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First Class at Last!
FIRST CLASS at last! Luxury --splendour -- magnificence -- excellence -- sumptuous -- grandeur. Fed up with the grisly process of the slow queues, the delays, the crowds, the stress, hassle and tedium, and the extreme discomfort of the average economy airline seat? The author was, and he decided to do something about it. He arranged a trip designed to be the antidote to routine travel misery. "This time I am fixing a trip and going first class. This time it will be different. It will be better. It will be wonderful." But would that be easy to do? The first challenge was to decide where to go. That done he embarked on a truly singular journey. Flying to Bangkok, he stayed in world renown The Oriental Hotel, continued on to Singapore and the equally famous Raffles Hotel and then travelled in style the 1200-odd miles back to Bangkok on the Eastern & Oriental three days and two nights on what many people regard as the best train ride in the world. Obviously a break was then called for to recover from such a period of intensive and unrelenting luxury, so he headed for a famous spa on the beach. Along the way, he meets a rock-and-roll musician, a terrified undertaker, visits dubious bars and colourful markets, has an encounter with the bodyguards of the Thai Royal family, takes a trip to Penang, and embarks on a boat trip along the River Kwai. Going first class can be hard work; but this lively, wry and amusing account of luxury travel highlights what every traveller secretly longs to do throw the budget out the window and travel in style.
216 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2014
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About the author
Patrick Forsyth
128 books2 followersI have written many books for business, but more recently I have had what my daughter calls "proper books" published. Three novels: "Long Overdue", "Loose Ends" and "A Rather Curious Crime"; also three books of light-hearted travel writing all set in South East Asia. "First class at last" features a journey on the Orient Express of Asia, out from Singapore, through Malaysia and into Thailand, "Beguiling Burma" features a river trip, and "Smile because it happened" is about things that make you smile in the land of smiles: Thailand.
I am active in the writing world, am a Fellow of SWWJ and a member of the Society of Authors, I write regularly for "Writing Magazine, give talks about my writing (especially the travel writing) and have also conducted writing workshops.
I am active in the writing world, am a Fellow of SWWJ and a member of the Society of Authors, I write regularly for "Writing Magazine, give talks about my writing (especially the travel writing) and have also conducted writing workshops.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 5, 2025
Not really "at last." More like "just this once."
The author is a business consultant and management expert who's published more than fifty books in that field. He's traveled to southeast Asia for thirty years, both for business and pleasure and always on a limited budget. Now in middle age (a "trainee grumpy old man") he decides to splurge on a first-cabin-all-the-way trip to see how the other half lives.
After much discussion with himself (and he's a witty conversationalist, even when he has to hold up both ends of the argument) he went back to his old stomping grounds, but staying in much fancier accommodations and traveling in much higher style.
Specifically, he flew first class to Bangkok, where he stayed at the famous Oriental Hotel. Then he flew (again first class) to Singapore, where he stayed at the equally famous Raffles Hotel. Both the Oriental and the Raffles date back to the 1800's and have played host to royalty, celebs, tycoons, and famous authors.
But the jewel in the crown of this extravaganza was traveling from Singapore back to Bangkok on the luxurious Eastern and Orient Express. For the price of a kidney you,too, can spend two days and two nights eating gourmet food and being pampered by an efficient, charming staff.
His fellow travelers, not surprisingly, were well-heeled and well traveled, although a few of them weren't any less irritating than the couple who sat next to you on your last economy flight and jabbed you with their elbows and stepped on your feet and entertained you with fourteen hours of non-stop bickering. Having money should make us more noble, but it doesn't always work.
The author writes well and intelligently and humorously. His eagerness to learn about something new (in this case luxury travel) is endearing, as is his obvious love of Thailand and the Thai people. He includes a great deal of information (both historic and current) and I found most of it interesting.
I suspect that at least some of his expenses were covered by the companies involved in exchange for the publicity. Most guests don't get private audiences with managers. Does it matter? Maybe not, but I usually avoid travel guides because I can't relate to a professional traveler who's put in the best rooms and given the best service and not handed a bill at the end of his stay.
Still, I'm glad I read it. I learned about a very intriguing part of the world and the author's sly English humor is delightful.
The author is a business consultant and management expert who's published more than fifty books in that field. He's traveled to southeast Asia for thirty years, both for business and pleasure and always on a limited budget. Now in middle age (a "trainee grumpy old man") he decides to splurge on a first-cabin-all-the-way trip to see how the other half lives.
After much discussion with himself (and he's a witty conversationalist, even when he has to hold up both ends of the argument) he went back to his old stomping grounds, but staying in much fancier accommodations and traveling in much higher style.
Specifically, he flew first class to Bangkok, where he stayed at the famous Oriental Hotel. Then he flew (again first class) to Singapore, where he stayed at the equally famous Raffles Hotel. Both the Oriental and the Raffles date back to the 1800's and have played host to royalty, celebs, tycoons, and famous authors.
But the jewel in the crown of this extravaganza was traveling from Singapore back to Bangkok on the luxurious Eastern and Orient Express. For the price of a kidney you,too, can spend two days and two nights eating gourmet food and being pampered by an efficient, charming staff.
His fellow travelers, not surprisingly, were well-heeled and well traveled, although a few of them weren't any less irritating than the couple who sat next to you on your last economy flight and jabbed you with their elbows and stepped on your feet and entertained you with fourteen hours of non-stop bickering. Having money should make us more noble, but it doesn't always work.
The author writes well and intelligently and humorously. His eagerness to learn about something new (in this case luxury travel) is endearing, as is his obvious love of Thailand and the Thai people. He includes a great deal of information (both historic and current) and I found most of it interesting.
I suspect that at least some of his expenses were covered by the companies involved in exchange for the publicity. Most guests don't get private audiences with managers. Does it matter? Maybe not, but I usually avoid travel guides because I can't relate to a professional traveler who's put in the best rooms and given the best service and not handed a bill at the end of his stay.
Still, I'm glad I read it. I learned about a very intriguing part of the world and the author's sly English humor is delightful.
Displaying 1 of 1 review