The easiest and cheapest way to see the city is, of course, to use water transport.
The Chao Phraya River permeates the entire Bangkok and by choosing the desired route, you can see a lot for just 20 - 120 baht
attractions. Not to mention, a walk along the river in Bangkok will help you see the capital of Thailand from different angles.
Boat ride on Chao Phraya in Bangkok
There are several options to see Bangkok by boat. Boats, speedboats, water taxis – there are many options.
In this article we will consider the most interesting and profitable for tourists.
We will discard such an obvious method as “a cruise along Chao Phraya” or “dinner on a boat in Bangkok”, since you can easily
Buy this excursion from your travel agent or at any pier.
Chao Phraya boat dinner prices range from 1,100 to 2,000 baht per person.
My favorite way to travel by boat around Chao Phraya is by express boat.
Chao Phraya Express boat routes and differences
The express boats on Chao Phraya have flags to help guide you.
Orange, yellow and green are express boats that ply the same route but stop at different piers.
A boat with a blue flag is a tourist boat. A very convenient option. You pay 120 baht (single ticket for the whole day)
and you can go and go all day long from different piers and see the sights of Bangkok as much as you can.
The Chao Phraya Express Boat without a flag is the cheapest public transport in Bangkok (from 10 baht) - does
stops at ALL piers.
Chao Phraya – river walks in Bangkok photo
Chao Phraya runs through the center of Bangkok, so seeing the temples, getting off at the main streets and entertainment spots is not a problem.
Remember a few important stops that may come in handy:
How to save on insurance?
Insurance abroad is required. Any appointment is very expensive and the only way not to pay out of pocket is to choose an insurance policy in advance. We have been applying for many years on the website, which gives the best prices for insurance and selection along with registration takes only a couple of minutes.
Chao Phraya means "Royal River" in Thai. And it really is like that - wide, deep, the real pride of the local residents:
Huge suspension bridges stretch across Chao Phraya; this bridge glows amazingly at night:
1.1. Boat options on Chao Phraya
There are many boats and ferries traveling along Chao Phraya, all boats can be divided into 4 types:
- Express boats
- Special tourist boats
- Ferries plying between the banks of the river
- Taxi boats
So how do you navigate them?
The map that is available at every Chao Phraya pier will help us with this:
All Chao Phraya piers are marked on the map. Next to the number of each pier there are multi-colored triangles that indicate which ferries stop at that pier. The map also shows the route of each ferry and the cost of the trip.
Express boats used by local residents, this is one of the cheapest types of river transport.
1.2. Express boat routes in Bangkok
Total there is 4 express boat routes(to find out which route a boat is taking, just look at the color of its flag; it’s the colors that differentiate the routes):
- Boat without a flag stops at every pier. Cost - from 10 to 14 baht. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 6.45-7.30 and 16.00 - 16.30.
- Orange flag. Route: Nonthaburi - Wat Rajsinkorn. Cost - 15 baht. Opening hours: Every day 6.00 - 19.00.
- Yellow flag. Route: Nonthaburi - Wat Rajsinkorn, Rajburana-Nonthaburi. Cost - from 20 to 29 baht. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 6.15 - 8.20 and 16.00 - 20.00.
- Green flag. Route: Pakkret - Sathorn. Cost - from 13 to 32 baht. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 6.10 - 8.10 and 16.05 - 18.05.
There is also a special tourist boat, it makes fewer stops, mainly near attractions. There is also a guide on this boat who will tell you in English about the route and attractions.
A one-way ticket for a tourist boat costs 40 baht. However, you can buy a ticket for 150 baht, which will allow you to make an unlimited number of trips during the day. Tourist boat marked blue flag, departs every 30 minutes from the Central Pier (Sathorn Pier).
Route diagram for express boats and tourist boats:
More detailed information can be found on the official website: http://www.chaophrayaexpressboat.com
The entrance to many piers is very beautifully decorated with bright greenery and flowers:
1.3. How to get to the other side of the river
In addition to tourist and express boats, ferries run between the shores of Chao Phraya, on which you can quickly cross to the other side.
Cost of crossing- only 3 baht. To check whether there is a crossing from a particular pier to the other side, you can use Google map; all water transport routes in Bangkok are marked there.
For example, to get from to, located on the other side, just take the ferry, pay 3 baht, and you will find yourself on the right side of the river:
View from the ferry to Chao Phraya on the way to Wat Arun:
In some places the river blooms so much that you can’t even see the water:
If you want an individual tour of Chao Phraya, you can rent taxi boat on any of the piers. True, this pleasure will not be cheap - from 1,500 baht.
You can also go on an evening tour of Chao Phraya on a special boat, where you will be offered a delicious dinner and live music. You can book a tour in advance or directly through this form:
Besides the Chao Phraya, Bangkok is crisscrossed by a network of water canals called Klongs, some of which can also be navigated on special boats.
Unfortunately, Google Maps has not yet learned how to build routes using klongs, however, figuring out the routes on your own is not at all difficult.
Official website of Klong transport: http://khlongsaensaep.com
On the map the piers are marked as follows:
Klong boats operate daily from 5.30 to 20.30, on weekends until 19.00.
2.1. Routes and pier names
There are a total of 2 lines in Bangkok along which boats go: Golden Mount Line And Nida Line. Moreover, in essence, this is one long route, one line ends and another begins.
The entire route and names of the piers:
The fare depends on the distance, from 10 to 20 baht.
When transferring to another line, in theory you don’t need to buy a new ticket, just show your existing one. At least that's what it says on the website. But when I rode this boat for the first time, I was asked to pay again, although I showed the ticket from the previous boat. Perhaps I just had the cheapest ticket, and I had to go almost to the end of the route, I don’t know. Tickets must be purchased directly inside the boat from the conductor.
The transfer takes place at the pier Pratunam.
2.2. Central Pier (for shopping and visiting Baiyoke Sky)
Pratunam Pier is located in the center of Bangkok - from here it is convenient to walk to, and:
To get into the boat, you need to bend over backwards and jump onto the rocking boat, while managing not to run over anyone.
Getting out of the boat is also not so easy:
Several boats met in a narrow klong of Bangkok:
This time we were lucky - there were almost no passengers. Inside the boat there are wooden benches, and on the sides there is an oilcloth that can be raised to protect yourself from the splashes.
On the right you can see a special handle that lifts the oilcloth; usually whoever is sitting next to him holds this handle:
2.3. Boat rules
As I already wrote, you need to buy a ticket directly from the conductor on the boat, telling him the place to which you are going to swim. So, there is absolutely no room for the conductor inside the boat, therefore, in order to collect money, the conductor walks around the perimeter of the boat while it is moving, holding on to the rope and the roof on the outside of the boat (behind the oilcloth). So the work is not easy, it requires attentiveness and dexterity, as well as the ability to swim - just in case.
The views from the boat are very interesting, unfortunately, part of the way the view is blocked by an oilcloth, but you can still look behind it:
Sailing along the longues, you can see the real life of local residents - poor neighborhoods and skyscrapers. You get the feeling that you are immersed in history, this is where the spirit of antiquity has been very well preserved, this is exactly how they lived here 100 years ago, as if time had stood still:
3. Conclusions on the use of river transport in Bangkok
During peak hours, boats are simply irreplaceable! They don't get stuck in traffic jams, they move quickly. True, people use them very actively, so you still have time to jump into the boat.
By the way, when there were rallies in Bangkok and the center of Bangkok was blocked, buses went on completely different routes, and some places were simply impossible to get to, boats were a great help.
Like any major metropolis in the world, there is a well-developed transport network. Everyone can choose one or another method of moving around the city, depending on their preferences and financial situation.
Intercity transport tickets
If you need to travel outside of Bangkok, there are bus stations, a railway station, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. Tickets can also be purchased online. Use the form below.
Bangkok River Transport on Chao Phraya
Ferries travel along the Chao Phraya River and have designated stops. They provide easy access to the main attractions: , . The central pier from which ferries depart is located next to Saphan Taksin BTS Skytrain Station. They go quite far along the river, but tourists usually do not go further - a popular place where there are many shops, tour desks and cheap accommodation.
All ferries run from 6 am to 7 pm. The fare depends on the distance and ranges from 10-32 baht. There are special ferries for tourists with an English-speaking guide. They go from the Central Pier to pier No. 13 (where Khaosan is located), then turn around and go in the opposite direction. Travel time one way is 25-27 minutes. Ticket price is 150 baht.
Water taxi
This Bangkok transport 
are motor boats designed for several people. Unlike ferries, which follow a specific route and make specific stops, boats can go anywhere and drop you off anywhere. They can also wait while you explore the attraction. The good thing about such a taxi is that you can use it to travel along the tributaries of the Chao Phraya River and see how the locals live away from the tourist trails. The trip costs around 800 baht. But this is the price for the whole boat and if there are, for example, 4 people, then each will cost 200.
Knock-knock taxi
This transport is a symbol of Bangkok, 
Many souvenir shops even sell small models dedicated to him.
A tuk-tuk is a modified motorcycle on three wheels. Accommodates no more than three people (adults) with suitcases. Their parking lots are located everywhere and many people use tuk-tuks as an exotic, like “well, how can you not be in Bangkok and try to ride this miracle.” The cost of the trip is discussed in advance. Bargaining is quite appropriate, albeit within reasonable limits. For a few kilometers they will charge you 15-20 baht, and to cross the whole of Bangkok you will need 200-300. The more people there are, the cheaper it is, because... The payment is made not for each passenger, but for the entire tuk-tuk. You can get to almost any point in the capital. Tuk-tuk parking lots are located near popular tourist spots - shopping malls, attractions, markets.
Moto taxi
This is the most 
the fastest of Bangkok's land transport, as due to its maneuverability you won't be stuck in traffic jams. Plus, he will take you to the place over the shortest distance - through all sorts of alleys and back streets.
The passenger sits in the back seat and the ride begins. Sometimes two people can fit, but driving this way is dangerous. In general, motorbike taxis are a rather traumatic form of transport - oops, they crashed at a turn. It is best avoided if possible, although it may be justified in cases of urgency and rush hour. The price of the trip depends on the distance and is not much different from the cost of a tuk-tuk - through the whole city they will charge you 200 Thai rubles. Taxi drivers with motorcycles are located at almost every intersection, near attractions and shopping centers in Bangkok.
This 
taxi with a meter. In our opinion, this is the best option for transport in Bangkok (with the exception of rush hours, when you have to sit in traffic jams). Taxis are foreign cars painted in different colors (a lot of pink and green). There is a “TAXI-METER” sign on the roof. The cabin is very comfortable, and the fare will be cheaper (according to the meter) than traveling in a tuk-tuk, blown by all the winds. In a taxi, the air temperature is adjusted by air conditioning to 21-23 degrees. This is very nice considering that 
outside the window +30…+35.
Channels and Klongs of Bangkok play important role in the city's water transport network. Thaisthey began to be laid since time immemorial, but the canals acquired important economic importance only during the time of Ayutthaya.
History of Bangkok canals
It was during the Ayutthaya era (1350-1767) that trade became an increasingly important and necessary part of Thai life, and the need arose to transport large quantities of goods to other countries, some of which were in other parts of the world. The rulers came up with an idea: shouldn’t we dig canals in our country and send boats with valuable cargo through them? Thus, about 6 channels appeared in Bangkok. Thus, the problem of trade routes and serious transport problems were solved.
How to get from Wat Saket to Siam Ocean World
In addition to walking along, we decided to definitely take a water excursion along the canals of Bangkok. We learned that the river bus departs from the pier not far from. From the top platform of the temple you can even see the pier; you can watch and mentally practice how you will get on and off the tram at the stop you need.
The map shows where to take the tram to the SiamParagon skyscraper, which houses the Siam Ocean World aquarium. The walk takes 15 minutes.
By the way, when we left the Wat Saket temple and went to the pier, we saw these handsome people on the bridge, cleaning off the old paint from the fences. It smelled like some kind of strong chemical mixture. Scarves wouldn't hurt us either.
After the bridge we went down and found ourselves at the pier. Fortunately, the tram was already standing, and all we had to do was get on it. This is a separate story.
The fact is that this type of water bus does not have a special entrance. Get in how you want and where you want. And at the same time you have 1 minute for all these tricks. The boat is practically worthless. She pulled up to a stop, people jumped into her, and she quickly cast off and sailed on. Thais have no problems with traffic jams.
Bangkok river bus and its inhabitants
Now a separate ode to the water bus and its workers. At first it may seem that the river tram is an ordinary speed boat. But this is not so. The Thais have created a new type of water transport with their own cunning mechanism.
The main boss on the boat, who is also a god, is the driver. The way he drives is breathtaking. The speeds are considerable. Moreover, considering that the canals are narrow and oncoming boats do not slow down... Sometimes they move apart a millimeter from each other. One word – channel gods!
The next part of the mechanism: God’s deputy is the usher, he is also the conductor, he is also the controller, he is also the sailor, he is also the mooring man, he is also the cleaner. Tickets on boats see everything and keep up everywhere at the same time. They usually work in pairs. One of them scared us when we got on the boat and started to get settled. The boat was almost empty and no one was sitting in the back. Imagine my fright when they suddenly started tapping me on the shoulder! Turning around, I saw the ticket taker standing on the edge of the board. He asks me to pay for the fare, holding out one hand and holding the railing with the other. And he gives change like this: he starts rummaging through the bag with both hands, while clinging to the railing with his feet. Equilibrists - one word. By the way, don’t think that only men are ticket takers. There are plenty of women too. A woman tapped me on the shoulder.
Now about the clever devices for a comfortable walk along the canal on a water bus. This is a transformable roof and a splash guard. Independent travelers need to know this information.
The roof of the Bangkok water buses is made of fabric, and is attached in a very cunning way. When you need to sail under a low bridge, the driver uses pneumatics to lower the roof by 30-50 cm. After the bridge, it raises the roof.
The second contraption is the splash guard. Moreover, control of this outlandish instrument is transferred to the hands of the passengers themselves. This kind of self-service works. When the same boat is rushing towards you, you need to very quickly pull one of the ropes that are located on the sides along the entire boat. If you have time, the awning will rise and you will not be splashed with water. If you are in doubt about whether to pull the string or see what happens, it is better to pull anyway, because the water in the canals is dirty. Passengers understand this and do not count the crows. That's why you don't get good pictures very often. The blue awning always fits in.
Walk along the canals and canals of Bangkok
The Thais call their canals, which are dug not only in Bangkok, klongs. The city is a bit reminiscent of Ibo because it was built on a river, and is also unique, but in its own way. Klongs amaze with their diversity and color. In some areas you can see rows of skyscrapers, but mostly residential areas built on stilts stretch along both sides of the canals. There are a large number of dilapidated ruins adjacent to each other. It is unclear how they are still standing. And what’s even more amazing is that there is a street running along these slums, almost over the water, and locals walk along them calmly. Some even ride bicycles.
We spent a short time riding along the river canals and klongs of Bangkok. We needed to get to the Siam Paragon skyscraper, which houses the famous Bangkok Aquarium. In order not to miss the story about this excursion and other attractions, subscribe to blog updates .
The easiest way to get from Wat Saket was by water bus. We don't regret doing it at all!
By the way, the most important trick was to get out of the boat. In 30 seconds, you had to jump over the railing from the rocking ship and jump onto the pier, which was located above the level of the boat. It seems that the Thais on the boat helped us - they gave us a lift, and the Thais on the pier - they grabbed us by the hands. Thanks to them!
On the pier, right on the shop counter, this Thai Paris Hilton was waiting for us.
And finally the video. Extraordinary speed and views of Bangkok from the canal:
Sincerely,
Bangkok is suffocating in traffic jams, so along with the Skytrain, you can use water trams, because they are very common in Bangkok.
Traveling along the canals and along large rivers in Bangkok is both exotic and the fastest and easiest way to get to the historical center, because in the center of Bangkok there is no metro or taxi, and taxi drivers very often refuse to go by the meter due to heavy traffic jams.
For me this was very good news that I don’t need to go anywhere for this, but on the contrary, I will often have to use such a pleasant form of transport.
How to choose a route and how much it costs to rent a boat in Bangkok.
Let's first figure out how everything works. Bangkok's river transport is growing as spontaneously as everything else in this city, so its organization is in the category of "Well, something like that." This means that on any pier, any unsure tourist will immediately be attacked by a dozen Thais and begin to explain something and drag him somewhere!
- Your task is to send help through the forest with a smile on your face, because some of them will try to put you in their personal boat and rip off 1000 baht, some will put you in the wrong direction, some will try to get money for your help. In general, everyone will try to scam you.
- You have completed the first stage, next comes the purchase of a ship ticket. Many stations have ticket offices, but the caveat here is that there are several types of boats (more on that below), and if you buy a ticket in advance, it’s not a guarantee that you’ll get on exactly the right boat, because... These tickets are already checked inside. Therefore, buy a ticket already on the boat, because... There are inspectors everywhere and this is completely normal!
- I hope that you can handle how to sail a ship and find the right station. Although There is one important tip: Most often, the ship is filled to capacity, so in 95% of cases you will travel standing. The advice is to get good standing places right away, rather than trying to find a seat in the back of the boat first, because... in this case, you will stand in the middle of the boat and you will not be able to admire the views.
Nice route through Bangkok's open-sided canals
Ordinary, where seated people cannot see anything
Map of water routes in Bangkok
On the map, the blue dotted line shows the boat routes, the red line shows the ferries on the other side, and the squares are the berths. The stars show the main attractions near the piers. We have already written about some. Also look out for Taksin Pier (on the Green Line), which is the only connection to the BTS Skytrain, the fastest way to get around Bangkok.
Now about the boats themselves. The fact is that a trip along the canals in Bangkok is initially public transport, and only then a tourist attraction. Therefore, there are a lot of routes and they differ in speed and comfort.
To begin with, let's immediately define it - a trip along small canals, this is only public transport, there are many locals, not enough space, views of the harsh Bangkok. Tourists drive along the wide Chao Praya River. So we decided: a trip along the canals is trashy and exotic, and a trip along the river is all about sights and skyscrapers.
Now about the boats themselves. Each boat has a flag of a certain color attached to the back and it indicates its route (the map shows which colors stop where). Those without a flag go to all stops, cost 15 baht, there is very little space and they are used by locals. Moreover, the sides of the seats are closed and they cannot see anything at all, i.e. it's just a way of moving.
Green and blue routes for tourists cost only 40 baht per person. I especially liked the tourist boat - there is a lot of space, the seats can also admire the views, they tell you in English about all the places where you are sailing. Those. The price difference is a pittance, but the advantages are much greater.
Summarize:
Cost of a trip along the canals of Bangkok: from 15 to 40 baht per person. (if you use the services of a help, the trip may cost 150 - 400 baht).
Bot working hours: from 6.45 to 20.00
Not all routes operate this early and this late. Here is the official website of Bangkok water transport: there you will find the exact schedule and cost (don't forget to switch to English).
When is it useful to travel along the canals?
There is actually one canal route that might interest you. He will tell you how to get directly from the historical center to the financial center, where the main shopping centers are located, and).
This route starts from the popular Wat Saket Ham. Google maps coordinates: 13.755567, 100.506364 and goes through the entire financial district. The cost of the trip is about 20 baht per person, and the boat operating time is from 5.30 to 20.30, and on weekends until 19.00.
Excursions along the canals of Bangkok.
In fact, if you want something really interesting, then I highly recommend that you find a video of the excursion online, called “Real Bangkok” from Anton Dryanichkin! This man gives an amazing, custom tour of Bangkok, which also includes a tour of the Bangkok canals, where he talks about life inside these neighborhoods and slums. Most of the excursions are on video, but getting on them live is incredible! Anton himself is difficult to catch in the city, and besides him, no one will spend it with dignity! You can also book it through the excursion booking website.
