"Thai Airways is most probably one of the better national carriers in SE Asia."
A fine statement on the face of it, but look at the competiton... Thai is not (from my perspective as pax) in the same league with Singapore or Brunei and on a par on most competitive or comparable routes with Malaysia. From there you descend into the disgraceful atrocities that comprise the airlines and aviation cultures of Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
The fact that TG struggles to finish in the money in a four horse race is not a ringing endorsement.