January 31, 2018   Bangkok , Destinations , ground transportation , How we did it , Thailand , travel tips

Use this system to see Bangkok cheaply by boat

A boat at the Central Pier Given Bangkok’s notorious traffic, residents turned to the Chao Phraya River as a way to quickly get between ...

A boat at the Central Pier

Given Bangkok’s notorious traffic, residents turned to the Chao Phraya River as a way to quickly get between ends of the city.

There are five government lines that travel the river. At first glance, they all look alike, but you can tell them apart by the color flag they are flying.

Green makes the fewest stops, followed by yellow, orange and “no flag,” which goes makes all 30 stops between the Ministry of Commerce and Wat Rajsingkorn. The fare coincides with the speed of service. No flag cost ฿10-20, while green cost ฿ 13-32.

The route of the Tourist Boat

There is also a blue flagged Chao Phraya Tourist Boat, which you should avoid. It makes eight stops at the major tourist sites, but cost ฿50 for a single ride. Instead consider the green boat if you want to travel quickly on the river. We also think it prevents you from feeling like a local.

We shot the video from the no flag boat after a day of sightseeing. We boarded at N14 (Rama 8 Bridge) and traveled to the Central Pier, which connects to the BTS.

Tara takes a photo from the boat

It was a memorable way to see the river and understand the importance the river has on the city. We were the only tourist on the boat and it gave us a chance to really become part of the fabric that makes this city.

While on board it started to pour. Immediately everyone rushed to help each other in putting down the covers to prevent us from getting wet. There are clasps every few rows holding up the plastic covers. One woman struggled to unclasp the button, but another woman quickly leaned over to help. Seniors were not expected to get up. Instead others unfastened it for them.

Passing the Naval Civil Affairs Dept.

Long Tail Boats
There are private boats for hire that travel along the river and adjacent canals. There is no set price and we were over the haggling that these were sure to entail. We also didn’t have a desire for a private tour.

River Crossings
Finally, there are some flat boats that just take people across the river. They generally cost ฿3. Most people use them to cross between Wat Pho Temple and Wat Arun.