The KLM in Bangkok
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Our national pride, KLM, has been present in Bangkok for many years, because it has always been an important destination, sometimes as a final destination, but often also as a stopover to another Asian country. Yes, I know, I'm actually not allowed to say KLM anymore, because it's now Air France/KLM. For me it's just KLM, which has brought me to many destinations and I can't say that about Air France.
While preparing this story I came across travelogues on the Internet from people who traveled from Bangkok to the Netherlands in 1952. My first KLM trip on that route was in March 1980 from Bangkok to Amsterdam with intermediate stops in Karachi and Athens. Many more would follow.
Conversation with a true KLM employee
I had the pleasure of having a conversation with Rick van de Wouw, a KLM employee in heart and soul, who has worked for KLM for decades. Rick is part of the KLM corps “blue boys”, the technical people. That blue refers to the overalls that the technicians often wear, in contrast to the beautifully uniformed KLM staff, which we as passengers have to deal with the most. I couldn't resist telling him that we at the Navy were also familiar with the term “blue boys” at the time, but then it was a more or less negative name of colleagues from the former Dutch East Indies, Indonesia if you will.
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Rick's position reads in full: Area Operational Manager Asia for Line Maintenance International. I will come back to that later, Rick first told me something about KLM in Bangkok. In general you can say that KLM can be divided into three groups, namely passengers, cargo and technology. The competition in the first two groups is fierce worldwide, with the smaller airlines with cheap flights posing a constant threat. On the other hand, with more and more of those competitors on the market, KLM's engineering department has become increasingly important, because many of those airlines use the services of KLM's Engineering & Maintenance. KLM is one of the three largest providers of all kinds of technical assistance in the world.
The KLM in Bangkok for passengers
If you used to make a KLM trip to Bangkok, you had to reconfirm your reservation for the return flight. I believe that could be done by telephone, but I usually stayed in the Silom area and always went to the KLM office for that reconfirmation. That office was located on the corner of Patpong and Suriwongse and I always liked to smell a pinch of the Netherlands. Often there was also a Dutch lady with whom I could have a chat and, if you were lucky, there was also a Dutch newspaper from about three days ago.
But that's all changed, the office moved to some big office complex, where I've been once, but now I don't remember where it is exactly. The office is not indicated on the KLM website either, because everything related to tickets, bookings, changes and whatnot is now online. Rick told me that there is still one lady and that is a Thai.
Everything related to flying, check-in, baggage handling, Business Class lounge, etc. is outsourced and all logistical operations for the aircraft are coordinated from the KLM office in Singapore.
KLM Maintenance & Engineering
Before I tell you about KLM's technical activities in Bangkok, you should understand how this fits into KLM's larger picture. KLM E&M is a division that employs more than 5000 people worldwide. A large part of this consists of highly qualified technical personnel, who take care of the general technical maintenance of the aircraft. This means that the activities consist not only of so-called Line Maintenance up to the various stages of periodic maintenance, but also overhaul of engines, delivery of parts and components, technical modifications and repairs. Together with Air France, KLM is one of the largest MROs (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) in the world. You can read more about this division at: www.afiklmem.com/AFIKLMEM/en/g_page_hub/aboutafiklmem.html
KLM Line Maintenance International
This part of KLM E&M operates at more than 50 airports around the world. Line Maintenance is performed there for KLM and Air France aircraft. Line maintenance refers to the most common inspection, which takes place before the departure of each aircraft. It is a small maintenance service on the platform, which is carried out by a team of ground engineers. These are highly specialized aircraft mechanics who rigorously inspect the aircraft in a short period of time. Optical inspections are carried out as far as possible, but parts are also inspected on the basis of checklists and replaced if necessary. In addition to these lists, the bottlenecks mentioned by the previous cockpit crew are examined and removed if necessary. No aircraft will take to the air without inspection and official approval. If this may result in a delay in departure, you as a passenger should take it for granted.
Line Maintenance International in Bangkok
Bangkok is one of the 50 worldwide stations where KLM carries out Line Maintenance. This is done primarily for KLM and Air France aircraft, but many regional airlines also use the services that KLM can provide in Bangkok. KLM employs approximately 60 people in Thailand for this, all Thai.
Rick therefore works as Area Operational Manager Asia from Bangkok for this branch of KLM, making him the only Dutch KLM employee in Thailand. An interesting detail is that Rick can never be seen in a KLM uniform. He is responsible for contacts with “Schiphol”, but especially with the other airlines in the region, with whom he maintains contacts either as an existing customer or as a potential customer.
KLM Component Supply
An airline keeps at least a basic package of parts and components in stock for every new aircraft. An aircraft consists of up to 30.000 parts and it is expensive to keep all parts in stock. KLM has long-term contracts with Thai Airways for the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 for the supply of parts and components that are not included in the basic package. KLM invests in keeping stock in Bangkok and Thai Airways can use this if necessary - of course for an additional fee. A very profitable part, I was assured.
Finally,
It was a very pleasant conversation with Rick van de Wouw, where we could each exchange pleasant experiences with KLM in one way or another. As a passenger I have traveled a lot with KLM, usually planning Bangkok as the starting point of a trip in the Far East or Australia. When I boarded a KLM plane to Amsterdam again after two or three weeks of intensive travel in Bangkok, I already considered it a bit like coming home.
I always like to mention our National pride. But most Dutch people will fly with another airline if it is slightly cheaper.
I myself have flown a lot with KLM to my complete satisfaction. The period from 1990 to 2000 had a gold card with flying in ECO class. . Since I have been living in Thailand since 2011, I fly to the Netherlands in KLM business class every few times.
You could also have mentioned that the cabin crew used to, when the final destination was still Taipei, and the hotel was the Lebua, “fought” for a trip to Bangkok. Four days of local stay with one obligatory trip to Taipei in between. Not to mention the generous daily allowances.
In this story you could almost replace the word KLM with Lufthansa, the company for which I and at least 500 other Dutch people (and a few thousand people of other nationalities) have worked and of course many still do.
We were always a bit jealous of the KLM crew, because they were housed in much better hotels than we were. Not that our hotel was not a four star hotel, but in BKK they were in one of the best hotels in the world, I mean the Oriental. Maybe it was just a rumour, because I never spoke to a KLM person who confirmed that.
I have almost never traveled with KLM. Once, when we had to travel from Jakarta to Singapore as a passenger. We then received a Delft blue tile from the crew, which I cherished as a nice memory for many years.
In some countries we, as Lufthansa crew, were in the same hotel as KLM. During a conversation I was often asked why I worked at LH and not at KLM…
We encountered them in many places. Once spent a nice night in Singapore with KLM colleagues. When it was already forbidden for us to take drinks off board, they came with liter bottles of Baily's and other drinks in the crew lounge… what a party!
Ah, those were fantastic times now about thirty years ago. A layover in BKK of 10 days, with flights to Manila or Kuala Lumpur in between, was also "fought about". It was especially and almost exclusively the flight to BKK that was so popular that you ended up on a waiting list for this long flight if you had received it after an application. Then it could take a year before you got the long one to BKK.
There have been times when I was there every month, sometimes twice in a month, but almost didn't get that super long flight anymore. With the short you had virtually no day off. Rest after the day of arrival, then a shuttle to Manila, Ho Chi Min or Singapore and back the next day. With the ten days you sometimes had 4 days off in a row.
Those were good times for many airlines. Then the tickets were also much more expensive and a profit was made with a half-full plane. A ticket BKK and back then cost more than 2000 guilders. Now people are already indignant that a company requires 1200 euros, which is really no more, compared to that amount then. You can get a ticket from 500 Euros or less…do you see the difference?
Nothing has become cheaper, only the ticket. Revenues are much lower, expenses are higher… no wonder even big companies are going down…
I have an acquaintance/friend who is now 89 years old who worked for KLM in Bangkok from 1955 to 1976. He took care of the housing of KLM staff and the food supply for the onward flights to other Asian destinations. It is full of beautiful stories and anecdotes about that time. such as the 4-storey KLM hotel, which was then the tallest building in Bangkok and that 40 cars drove in Bangkok, of which KLM had 3. Mr. Frans Evers was even knighted by HRH Bumiphol for 2 state visits from Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard and later from Queen Beatrix with Prince Willem Alexander in the KLM kitchens where the state banquets were prepared.
I often hear people from Thailand, you don't have to tell me anything, I know everything because I have been in Thailand for 10 years. No, what do you think of 1955!!!!
There will be a separate story about the KLM hotels in Bangkok in a while!
KLM had been the owner of a colonial villa since the 50s, which was later adapted into Hotel PLaswijck.
located in “Laksi” close to Don Muang Airport. At that time, Bangkok was the KLM hub in Asia.
Frans Evers, manager of the hotel at the time, had a pet lar gibbon that he also walked around with.
On some days there were as many as 6…!! “747 crews”, I came there as a crew member during the Vietnam War. Bombers did not have enough fuel for the return flight to Guam or an aircraft carrier after bombing over Vietnam and were refueled in mid-air by tanker aircraft, Boeing-707, taking off from Don Muang Airport. At about half past four in the morning, 5, 4, 5 of those heavy 6 ton tankers took off... they needed the entire runway to get free.
Plaswijck was exactly in line with the runway. the result was that everyone, without exception, was awake. On the initiative of Frans Evers, the hotel's service arrived with a cup of tea at the door of the room after only XNUMX minutes..!!
Those are one of those many things you remember about Plaswijck.
carl.
As the wife of a KLM through and through, and therefore a member of the blue family for 35 years, I enjoyed this story. Our love for Thailand was created by KLM. My husband had to go to Bangkok for an engine change and came home so enthusiastic that I wanted to see it all with my own eyes. We have now been 11 times and are looking forward to our next visit
As a retired KLMer and also a technician for almost 40 years, this is a fun and recognizable piece to read.
I too have flown many times for holidays to Bangkok and further into Asia since the 80s.
Last time in 2019.
It is also always very nice when you see the familiar "blue" again after a while in Asia.
Regards Dirk
Hey Dirk I am also a retired KLM technician. Which department have you been in?
From 1973 in the REPA later that passed into Component Services in H14
Dirk
now heavily faded glory of course, our national pride is just French and a lot, a lot of tax money has to be pumped in before they can ever get rid of the Hague infusion. It is precisely this kind of sentimental stories that may have contributed to this stupid action by Hoekstra, among others. It is pretended that Schiphol and the Netherlands cannot do without them. In my opinion, in the commercial world there is another color aircraft on the spot of KLM.
I myself have flown about 50 times in my entire life. Only 3 times with KLM. This is certainly not my first preference, but that is of course different for everyone. One goes for quality and the other goes for price. This is of course different for everyone and even if you are next to each other in the same plane you will experience service and quality differently.
The main reason I will not choose KLM so quickly is because most of my trips go via Dusseldorf.