrictive cabin luggage policy, and I was resigned to have to check my suitcase. Surprisingly the agent asked if I had any luggage to check in, to which I cheerfully answered "no." Gate B53 is at this "pod", with its own entry/exit area. For my gate there was no CLEAR and no dedicated pre-check line. The line was short, and precheck still allowed me to follow the appropriate procedure except I had to take the laptop out, although people in front of me had to do the regular TSA check - meaning shoes off, liquids, and laptops out. To be fair, all that took about 25 minutes, so really no complaints. Of course with United 10 minutes would be exceptionally long.
As a Gold member I could used the lounge run by Virgin Atlantic. The lounge was used by many other airlines as well. and thus quite crowded. Food is not self served, but ordered with a QR code. I had coffee and a full breakfast, which took about 15 minutes, giving me just enough time to gulp the food down and then go to the gate. While the ticket showed a "Boarding Group" (3 for me), they basically boarded business class first and then the others. Row 40 (my row) has no middle overhead luggage rack, but there was plenty of room to stow my carryon. The configuration is 2-4-2 (except the last three rows which have single window seats costing $120 extra), I had a neighbor next to me. There was an open single seat but the flight attendants wouldn't let people take it.
This EWR-SIN non-stop route is among the longest route (by some definition) flown commercially, exceeded by a few miles by the JFK-SIN route, both operated by Singapore Airlines, with a great circle distance of over 9,500 miles. The aircraft is an A350-900 ULR which incorporates additional fuel tanks. I don't know what exact route they flew in the past, but with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, avoiding Russian would now seem prudent, thus making a polar route impossible. The actual route flown was transatlantic, entering Europe over France, past the southwest tip of the Black Sea, then over Iran, the Indian subcontinent, then to Singapore. Looking at flight data during the flight, and from FlightRadar24, the air time was about 18:30 hours (9:57 am EWR- 5:30 SIN), distance about 17,305 km (10,750 miles), highest speed 570 knots (656 mph), and highest altitude 41,000 ft. (This airline world uses a jumble of units.) The pilot explained the extra time was to fly around storms, and we experienced quite a few bumps during the flight.
I didn't know what to expect from the flight experience. Overall it wasn't bad at all, except the air felt very dry the last couple of hours. I did watch two movies: Top Gun Maverick and Jurassic World Dominion, and there was a good selection of classical music. As to sleep, I dozed off for a few minutes every now and then. But I never manage to sleep well on planes, no matter the class of service.
Food on board was okay. One could order ahead of time, and get served first. They only started serving the rest of the passengers after those people were about done, which didn't look necessary. Although for such a long flight waiting another 30 minutes wasn't a problem. Two meals: the beef was a bit rough, but the shrimp was quite good. In between you can ask for snacks (buns and chips), and they served sandwiches a couple of times. Singapore Airlines has this great reputation for service, and they were quite attentive: when they served soft drinks I asked if they had coffee, and brought one out after they were done with the drinks. Overall, however, I felt I got the same satisfaction from flying United Airlines. Of course I was a "regular" passenger on this flight whereas as 1K I usually get to board earlier. Not being able to utilize CLEAR and full precheck also counted against today's experience, even though Singapore Air had no control over it.
Food at EWR Virgin Atlantic Lounge had to be ordered.
Flight path of SQ21 per FlightRadar24.
Notice how aircraft avoided the conflict region, and Russia. Most of the planes flying over Russia were bound for a Russian airport.
On board Flight Information screen just before we landed.
This from FlightRadar24 provide more information on the flight.
Seat 40D in an A350-900 ULR.
Lunch on board. The beef was a bit on the dry side.
Breakfast? (Served at around 6 pm Newark time.) The rice was flavored and tasted good.
I pre-ordered for the return SIN-EWR trip. The menu had English in it.
11/27 Sunday. Changi Airport looked impressive. The immigration process was fully automated, the passenger having submitted a form on line a couple of days earlier. I went to the wrong customs line (I think) and had my luggage x-rayed, but that was quick. Taxi to Four Points Sheraton cost about S$35, a short ride as there was little traffic on the road, and the driver said everyone was staying home to watch FIFA soccer. The driver said how Singapore is a blessed country, with racial harmony, good weather (if one discounts hot and humid), housing is affordable. When he found out I was from Hong Kong, he couldn't help but mention how Singapore is a beneficiary of companies relocating to Singapore from there as draconian COVID policy and political changes made Singapore a more desirable location.
At check in at Four Points I was asked what room I prefer, I asked the agent if one with a river view was available. So I have a view of the Singapore River from my room. Even though the river is a glorified creek - and I have seen storm drains wider than this river, it still made up for the slowness at check in (again spoiled because there was usually no wait.)
My plan was to have a quick dinner, take a short nap, and then join David Y's Sunday School class. I set the alarm at 8:30 but to my dismay woke up at 9:30. The alarm didn't sound as it was for 8:30 am! I wrote a note to David to apologize.
I used to eat a lot of Nasi Goreng when I worked in Shanghai (we are talking 1990s). There are evidently different types, depending on the ingredients. The piece on the right was some kind of compressed fish (?).
Accommodation: Four Points Sheraton Riverview, Singapore (3 nights).
11/28 Monday. The two days in Singapore would be relatively leisurely. I first wanted to check out a couple of laundromats in the area, and also take a walk along the river. The two banks of the river are lined by hotels and expensive looking apartment complexes, but right next to them is housing for the "common folk." Food isn't expensive as indicated in the captions of the photos. The temperature isn't too warm (low 80s) but humid enough that a slow walk still generated for me a lot of sweat. And I decided to handwash what I needed.
Hotel is right next to the Singapore River (building on the left). There are footpaths on both banks of the river.
Along the river are expensive hotels and restaurants. Not far from it is this government housing complex which reminds me of the many housing estates in Hong Kong. The majority of Singaporeans live in some sort of subsidized government housing.
A food court in the housing estate area. Anne told me I wouldn't eat at such places in the past (not sure that's correct).
You picked the pieces of food, the establishment cuts them up and, in this case, pour hot soup over it. This meal was S$3.
Even some of the restaurants along the river are quite reasonably priced. The seafood curry was around S$15, the iced coffee S$5.
In the afternoon I first tried but failed to catch a nap. At 4:30 pm I met Sam G. We had a good 90-minute chat over coffee and tea.
I was supposed to meet up with Joe T and others for dinner. Their flight from Hong Kong was delayed, so I didn't head over to the hotel until around 7:30 pm. Eventually we settled on the top floor of Peninsula Excelsior (President's Lounge) and ordered food which was brought up. Food was a bit more expensive, but a simple dinner for 4 cost S$140, which was very reasonable. Andrei is the Managing Director of an NGO in Ukraine, and he had many sobering stories to tell since Russia invaded his country in February.
The top floor of Peninsula Excelsior offers a great view of Marina Bay.
After dinner of noodles and rice.
11/29 Tuesday. I again went for a morning walk along the river. From what I could find on the web the river now drains into a reservoir made up from Marina Bay. Not a very attractive proposition, but good filtration system should take care of the water quality (I guess).
Lunch was with "Tsang," someone a few years behind me in high school, but we were scouts together for a couple of years. We had dim sum at Miramar Hotel (across the street), and had a great time talking about our lives as young boys, and how we are either retired or will soon be retired.
Walked by this Hawker Market along the Singapore River. Quite tempted to eat something, but had a lunch appointment.
Tsang and I were in the Scout troop together during our high school days. We had not seen each other since 1970. While we have lead different lives, we have a lot in common, and a lot to talk about.
Dim Sum at Miramar Hotel, across the street from Four Points. The restaurant offers a 40% senior discount on weekdays, making this a good-value lunch.
We had heavy rains today, and the river turned quite muddy. (Can't quite tell from this photo.)
A Hope event at a private home on Emerald Hill Road.
11/30 Wednesday. So the Singapore portion of the trip ends today. I managed to attend Pastor Chang's class online, and then used Grab to head to the airport (cost only S$20). SIN doesn't do security at the "main entrance," but at the individual gates. So I was through very quickly, again impressed by their automated system.
Changi Airport has this reputation as one of the world's best airports, so one would think Terminal 2, used by Singapore Airlines, should be the pride and joy. I will say it's new and huge, but otherwise not all that impressive. The "famous" shopping area "Jewel" is not at Terminal 2 either.
I used both the Ambassador Transit Lounge (offered by Priority Pass) and Krisflyer Gold Lunge (Star Alliance Gold). ATL was quite busy, and Krisflyer a lot quieter. Both offer limited food selection, very much starch-based.
The Ambassador Transit Lounge at SIN Terminal 2. The large windows made the place very warm.
Food at the ATL lounge.
That at Krisflyer Club not that much better, or different.
Terminal 2 is big, and quite quiet. However, large sections are unfinished, with shops unoccupied. Perhaps still recovering from the pandemic?
When I was about to go through security at the Gate 42, the crew was coming out. They made a change in aircraft (last minute evidently) and our flight would be delayed for about 45 minutes. The 1:05 pm flight ended up taking off at 2:35 pm, and landed at 4:28 pm (3:28 pm Bangkok time). My TV screen didn't work, despite being rebooted once. I was okay without it, and read one chapter of Sam's book. They did have food service, which was nice.
Immigration was straightforward, no paperwork required, but they took a full set of fingerprints. I also got a SIM card for 299 bahts, good for 100 Gb over ten days. I need one for three days.
Singapore has no reason to be an hour different from its neighbors. Thailand to the west is one hour behind, and Indonesia to the east is also one hour behind. The theory is they want to align their time zone with that of China to facilitate business between the countries.
Taxis were plentiful. My pants were stuck on this pin that stuck out from the car's backseat. It took a while to free myself, luckily the pants didn't rip, and I wasn't cut. The driver told me it would cost 450 bahts. The trip took over an hour as traffic was bad once one got to town. And he wanted 450; I did tip him.
The airport (BKK, name in Thai unscrutible) is quite new, and very congested. Which makes Changi a lot better in comparison. To be fair, Bangkok has a population of about 10 million, and the airport probably serves most international traffic for the entire country of about 70 million, and a good chunk of the domestic traffic as well.
I had no idea what Furama Silom would look like, especially since it costs about $50 a night (breakfast included). Other than a little dated, the room seems fine. I couldn't gather up the courage to eat at a local restaurant, so I walked about 1/2 mile to a Burger King. I found out there is a Pizza Hut and an KFC as well.
Strolling along Silom Road after dinner, I saw this rather large and busy temple on the street. Thailand is known for having many altars at street corners. I have made many prior trips to Bangkok, and I am still uncomfortable with the city for various reasons, some probably irrational.
The "stairs" leading up to the crew rest area in this A350. For a short 2-hour flight I assume there is no rest for the crew.
You push a button to get a ticket at this kiosk telling you which bay to go to get a taxi. Not sure why it is necessary, and what else it does.
View from my room at Furama Silom.
Furama Silom.
Accommodation: Furama Silom, Bangkok (2 nights).
12/1 Thursday. Woke up at around 6:45 am to prepare for the day. First order of business was to go to have breakfast. There was a huge display of dishes, but not a lot I could eat as much of the food was starch-based.
I needed to get to OMF by 8:30 am. Taxis were difficult to come by, and I couldn't quite get the Grab application to work. Partly due to my clumsiness, partly due to lack of user-friendliness. I ended up getting a hotel car, which wasn't that expensive. The driver didn't seem to know how to follow his GPS, and towards the end I read off directions from Waze for him to follow. I ended up being 15 minutes late.
Jeff C, Andrew P and I then took a taxi to Bangkok Bible Seminary. Their chapel service was sharing by their fourth year students on what they would be doing as interns. After lunch we toured the school, and had this "banana nun," made from bananas and coconut.
Breakfast buffet at Furama Silom.
But this is what I managed to put on my plate. I wasn't sure about the freshness of the milk in the coffee, so made myself a cup of black coffee also.
On the way to OMF we drove by several "ponds" like this. I was told (Jeff C) that mosquitoes are a problem. They don't have malaria, but sometimes dengue fever.
OMF Thailand Offices. The driver didn't know how to get there.
Chapel at Bangkok Bible Seminary.
Fourth year students about to start their internship.
Distance Learning Department. Somewhat like correspondence school when I was a kid.
Andrew, myself, David, and Jeff in the BBS library.
The three of us met up for coffee, I had the Thai Coffee, which is coffee with condensed milk, and then dinner at Kai New Zealand.
Dinner at Kai New Zealand.
12/2 Friday. I was planning to join the Lockdown Connect group at 7 am, but woke up around 7:10 am, so I joined late. This is the second time I missed a meeting during this trip, not sure if the severe tiredness, or the alarm function is not as "user friendly" (i.e., persistent enough to make sure the user is up) as it needs to be. I missed the other meeting because my alarm was set for pm instead of am, nothing could have saved the day.
Andrew, Jeff and I met up and walked over to Bangkok Bible Seminary, this time to spend a couple of hours talking to the principal Dr. Manoch (first name). Including those who attend by zoom, the school has about 900 students, which makes it quite large. Dr. Manoch has both a compelling personal story (was at one point a Buddhist novice) and an ambitious vision for BBS.
Lunch was at BBS, after which we took a taxi to OMF Publishing, about 30 minutes away. There we had a good discussion with the director, and got a sense of how this Publisher goes about its work.
Taken outside of the Bangkok Bible Seminary: David C, Andrew P, Jeff C, myself, and Rev Manoch.
One of the requirements for completing a M Min degree at BBS is the compilation of 30 sermons (written by the students). Google Translate provides some understanding.
OMF Publishers bookstore.
The meeting concluded at around 3:30 pm, but it took a while before someone responded to Jeff's Grabtaxi request. Traffic on a Friday afternoon is bad all over the world, including Bangkok. The situation isn't helped by the taxi driver trying to outsmart Google Maps, the upshot is we didn't get to the hotel until a little after 5 pm, walking the last km or so.
We were quite pressed for time, so I didn't have time to shower before a whole day's worth of journey before me, and was sweating quite profusely from the 1-km walk to the hotel. Jeff was kind enough to bring us to the train station, and hop on the train with us to where we made the connection to the airport, before returning to Bangkok for some unfinished business.
While we got to the airport at around 6:40 pm (flight at 8), missing the airport train would have cost us 30 minutes, meaning we would need to continue to hustle. As it was, we had time to duck inside a Krisflyer lounge and picked up something to eat. Andrew said that was his first visit to a club (unimpressive, crowded, and we were rished; unfortunate for a first experience), and I hadn't realized that we had not eaten dinner.
SQ713 was crowded, although quite uneventful. Andrew and I said goodbye after we took the skytrain to Terminal 2. He went off to catch his flight to Brisbane, and I had a long walk to my gate.
SQ22 was quite full, my neighbor was an Indonesian flying Jakarta-Newark-Sao Paolo, with a ten-hour connection in Newark. So I really should have any complaints.
I watched the very forgettable movie "The Samaritan" starring Stallone, and listened on-and-off to several classical CDs. SQ has a good selection of classical music, that I will give them.
Learning from my meal experience at SQ21, I pre-ordered my entrees. Somehow the first meal (dinner) didn't take, so I thought I was doing something wrong. Breakfast came early, so the fault is with the system, after all.
This is a relatively new train line. The very narrow platform makes for congestion when people get on and off the train. They also have to control how many people can be on the platform (an escalator from a floor below). The railing sits over a yellow line and someone comes by every now and then to make sure one is not over the line, even though there is no risk of falling onto the tracks.
No time to smell the roses, or to admire this at the airport.
I traveled to Bangkok a few times in the 80s for business, and never liked the city. This is 30 to 40 years later, and the city has put in a lot of additional infrastructure, Still, the experience could have been better. The airport probably is a visitor's first encounter with the country, and it's already long in the tooth (at least in appearance) after 15 or so years (first operational in 2006). While Suvarnabhumi may have an auspicious meaning (golden land), it is unpronounceable by many. To make it every more of a problem, the proper pronunciation is "su-wan-na-poom." That it ran out of capacity so quickly (and they had to put the old airport back in service) speaks to the poor planning. I complained about the train platform earlier, and that there is no express train, and only one every thirty minutes, is close to inexcusable. Changi Airport is a tourist draw itself, but people visit Thailand despite the airport. I am not saying every tourist's need should be accommodated, but the decision was made to build a new airport, at great expense, and then not to have thought through these problems? Puzzling.
SQ 713 served up this for dinner. Appreciated.
Layout of Changi Airport. We landed at Gate F41, the Skytrain took us to Terminal 2. I had to then walk quite a bit to Gate C22, which is in Terminal 1 (despite being told by airport displays that it is Terminal 2).
They did send out a notice. Time stamp was 12:05 am, so if I wait until I see this instruction I would get to C22 at 12:27 pm, for a 12:40 pm flight. The plane took off at 1:20 am because of heavy traffic this time of day.
Fried noodles for meal. Croissant makes it Western.
The SIN-EWR took a slightly shorter route. Prevailing winds made this is short trip timewise at 17:10 hours. The "roundtrip" essentially completed a circumnavigation.
With an arrival time of 5:30 am or so, immigration was a breeze. The customs agent did have a dog sniffing everyone's luggage, but that didn't add much time. It was cute that the dog wasn't very interested in doing its job.
Uber got me home at around 6:40 am. I am typing this at around 9 pm (NJ time). I had been quite tired during the day, and am quite tired now. Anne, meanwhile, drove to Hoboken as Kuau and Ellie would leave for Turks and Caicos the next day. I will join her tomorrow, wanting to first make sure I didn't pick up COVID before I do so.
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