Nok Air - An unprofessional critique

So today I'm flying Nok Air to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam and it will be the first time I've flown them on an international sector.

Nok Air are one of Thailand's budget airlines and they run a fleet of Boeing 737-800s, and whilst all sparkly and fun on the outside with their sticky uppy winglets and painted on beaks, (nok is the Thai word for bird), the interiors are a light, dirty cream colour which can only be compared to a 1980s smoke stained tap room.

The inside of Weatherspoons theme pub, Bangkok circa 1979. The guy at the front is wearing a mask because the smoke from the Marloboro smokers is too much! Joking apart, does anyone as old, or older than me remember when you could light up on an aircraft? I miss those days!

Now there's something I find slightly unnerving here on two counts. Firstly, the beaks and gaudy livery. I am sure someone thought it a good idea to paint their aircraft in 'fun' colours and then birdificate them with the beaks, but if I'm being honest, I'd much prefer something slightly more serious and professional from a tube of aluminium filled with highly explosive hydrocarbons that I'm sitting on 5 miles up in the air and travelling at 500miles per hour in.
This brings me onto the second point which is the use of the word 'budget' in the same sentence as airline. I like the fact this round trip only cost me about £50 or $70usd but I don't want the word 'budget' ramming down my throat. Obviously they have to cut corners to keep the prices low but it's always in the back of my mind that the cost cutting hasn't just been kept to not serving meals, extra for checked baggage and seats so cramped I'll probably need both hip and knee replacements by the time I get home but has extended to cheap pilots just out of college, longer maintenance intervals, discount Chinese manufactured copied Boeing parts from Alibaba and supermarket petrol. Yes, I know I'm thinking too much, but all the same.
Ahhh they also save money on the crews uniforms, the cabin crew's bright yellow uniforms are definitely nylon.

While talking about budget. Going back 10 or 15 years when budget airlines were just taking off (awful pun intended) at the incredible Singapore Changi Airport, they went one step further and had a specific 'budget' terminal which was like a Post Office sorting warehouse. All concrete painted floors and hanging industrial style lighting. A serious case of function over form and it had a few metal chairs and some mini sheds scattered about inside that sold crap food and drinks as well as tat souvenirs.
My first flight on Cebu Pacific to Manila had me at information in the main terminal asking which gate Cebu Pacific flew from. They didn't even advertise the place!
"That will be from the 'budget' terminal sir" said a young lady with a mix of disgust and sympathy in her voice. "Out of the main doors, walk to the end of this building, turn right past the bins and through the double doors. It says 'budget'over the doors lah." She added just to make sure I understood 'my kind' weren't wanted in their Terminal 1 orchid garden and Koi pond.
Chuffing snobs.
Anyway, as you can possibly tell by the fact I've dropped out 2 shit posts in a couple of hours, I'm bored. Please forgive me and shit post number 3 will be later this morning as I hangout at Ho Chi Minh Airport till I can go to guest house at 2pm. I pray for your sakes there is no free wifi there!
And now, finally. It's time to board. Get me some crutches ready for when I get off please someone!

Class Y and a bloody aisle seat. Says it all really but I do wonder about the poor saps in Class Z.