Water transport in Bangkok – express boats and taxis, cost, routes

One of the most convenient and at the same time exotic types of public transport in Bangkok is water transport. The Chao Phraya River flows through the city, and Bangkok's districts are covered by a network of canals, called Klongs, which is why the capital was once nicknamed the "Venice of the East". Some of these canals were artificially created for water drainage, but today many of them are gradually being filled in, reclaiming land for construction.

Unfortunately, the Bangkok water transport route network is not too extensive. Many canals, despite being on the map, are no longer navigable. However, this transport has an undeniable advantage: by boat, you can quickly reach your destination, bypassing traffic on the roads. It is also worth noting that along the Chao Phraya River, you can travel not only within Bangkok but also far beyond its limits.

In general, Bangkok's water transport can be divided into three types: water taxis, express boats, and ferries across the Chao Phraya River.

Water taxi or charter boat

A water taxi, similar to a regular taxi, is a boat you can catch anywhere, and it will take you wherever you need to go, provided the canals allow it. However, with one clarification: you can't catch a water taxi just anywhere, but only at piers where express boats also depart.

The cost of a water taxi is unjustifiably high for foreigners. For almost any trip, they will ask for at least 500 baht (15.33 USD, see Thai currency, exchange rate). Theoretically, you can bargain, but it's not easy at the pier, and boat owners are not very willing to haggle. Therefore, using a water taxi as a means of transport to get from one place to another is problematic for foreigners. However, it is convenient to rent a boat by the hour for a trip along the Chao Phraya River, instead of buying a tour. Of course, you need to bargain here too, and, of course, such an excursion will be more profitable if there are several of you.

Regular boats on the Chao Phraya River

The most important water route in Bangkok is the Chao Phraya River. This is the largest river that passes through the entire city, and along its banks there are many piers between which regular boats constantly shuttle. Although they all follow the same route (the riverbed), the boats differ in that they stop at different piers. The routes (lines) are marked by colors, not numbers, and you can identify a specific boat's route by the flag mounted on its bow. Also, depending on the line, operating hours and cost vary:

• Orange flag (formerly these were boats without a flag) – the cheapest and most frequent, they stop at all piers along the route. These are the boats you will use in most cases. Operate from 06:00 to 18:10 (until 17:00 on Saturday and Sunday). Cost regardless of distance – 16 baht / 0.49 USD.
• Green flag – This is the longest line, going to Pak Kret. Operate only on weekdays, 6 times a day according to schedule. Cost – 14-33 baht / 0.43-(1.01 USD.
• Red and yellow flags – these are express boats, they do not stop at all stops. Operate only on weekdays, several times a day according to schedule, cost 30 and 21 baht / (0.92 rub. and (0.64 USD.
• Blue flag – tourist excursion boat;

You can check current information on routes and cost on the official website http://www.chaophrayaexpressboat.com (the site may not open from Russia, you need to use special programs), as well as at each pier.

Payment is made to the conductor on board or at the pier ticket office. Tell the conductor where you need to go, and she will tell you the cost. Also, during rush hour, boats can be overcrowded, so be prepared for a bit of a crush.

Important stops:

• Sathorn (Taksin) – all boats stop here, and this is the only place where you can connect to the Silom Line of the Bangkok Metro.
• N9 (Tha Chang) and Maharaj Pier – pier near the Grand Palace and Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
• N8 (Tha Tien) – pier near the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Po)

Keep in mind that most of the piers are on the eastern bank of the river (i.e., on the city center side). However, you can get to the other side of the river from any pier by ferry for 3-5 baht.

To board a boat on weekdays, you will most often have to wait in a short line. At the piers, special people are in charge of boarding, regulating the passenger queue, so trust them. They work for free; you don't need to leave them tips. If you don't know which line to stand in, just point your hand in the direction you need (right or left along the river) to this "regulator", and he will put you in the queue.

Ferries across the Chao Phraya River

At each pier on the Chao Phraya River, there are small ferry boats that make it easy to cross to the other side. They depart quite often, about every 10 minutes, and even more frequently when there are many passengers. The crossing costs from 3 to 5 baht per person.

Payment for them can be made at the ticket office, and passage and boarding are via turnstiles separate from the main stream for express boats. The piers for them are separate, not the same as for the regular river boats, but they are nearby, literally a few tens of meters away. They run from 06:00 to 21:00.

You can find the nearest crossing piers using Google Maps; all river routes are marked there, including the crossings.

Regular boats on the canals (Klongs)

• Cost: 8-20 baht / 0.25-(0.61 USD.
• Frequency: every 10-20 minutes.
• Operating hours: on weekdays from 05:30 to 23:00, on weekends until 19:00.

Two express boat routes operate on Bangkok's canals (Klongs): the Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat. These are the Golden Mount Line and the Nida Line. Both of these lines follow the same canal and connect at the same place, the pier in the Pratunam area.

The Golden Mount Line is especially interesting for city guests. It starts from Panfa Leelard pier, located in the area of the Temple of the Golden Mountain (Wat Saket), and ends in the Pratunam area at the Pratunam pier under the bridge on Rathaprarop Street. It will be useful for moving between the city center and the historic area where Khao San Road, the Grand Palace, and many other important Bangkok attractions are located.

The fare on these lines, depending on the distance, is 8-20 baht. Payment is made on the boat to the conductor: just say where you need to go, and they will tell you the price. Be careful when boarding and alighting from the boat, and hold on tightly to the handrails.

Special tourist boats on the canals have also appeared. For them, you can buy a 200 baht pass, allowing you to ride all day, getting on and off anywhere.

It is convenient to use canal boats to get from the central areas of the city closer to the Chao Phraya River on the Rattanakosin Peninsula, where the Khao San, Chinatown areas, and most Bangkok attractions are located.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that all routes and piers of Bangkok's express boats are now marked on Google Maps. You can see them, among other places, on our interactive map of Bangkok with hotels and attractions.

Tourist boats on the Chao Phraya River

Along with regular boats, tourist Hop-on-Hop-off boats operate on the Chao Phraya River from Phra Arthit pier to Asiatique pier (this is the pier just after Sathorn/Taksin). All information about the route and cost, as well as ticket purchases, is available at the terminal stations and on the website via the link above.

A single ride costs 30 baht, a day pass – 150 baht. The day pass allows you to ride these boats all day, getting off and on at any pier.

But honestly, in our opinion, there's not much point in using these boats, since you can see everything on regular boats for less money. However, the advantage of these boats is that they are more comfortable and not packed to the brim with passengers like the regular ones.