The Chao Phraya River offers a practical means of transport for visitors to Bangkok. Useful to move to (or from) Rattanakosin and Chinatown.
Our goal with this post and video is to show you this public service and provide some helpful tips to make it easy for you to use during your stay in the capital.
Find the right docks and identify the proper boat.
Even if you don’t really need to use it to get around, a boat trip is a great way to see the city from a different perspective.
The boats are long, narrow and fast.
Each line has a different colour (yellow, green or blue, for example) and the ships show a flag fore and a flag aft in the corresponding colour.
Obviously, not all of the boats stop at all of the quays so that you have to find out which one stops at the pier you have to leave from and the pier to disembark later.
Each pier has a name and number to identify it, which are marked on city maps. The quays also have flags to show which lines stop there.
If you are on holidays in Bangkok, the two main lines are the orange and blue flags as they can take you to the most interesting tourist sites.
A single ticket on the orange line costs roughly USD 0.6. This line is used both by tourists and local people so that it may well be crowded at peak times.
The blue line is the so-called ‘Chao Phraya Tourist Boat‘, and it costs a little more than one dollar per trip or 5 dollars for a day ticket. The advantage is that it is more comfortable and does not get overcrowded during the busy rush hours.
And of course, it only stops at the quays nearest to the local tourist spots.
Express boat - Orange flag
Link.
Route Nonthaburi / Wat Rajsingkorn.
Everyday From 06h00 to 19h00. Ticket fare: 15 baht
Route:
13. Phra Arthit (to go to Khaosan Road)
12. Phra Pin Klao Bridge (to visit the Royal Barge National Museum)
11. Thonburi Railway
10. Wang Lang (Prannok)
* Tha Maharaj (next to the amulets market)
9. Tha Chang (next to the Grand Palace)
8. Tha Tien (Closed for renovation)
* Wat Arun Pier
7. Rajinee (connection with the MRT)
6/1. Yodpiman (next to the Pakklong Talad – Flower Market)
5. Rachawongse (to go to a Chinatown)
4. Navy Dept.
3. Si Phraya
1. Oriental
Sathorn Central Pier (next to BTS Shapan Taksin Station)
S2 Wat Worachanyawas
S3 Wat Rajsinkorn – Asiatique The riverfront
Tourist Express Boat - Blue flag
Link.
The boat leaves Sathorn and Phra Arthit piers every 30 minutes.
From Sathorn 09h00 – 17h30.
From Phra Arthit 09h30 – 18h00.
From 16h30 boats extend their routes from Sathorn to Asiatique Riverfront.
Ticket Fare: Single-journey Ticket: 50 baht
One-day River Pass: 180 baht
Route:
13. Phra Arthit (to go to Khaosan Road)
11. Thonburi Railway (to visit the Royal Barge National Museum)
* Tha Maharaj (close to the Grand Palace, next to the amulets market)
8. Tha Tien (Closed for renovation)
* Wat Arun pier
6/1. Yodpiman (To visit the Pakklong Talad – Flower Market)
5. Rachawongse (to go to Chinatown)
* River City Bangkok
1. Oriental
Satorn central pier
Note: The Tha Thien pier, in front of the Wat Pho, is being renovated. Once it works again, the routes of the blue and orange lines will be modified in that part of the river.