The best seats in Business Class on Thai Airways' Airbus A340-600

Thai Airways has two daily flights between Sydney and Bangkok on A340-600s. But which are the best seats to pick in Business Class? 

Australians heading to Thailand on business or connecting through the Suvarnabhumi mega-hub will find themselves travelling on the plane frequently, so here's the lowdown on the best seats aboard.

The plane

The A340-600 is Airbus' longest plane, a stretched version of their single-deck A340 series. 

Thai has six of the aircraft in its fleet, with First, Business and Economy classes from front to back.

In booking classes and on your ticket, the A340-600 may be coded as "A346" or just "346".

The Business Class cabin

There are two business class cabins: a five-row section behind First Class and a  slightly smaller four-row section behind the lavatories and galley kitchens, in front of the Economy Class section.

Business Class seats on the A340-600 are angled lie-flat seats similar to the first generation of Qantas Skybed, which you'll find on the Red Roo's Boeing 747 and Airbus A330 planes.

The seats are laid out in a 2-2-2 configuration. (That means seats A & B on the left hand side of the plane, then E & F in the middle, and J & K on the right hand side.)

For business travellers going solo, seats E & F are a good general choice because they have direct aisle access either side. So if you're an aisle fan then go for those.

If you enjoy looking out the window, then pick a seat between rows 11 and 17 -- rows 18-20 are over the wing, so the view won't be as good.

The best seats on the plane

Row 11: these bulkhead seats at the front of the first cabin, immediately behind First Class, will be the quietest on the plane. Since the Business Class lavatories and galley kitchens are behind row 17, and the First Class galleys all the way at the front of the plane, there'll be very little traffic up here -- perfect for a relaxing trip and a good sleep.

Rows 12 & 14: with no row 13 for reasons of superstition, these are the two rows immediately behind row 11. They'll be slightly less quiet and private, being further back, but are still a great choice.

The worst seats on the plane

Rows 20-21: at the very back of the second Business Class cabin, these are right in front of Economy -- with the bassinet crib positions immediately behind the partition wall. 

Row 18: immediately behind the lavatory and the galley kitchens, these seats will have extra noise, and the aisle seats will likely be bumped into more than most. Skip them for an uninterrupted flight.

Row 17: these seats are immediately in front of the lavatories and galley kitchens, so they'll also be noisier than a seat at the front of the cabin.

15A 15K: these window seats have a covered-over window, so don't expect the view to be as good.

Previously: 

• Business Class on Malaysia Airlines' A330
• Business Class on Etihad's A340-600
• Business Class on Emirates' A380
• Club World (Business Class) on British Airways' 747
• Business Class on Singapore Airlines' A380

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.