Flight date: September, 2024
Not long after I learned I had Celiac and went strictly Gluten Free, I set off an a previously planned around the world trip stopping at over a dozen countries to sightsee, hike, and explore (it’s a good life even if one without all the wheat). Obviously, that was a lot to take on still learning the ropes but while GF life has changed my travels, I was and remain determined not to let it stop them. This post shares my experience flying from Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) to Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM) with Thai Airways and their Gluten Free meals.
Because long haul economy is not fun but collecting airline points is, I was able to take this flight in Business Class so things may differ if you’re looking at an economy trip but generally what I have seen front or back is pretty similar food, even if on fancier plates.
Quick note: As a Celiac, gluten free isn’t a choice — it’s a requirement I’d love to not have. My immediate symptoms are thankfully relatively minor, but obviously I aim to avoid any & all gluten and cross-contamination. This post is simply my personal experience: your gluten free requirements & risks may differ from mine. Always follow your doctor’s advice and always confirm before eating!
At the Airport
After 10 days of navigating Bangkok GF (more on that to come), I was excited to start my trek away from the city and towards the mountains of Nepal which I was trying to catch a glimpse of as I started drafting this post. Thailand was been incredible and despite some of my fears about GF eating, I fared pretty well. Of course, GF certainly isn’t a common concern there and my biggest worry was “what’s in the sauce” and “what was just cooked where my meal is being made” but all good, mostly.
BKK airport is a great example of this. There’s wonderful food all around but very little that was done GF, and even less marked as such. Since I flew fancy today, I got to wander through many lounges and while not perfect either, options there were better with plenty of fresh fruit, plain rice, fried eggs, even made to order Omelets at Thai Airways lounge. I am sure they would have prepped a grill space to whip something fantastic had I asked.
Onto the Flight
My overall rating: 9/10
Thai Airways service has always impressed me from the airports to the plane, back seats or front, and so absolutely no surprise they would deliver a great GF experience, by plane standards that is. I’ll mostly let the photos speak for themselves but if you’re nervous seeing them, so was I (that means it’s good!) and I had to ask the flight crew to confirm the meal twice given how normal it all looked.
How safe did it seem: 7/10
The main meal felt very solid though I am always cautious of a gluten free bread that comes without a label* (but it tasted bad enough to be sure, IYKYK). After the main meal however, they had fruit & cheese plates to accompany dessert and those were not something catered specifically for GF. The flight staff checked before offering it up and we determined the cheeses were a naturally safe bet while skipping the sweets.
* I’ve found that many airlines remove packaging for their premium meals which presents nice but is a bit unnerving for us!
How did it taste (by GF flying & business class standards): 9/10
While many of my gluten free dishes have been bland and basic, Thai Airways provided one that was quite tasty even if simple. I would have happily eaten this outside the plane.
How was the portion size: Impressive for a relatively short (<4 hour) flight.
What was the highlight: The grilled fish main was really tasty with good flavor and quite nice to have some simple veggies alongside.
What I skipped: The pre-meal nuts and the sweets for dessert.
What it lacked: Not much honestly, it was a solid meal.
How do you book a Gluten Free meal with Thai Airways: My reservation was via another airline so I could not select GFML on the Thai Airways website and emailed their support team instead. It took a few days but they got everything confirmed without having to call.