Tourists will find this type of transport no less interesting, since many routes pass through popular tourist attractions. River transport in Bangkok is well developed and boats run every 10-15 minutes.

Bangkok river transport route map

There are several companies involved in river transport in Bangkok:

Chao Phraya River Express

The company's boats operate between Wat Ratchasingkhon (near Krungthep Bridge) and Nonthaburi province.

The company's boats can sail either with different flags, which indicate a specific route, or without a flag, which indicates that the boat will berth at each pier.

This company has 2 types of boats:

Standard express boats operating daily from 06.00 to 18.30 with prices from 4 to 16 baht

Special express boats operate from Monday to Friday from 06.00–09.00 and from 15.00–17.00. Ticket prices range from 10 to 25 baht

Chao Phraya Tourist Boat

This company specializes in the movement of tourists. Unlike ordinary boats, the boats of this company are not in a hurry. The route starts at Sathon Pier pier and ends at Banglamphu Pier pier. Between these two piers, the boat makes 10 stops that allow you to explore some of Bangkok's popular attractions, such as the Royal Palace, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and Chinatown.

There will be a guide on the boat who, along the way, will tell you about Bangkok, its traditions and the sights that you will see.

The boats of this company operate daily from 09:00 to 15:00 every 30 minutes. The ticket costs only 15 baht, but you can buy a special ticket for 150 baht, which gives you the right to use the boats of this company an unlimited number of times during the day.

Cross-River Ferry

These boats specialize in ferrying passengers from one side of the Chao Phraya River to the other. The standard fee for this route is only 3 baht.

Longtail boats (river taxi)

You can see such boats on all major tourist routes. The cost of travel on such a boat depends on the distance, but it is better to agree in advance so that the amount announced at the end of the trip is not a surprise for you. The main advantage of longtails is that they are very fast and can be rented for any route.

Bangkok, as a modern large city, offers residents and visitors everything their heart desires - from a high-speed air-conditioned metro to a chatty local tuk-tuk driver. But what is the best and most convenient way to travel, what are the advantages and disadvantages of this or that type of transport, as well as fares and route maps, I want to discuss in a series of articles. You can read about the Bangkok metro here, and find out about tuk tuk here. This article will focus on water transport in Bangkok.

I myself, when I first went out into the city in the Khaosan Road area, had little idea of ​​how to navigate this city and what to drive. And now I can easily find my way on my own and I will try to guide you.

There are 2 main waterways in Bangkok, which are easiest, cheaper and more convenient to travel by using river trams: the Chao Phraya River and the so-called Klongs, small canals.

Waterbuses along Chao Phraya

This is what most of the berths in Bangkok look like

Waterbus pier in Bangkok

Tha Tien pier next to Wat Pho

And this is what Tha Tien pier looks like inside. This is one of the most visited piers on the Chao Phraya River because it is located next to temple of the reclining buddha Wat Pho and from which you can take a ferry to the Temple of the Dawn Wat Arun by simply transferring to the ferry going to the other side.

Inside the pier of Tha Tien

How to navigate the routes of river trams

The routes of the water buses differ in color and flags of the same colors, in the form of flags, fly on the sides of the boats.

This is what the water bus looks like in Bangkok

Everyone rides the water bus, tourists, locals and monks.

This is a very convenient form of transport to Bangkok.

With the breeze in Bangkok!

Even though it’s urban, you pass by many attractions as if on a tourist route.

Chao Phraya River Water Bus Tickets

As I already wrote, the cost of travel depends on the length of your trip. They will sell you a ticket either on the ship or from ticket agents right at the pier. The ticket looks like a regular ticket. There are even evening ones without stops right up to Khao San, for example.

Ticket for the water bus to the station in Khao San Road.

Klong boats

In addition to the water buses on the big river, Bangkok also has a network of water canals that flow to many places in the city. Sometimes you won’t even think that there is a small river behind that big skyscraper, but nevertheless. And along these clogs, as they are called, you can also travel on trams, rather than walking along noisy and crowded streets in the heat.

The boats here are smaller, very small and look just like boats, with benches inside. The ticket costs just as much less.

Ticket for the water bus in the Siam Paragon area.

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Buy a euro card for internet and calls. I personally have an Orange card choose a card and tariff

How do I save on hotels?

It’s very simple - look not only on booking. I prefer the search engine RoomGuru. He searches for discounts simultaneously on Booking and on 70 other booking sites.

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.

In our opinion, public transport in Bangkok in the form of boats, plying along rivers and canals, is a wonderful help for tourists who want to independently explore as much as possible in Bangkok with minimal investment in time and money. Boats are cheap, and a trip along the river on a hot Thai day promises pleasure in the form of slight coolness and interesting views. Chao Phraya Express is a company providing passenger transportation along the Chao Phraya River. Using its services is as easy as shelling pears, but there are some nuances.

First of all, be careful - boats have stops on both banks of the river; when planning your route, make sure that the pier is on the side you need, or there is a connection with the other bank - a ferry or a bridge.

At Sathorn Pier you can go to the Sky Train station on the BTS metro line.

It should also be taken into account that the boat operating schedule depends on the category, route and day of the week. Please note that boats are:

• the orange flag is flown daily throughout the day;
• green, yellow, and also without a flag - only on working days, on certain days;
• blue flag - tourist, they run daily and are unreasonably expensive

Boats of different color routes operate on their own schedule, at certain intervals, depending on the direction of travel.

Tourist ships also have their own schedule, but we’ll talk about their schedule, travel and rental costs, as well as excursion tours at the end of the article.

Cost of travel in public boats on the river Chao Phraya

The price of tickets depends on the color of the boat's flag and the distance traveled:

• orange flag - 14 baht, regardless of route;
• green flag - from 13 to 32 baht;
• yellow flag – 20 baht;
• without a flag - from 9 to 13 baht.

Tickets can be purchased either at the pier before boarding or directly on board the boat. When traveling on the green route or on a boat without a flag, when purchasing a ticket, be prepared to name the pier you are going to.

Boat route map Chao Phraya

The route diagram of the Chao Phraya Express is quite simple, it will not be difficult to understand it, even if you do not speak English. The color of the line is the color of the flag above the ship (gray color is a boat without a flag).

The dots with numbers and inscriptions are the names and serial numbers of the berths where the ship under the corresponding flag stops.

How to choose the right boat

This question is simple - each pier has a name and number, so:

• open the map (we use the Maps.Me maps application, which works offline), determine the pier to which you need to swim and its name or number;
• take a look at the route diagram - ships that stop at your pier (from which you are sailing) and at the one you are heading to will suit you;
• look at the schedule and make sure that on this day of the week and at this time of day the desired boat is operating on the river.

Example: Let's say today is Saturday, 12 noon, and we need to get from Khao San Road to the Turtle Temple. We determine from the map that the closest pier to Khaosan Road is Phra Arthit (No. 13), and the closest pier to the temple we need is Memorial Bridge (No. 6). We take the diagram and see that the orange line and the gray line (without a flag) are suitable. Now we turn to the schedule and see that the gray line disappears, because it only works on weekdays.

This means our choice is a ship flying an orange flag.

What is noteworthy is that usually in articles about boats in Bangkok the schedule and day of the week are not mentioned. I remember when we were just starting to discover this wonderful city and didn’t know about such a thing, a couple of times we waited for a long time and to no avail for our boat. In general, in practice, everything is often much simpler; just ask the pier worker, clarifying that you need public boats (Public Boat).

Travel Services Chao Phraya Express

If for one reason or another you do not want to use public transport, tourist routes, sightseeing tours and boat rentals are at your service.

Tourist boats flying a blue flag

The tourist route (blue line) is small in the number of stops, there are only 9, but the length is not so small - from the pier at the Asiatique shopping and entertainment center, to Phra Arthit (No. 13 Khaosan Road).

The main advantage is that it runs faster than public transport. We draw your attention to the following:

• from Sathorn pier to Phra Arthit (No. 13) ships operate throughout the day at intervals of 30 minutes;
• to the Asiatique pier only in the evening and only in one direction.

The blue route's operating hours are as follows:

• from Sathorn to Phra Arthit from 09.00 – 17.30
• from Phra Arthit to Sathorn from 09.30 – 18.00
• from Phra Arthit to Asiatique from 16.00 – 18.00

For information: free boats run between Sathorn and Asiatique from 16:30 to 23:30.

The full schedule for all stations is as follows:



Tickets are sold at the box office and come in two types:

• one-time – costs 50 baht, valid only for one trip;
• day pass - costs 180 baht, valid all day, unlimited number of trips.

Boat tour on the Chao Phraya River

This river tour is very extensive and interesting. If you are in Bangkok for the first time and do not dare to travel around the city on your own, then we recommend using it for an initial acquaintance with the city’s history and culture. Currently, the tour program includes visits to 9 temples. During the tour, among others, you will visit and see:

• the most popular Wat Arun (Temple of the Morning Dawn), from the tower of which magnificent panoramas of Bangkok open;
• Wat Yannawa Temple, built in the shape of a Chinese sailboat;
• a huge statue of a seated Buddha in the ancient monastery of Wat Kalayanamitr Varamahavihara;
• almost unknown, but very beautiful Wat Prayoon - with a magnificent white pagoda and the Turtle Temple.

Duration of the tour is from 09.00 to 17.00. Ticket price:

• 599 baht for adults;
• 499 baht for children under 100 cm.

The price includes a tour guide, drinking water, and insurance. Start from Sathorn Pier.

Boat rental in Bangkok

In addition to the listed public and tourist water transport services, you can rent a boat for trips along the river and canals at Chao Phraya Express. We doubt that this service is popular among ordinary tourists; rather, it is for travel companies, so we will be brief. The company provides various river boats with a capacity of up to 120 people, prices go up to 50,000 baht.

However, if you are traveling with a small group, or you have plenty of money, then you will probably be interested in the following information on boat charter prices.

In conclusion, we would like to say that we personally really like this type of transport, we regularly use its services and recommend that everyone, at least once, take advantage of one of the above opportunities and take an exciting trip along the rivers and canals of Bangkok!

updated: February 8, 2018 by: Sergei

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.