The Chao Phraya riverside areas are some of the oldest and most historic parts of the city, and Bangkok owes its existence to the economic growth enabled by boats bringing goods up and down the river.
Visitors to Bangkok are often stunned by the variety of boats and boat taxis that use the Chao Phraya River to transport commuters, tourists, and cargo. They also often wonder how to use the long-tail boats, water taxis, and ferries to easily reach their Bangkok destination.
We’ll offer a guide to help you make sense of it all. The boats are easy to differentiate once you know their purposes. Join us as we offer a simple guide to using the main passenger boats operating on the Chao Phraya River.
Chao Phraya Express Boats
Most of the boats you’ll see on the river are the Chao Phraya Express Boats. There are six color-coded boat lines, each departing from different areas along the river and servicing the many riverside piers. A great way to learn more about the locations of these piers is to buy an all-day ticket on the blue line of Express Boats. This is the tourist express boat, and for a daily price of THB 150, you can hop on and off the boat all day long and tour the river areas of Bangkok. A travel website called Thaiest has an edited version of a useful Bangkok ferry map showing the location of the piers along the river. Or visit the Chao Phraya Express Boat website for a chart of the lines and the piers they service.
Private Long-tail Boats
These are the well-known traditional style of boats you’ve seen in pictures with the propeller mounted on a long pole. You’ll see several of these boats moored near Ta Chang Pier (9), near the Grand Palace. They offer scenic tours of the canals across the river. Long-tail boat tours are a fun way to get a glimpse of the way Bangkok residents used to live when the canals served as city streets.
River-crossing Ferries
There are regularly scheduled river crossing ferries at a few piers along the river to quickly transport you across the water. One of the most popular is the ferry from Tha Tien Pier, which brings people across to Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn. ICONSIAM shopping mall along the river also operates a ferry shuttle service from Sathorn Pier and Si Phraya Pier across the river.
Canal Water Taxis
Unless you live between Sukhumvit Road and Petchaburi Road, you may not even realize Khlong San Saeb exists or that there are regularly scheduled water taxis running up and down the khlong. A website called touristbangkok has published a Bangkok canal boat map of the stops along the khlong. These water taxis perform a necessary service, as they avoid road traffic and offer a quick way into and out of the Sukhumvit Road area for commuters living in the northern Bangkok areas of Ladprao, Bangkapi, and Huamark.
Dinner Cruises
You’ll often see brightly lit, futuristic and sleek-looking boats slowly cruising along the river. These floating restaurants host dinner cruises. Taking a dinner cruise is a fun way to enjoy the riverfront lights at night or celebrate a special occasion. Different boats offer a range of dinner experiences and cost anywhere between THB 650 to over THB 1,500. Some offer gourmet cuisines while others offer dinner and a variety of entertainment. Simply Google “Bangkok river cruises”, and you’ll find a number of websites offering lists, contact numbers, and prices of the most popular cruises.
Rent an Apartment in Silom at Bangkok Garden
Renting a fully furnished apartment in Bangkok puts you in the perfect location to explore all the Chao Phraya River has to offer. Saphan Taksin Pier, also called Central Pier, is at the foot of Sathorn Road near Bangkok Garden Apartments.
We offer two, three, and four-bedroom serviced apartments surrounded by three acres of gardens, swimming pools, a fitness center, a basketball court, a jacuzzi and sauna, and a covered children’s playground. We also have convenience stores, coffee shops, and restaurants where you can relax with family and friends. Call us today to arrange a tour of the spacious, fully furnished apartments we have available.