The Chao Phraya River

The Chao Phraya is Bangkok's original highway. It still connects many of the city's most important sights — the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Chinatown and the old riverside quarter — and it's often the fastest way between them, because boats don't sit in traffic. Learning to use the river changes how you plan Bangkok.

How the river fits into Bangkok

The Chao Phraya Express Boat

The public express boats run up and down the river, stopping at numbered piers. Boats fly a coloured flag that tells you which service they are:

• Orange flag — the most useful service for visitors. Stops at the main piers between Sathorn and the Old Town and beyond.
• Yellow and green-yellow flags — faster, limited-stop services that skip some piers, mostly at commuter times.
• No flag — local services stopping everywhere, with limited hours.
• Blue flag — a tourist boat with commentary and a day-pass option, stopping at piers near the main sights.

Buy tickets from the booth at the pier or from the conductor on board. Services generally run from early morning to early evening, not late at night — check the time of the last boat if you're relying on it.

Cross-river ferries

Small ferries shuttle back and forth across the river at several points, taking a few minutes. The two visitors use most:

• Tha Tien to Wat Arun, beside Wat Pho.
• Tha Chang to Wang Lang, for Wang Lang Market and the Siriraj area on the Thonburi side.

Canal (khlong) tours

The canals of Thonburi, on the west bank, are lined with wooden houses, temples and gardens — a side of Bangkok that predates the skyline. You can hire a long-tail boat at Tha Chang and other piers; agree the price and duration before you get in. A private boat for an hour or two is enough to get a feel for it.

Dinner cruises

A dinner cruise is the most popular way to see the river at night, with the temples and bridges lit up. Our dinner cruise guide compares the boats. Boats range from large buffet vessels to smaller converted rice barges.

• Choose by boat size: smaller boats feel more intimate; the biggest can feel like a floating banquet hall.
• Check what's included: drinks are often extra.
• Check the departure pier and how you'll get back afterwards.

Sights you can reach by river

• Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew — Tha Chang
• Wat Pho — Tha Tien
• Wat Arun — ferry from Tha Tien
• Chinatown and Yaowarat — Ratchawong
• Talat Noi — Marine Department
• ICONSIAM — free shuttle from Sathorn pier
• Charoen Krung's galleries and old buildings — Oriental and Si Phraya

See our Old Town, Chinatown and Riverside guides for what to do once you're ashore.

River or road?

The river wins on almost every journey along its length, especially in the late afternoon. Its weakness is the evening: express boats stop running in the early evening, so plan your return by BTS, MRT or taxi.

The river at night

After dark the temples, bridges and riverside hotels are lit up, and the river is at its most beautiful. Without the public boats, your options are a dinner cruise, a riverside restaurant or bar, or a hotel shuttle boat if you're staying on the river. The view of Wat Arun from the Tha Tien side is free.

Safety on the river

• Hold handrails when boarding; piers move with the water and the wash from passing boats.
• Keep valuables zipped away — it's easy to drop a phone into the gap between boat and pier.
• Long-tail boats are open: bring sun protection and expect some spray.
• In the rainy season, the river runs high and fast; services can be disrupted after heavy rain.

A simple half-day on the river

1. Take the BTS to Saphan Taksin and walk to Sathorn pier.
2. Ride an orange-flag boat upstream to Ratchawong for lunch in Chinatown.
3. Continue to Tha Tien, see Wat Pho and take the ferry to Wat Arun.
4. Watch sunset from the Tha Tien side, then ride back downstream — or eat in the Old Town.