Bangkok water transport. River canals of Bangkok - or with the breeze along the klongs! Transfer from hotel to pier
There are a lot of options for how to get around Bangkok. Previously, I wrote about possibilities. But the roads in Bangkok are inevitable traffic jams. So an excellent alternative to buses and taxis is public transport that runs along the rivers and canals of Bangkok. This is what we will talk about in this article.
There are two main ways to travel around Bangkok by boat: along the Chao Phraya River and along the Klongs, which are chosen depending on the desired route.
River bus on the Chao Phraya River (Chao Phraya Express Boats)
Boats plying the Chao Phraya River are a typical form of public transport for Thais. For tourists, even traveling on such an unusual form of transport is almost an excursion. The water bus is a convenient way to get to sights historical center city (Rattanakosin district), where the main temples are located, as well as to.
Transfer from the above-ground metro to River tram You can get there at the Saphan Taksin BTS station, next to which the central pier (Sathon) is located. This is convenient if you are coming from the center.
There are 4 main types of water buses in Bangkok, differing in the color of the flag on the boat, the cost of the trip and the number of stops (some piers may be skipped).
Orange line: the most common. The fare does not depend on the distance of the trip and is 15 baht. Open 6am to 7pm daily.
Green Line: The fare depends on the distance - from 13 to 32 baht. Open Monday-Friday from 6.15 to 18.05
Yellow line: The fare depends on the distance - from 20 to 29 baht. Open Monday-Friday from 6.15 to 20.00.
Without flag: not express boats, they stop at every pier, which means your sail will take longer. Cost from 10 to 14 baht.
There are also tourist boats designated blue flag and plying between Phra Athit (No. 13) and Sathorn (Central Pier) piers. They run daily from 9.30 to 15.00, the fare is 40 baht (one-time) or 150 baht for an unlimited number of trips per day. That is, you can get off at each pier, visit the sights, then again take a boat with a blue flag to the next pier.
Nuances:
There is a website www.chaophrayaexpressboat.com from all over useful information(Thai and English languages), including fares, piers, schedules, etc.
Tickets for the river bus can be bought on the boat itself, or at the ticket office on the pier. In the second case, do not throw it away, because... they can check it on the boat.
You can see whether the river bus of a particular line stops at the pier you need on the diagram located at any pier.
Don't be alarmed by the noise! The conductors on the boat usually shout loudly (not at you) and jingle their coin box, those who moor the boat to the pier blow their whistle, and the engine roars as it should. So you won’t be able to whisper sweetly while looking romantically at the sunset. Public transport is public transport)
If you want privacy, you can rent a separate boat that will take you along the river according to the plan you need, but it will cost several thousand baht and you will have to negotiate. You can rent a boat at the central pier (Sathorn). But in this case, you will be able to enjoy views of Bangkok, ranging from architectural monuments, such as the Wat Arun temple, to beautiful houses or poor shacks of city residents located on the water, which, by the way, are often adjacent.
Pier 13 (Phra Archit) is my favorite because it is located next to the main “public overnight” budget tourists- a street, the easiest way to get to it from the center is by using the water bus along the Chao Phraya River.
By the way, finding the entrance to it when leaving the Khao San Road area is not easy: you can simply not notice it)
Ferry across the river
Another view water transport in Bangkok, these are ferries running between the banks of the Chao Phraya River. It is convenient, which is natural, in the only case - quickly and cheaply crossing the river. The most popular ferry is from Pier 8 (Tha Tien Pier), where Wat Pho is located, to Wat Arun. The journey takes a few minutes, the fare is 3 baht.
Along the clogs on boats
In addition to the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok has canals called klongs, which also serve public transport in the form of boats. There are many channels, but many of them have not been used for a long time. Now there are two popular canals through which you can get to your desired point by boat.
For example, after walking a little from to (and the Golden Mountain), you will find Panfa Pier there, where, by taking a boat along the Saen Saep clog (this is the Golden Mount Line), in no more than 15 minutes you can reach the city center, namely the Pratunam area (Pratunam Pier), or visit, for example, the Siam Paragon shopping center.
Moving around Bangkok on beautiful slopes tourist types you don’t have to wait, but there are as many interesting ones as you like: the canals of Bangkok pass through authentic Thai areas, poor barracks, dilapidated houses built on stilts, here you can see “ reverse side» the many faces of Bangkok.
The fare is about 10-20 baht (depending on the distance). By the way, you need to buy a ticket on the boat from conductors (ticketeers or whatever they are called), who, like acrobats, walk along the side of the boat, holding on to the rope, and not inside it.
When paying, please indicate which station you are going to.
Pros: unusual, specific, unusual, interesting, inexpensive, without traffic jams.
Minuses: They walk in a fairly limited area.
Nuances:
To get into the boats cruising along the klongs, you need to be in a hurry. She moored to the piers literally for a minute (or even a few seconds). Your grace will not be useful here either, because there is no entrance to the boat as such. As soon as you jump in, it’s good. It is quite surprising to see people in business suits deftly jumping from the pier to the boat and back. While tourists like me stand and wonder which side to get to)
In some places, the channels are very narrow, so much so that oncoming boats swim almost end to end. Splashes are also a logical phenomenon in such situations. To escape from them, a film is placed on the sides of the boat: pull the string and the film rises.
If you are driving along a canal and everyone suddenly starts getting off, don’t panic, follow everyone (even if it’s not your station) and wait for the next boat. This is probably the final one. The fact is that although there are two lines along which boats go (Golden Mount Line and Nida Line), in fact the Pratunam station is the end station of the first line and the starting station of the second. Your ticket purchased the first time is still valid, so make sure you save it for presentation.
Public transport along Klongs runs daily from 5.30 to 20.30 (on weekends until 19.00).
There is a site with useful information for moving around the clones: www.khlongsaensaep.com
If you are new to Bangkok and want to ride along the Chao Phraya River and see the main attractions at the same time, we recommend taking the ferry from the Central Pier. You can get there by taking the BTS Skytrain (Saphan Taksin Station). Get into the first car from the center, exit the platform to the left side (in the direction of the train). It takes 1-2 minutes to walk from the metro station to the pier. You can buy a ferry ticket both at the pier and on the ferry itself. They go very often, about every 15-20 minutes.
Attractions on the Chao Phraya River
To see, you need to get off at pier No. 8 (it will be about 10 minutes after the Central Pier).
How to inspect this huge complex, then you can cross to the other side of Chao Phraya, where the Temple of the Dawn is located. Runs between the two banks river transport, the ticket price for which is purely symbolic - 3 baht. Afterwards, take it back to Wat Pho and walk on foot to the entrance to the Royal Palace (10-15 minutes). The road is full of stalls with souvenirs and small things like sunglasses. Not far from the entrance there are a dozen restaurants, cafes and mobile food stalls. You can eat very inexpensively.
After visiting the Royal Palace with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, go to pier No. 9 (Maharaj Pier) and take a ferry to No. 13, next to which is located. This busy street (or rather the whole area with adjacent blocks) is very popular among tourists thanks to a large number shops, travel agencies, inexpensive hotels, restaurants and bars. Here you can stay overnight for 200-350 baht. Not everyone will like Khaosan, because... very noisy and crowded, not for those who like a quiet holiday.
If you have no plans to stay here overnight or have a hotel booked elsewhere, you can return to the city center on the same ferry along the Chao Phraya River.
But it will be faster to do this on city buses No. 2 and No. 511. They go towards the Sukhumvit Highway and further along it, actually parallel to the skytrain. You can, for example, get to them, from where buses depart to Pattaya. Tickets cost 7-8 baht in buses without air conditioning and 17-20 baht with air conditioning. The stop is located on the Ratchadamnoen Klang Highway, which is a minute's walk from Khao San Road. There is no need to cross the highway, you need to stop on this side.
A crisis is not at all a reason to deny yourself entertainment and getting to know a new city. After all, the world is full of free or almost free ways to get to know this or that city. Even public transport can give unforgettable experience and give a good idea of the city. Especially if the transport itself is colorful. Like, for example, the public boats in Bangkok that ply the Chao Phraya River. This is public transport and a tourist attraction rolled into one!
River transport in Bangkok is well developed and allows you to quickly and cheaply cross the city in a north-south direction. The bonus is that there are no traffic jams, beautiful views and a fresh breeze. Beauty, and that's all! The face spontaneously stretches into a wide smile, and the eyes widen from the numerous skyscrapers, boats, bridges and fleeting scenes from river life.
There is a real storm on Chao Phraya; the water in the river is constantly shaking from the boats darting back and forth - there is no calm here.
You won't see any kind of boats here.
There are actually some kind of oceanic monsters...
But most of all I like the hard-working tugs pulling huge barges.
When absolutely unbearable they will unite in tandem.
The most scenic part of the route lies south of Phra Arthit station. There are churches here close to the river.
And how many sparkling skyscrapers are along the way!
Sometimes bonuses like this fit into the frame...
Thais actively use boats, but the number of farangs is amazing! Sometimes at least half of the people in the boat are white!
I went boating around Chao Phraya while my new Indonesian visa was processed at the consulate. Sailed on a boat with an orange flag from Phra Arthit to Wat Rajsingkorn - this is the final station in the south. I walked out through a series of boats moored to each other.
By the way, there are interesting surroundings here, and Wat Rajsingkorn itself is very nice.
Alternatively, from here you can go to Khaosan (Samsaeng) by bus 15. But I continued to ride the boat and swam to the northernmost station - Nonthaburi. In the north it’s not so colorful, it’s mostly an industrial zone. In the Nonthaburi area, not far from the pier, there is a market with cheap fruit and treats, a little further you can go out onto the street from where buses go to Khao San.
Useful information about boats on Chao Phraya
Boarding and disembarking of passengers takes place at numerous pontoon stations and berths. The boat docks for a minute, and people quickly get in and out.
Those who didn’t make it in time are late and wait on the shore until the next boat.
The wait is usually not long - 15-20 minutes.
Boats have 4 routes, distinguished by the color of the flag hung at the stern.
A 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 tourist boat with blue flag, the cost of which is 40 baht. It runs every half hour and is not far from Sathorn to Phra Arthit.
Getting around Chao Phraya can be connected to many important tourist and transport hubs: overground metro, Railway Station, Chinatown, Khaosan Street and many others. Here are the cards to help. Clickable.
Well, if finances allow, a rented car is a great way to explore Bangkok and the surrounding area. Which is as easy as shelling pears to rent on the website eavtoprokat.ru where you can book a car almost all over the world!
We managed to take a ride on the city's river bus and this is what came of it...
Bangkok stands on canals, many of which have not been navigable for a long time, but some are still quite functional. The main transport channel in the city is Sam Sap, which runs from west to east.
I was told by my beloved husband that we were going to watch and ride on a river bus, which is considered an ordinary public transport in BKK, but I couldn’t even imagine what it would look like.
We approached the bridge near the big one shopping complex and began to go down somewhere.
For a man who has always traveled only European countries, and then suddenly he finds himself in Bangkok and he urgently needs to get somewhere where he can get without traffic jams (and in BKK traffic jams are 739% worse than in Moscow), he needs to immediately keep his finger on the “call” button with the ambulance number dialed in advance help, because the spectacle is extremely unaesthetic, not environmentally friendly and even a little disgusting, because I heard that sewage waste also flows into these channels (but even if this is not so, it will not become less scary anyway). Since I’ve been in Asia for a long time and am used to many things, when going down I simply wrinkled my nose, as I usually do, and, without telling anyone, looked around, adjusting the lens and taking pictures for the blog and for the story.
And so there’s a kind of stop down here. Why "as if"? Not just like, but a real stop, with a schedule, a map, where the water bus goes, and even a bench for waiting for transport, which I would not sit on even if I walked from Cambodia, to Burma, from Burma to Laos, and then I would hobble to Bangkok and all without a break for sleep and rest. They spat on this bench, spat on it, and peed on it more than once.
And so the tram arrives. This is the final station and the starting station for the return journey. That's why a lot of people come out here. The contingent of people is completely different, which really surprised me. Those. Not only poor people travel on it, but also people with seemingly good income. But this is understandable, after being stuck in traffic jams in Bangkok twice, where in three hours we only traveled (!!!) 100 meters, I would go to this tram stop every day as if I were going to work.
Then, having dropped off the people, the tram turned around and picked up passengers for the journey in the opposite direction. That's where we need to go. Well, a little attraction began for us stupid white people. How to get into it, where to put your feet, what to hold on to, and where to fall if something happens. It turned out that people were very clever at jumping into the ship, sometimes even while moving. They hold onto the rope on the roof with their hand, put their foot on the seat (on which they then sit), and jump inside. Everything takes a second.
And now we are sitting inside.
What can you see here?
Well, for example, these blue sides, which are oilcloth and run along each side of the boat. Each person decides to close him" wonderful view"or leave it open. Why do you think they are? Well, of course, this is protection from splashes. And if you remember that a sewer flows into this river, and imagine how romantic it is to sit in a boat, when the wind blows your hair and “fragrant” splashes splash right into face, then it becomes creepy and not childish. And now a surprise! Even if all the people on all parts of the boat pull this blue thing and it covers everything, the splashes will still fly into your face when the oncoming ship sails along the narrow river channel in the opposite direction. side! Surprise, huh?) I cried and laughed at the same time. I cried for obvious reasons, but I laughed because there was nowhere to go... you can’t jump out of the boat while it’s moving, and you can’t ask the driver, “Please stop here. I'll go out.")) But here Nicholas, for example, I liked the tram ride just because of these blue curtains. He constantly opened them at stops so that people could get off, and closed them when the tram started moving. He did everything so seriously and considered himself the main closer and opener on the ship.)
Another attraction that I appreciated is the local conductor. He does everything except steer the ship. He stops the boat, ties it to the shore, then unties it, sells tickets and much more. In general, one can only envy the courage of this person: to stand there overboard, where in the percentage ratio of water and microbes the water is very much inferior - it takes oh, what courage. It splashes not only in the face.. But he boldly wears a helmet and life jacket walks along the edge of the tram and does his job no matter what. The ticket costs 12 baht. This is very inexpensive compared to the metro in Bangkok, and at least it’s good)
We sat down. The ticket was paid for. We drive and look around at the beautiful city.
Who watched the movie "Bangkok Hilton"? I watched it as a child, I was about twelve years old, I remember how very worried I was about Nicole Kidman, I was especially impressed by the soundtrack at the beginning and I remember how the characters in the film dashingly rode around the city on long-tail boats. Even then, the thought sunk into my head: to see “when I grow up” this unusual city, which is literally riddled with river canals.
If you arrive like we did, then at the first intersection the tuk-tuk drivers will definitely offer you a tour of the canals of Bangkok. But don’t rush to agree and get into a taxi, the price for such a pleasure is not the cheapest (40 baht for the driver + 2000 baht for renting a boat/person), there are more budget method how to watch this excursion in Bangkok on your own by going to the pier and renting a boat on the spot.
How to rent a boat yourself for a walk along the canals of the Chao Phraya River
When we arrived in Bangkok, the first thing we did was to see the main attractions located around the street, and walking around the Grand Palace, we followed the crowd Chinese tourists, went to the stop water bus- Tha Chang pier.
Here, many local tour companies offer rides along the canals of Bangkok, and this excursion includes:
- visiting the floating market
- fish farm
- Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun)
- Royal Barge Museum
After wandering around the pier, we bargained a little and rented a boat for 500 baht, which took us on our excursion to the canals of Bangkok. No one will allow you to drive the boat yourself; the boat is rented with a driver. In addition, only a local boatman can understand the operation of these vessels.
Tha Chang Pier near the Royal Palace
Along the canals of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok with a personal boatman. Our reviews
What was our boat that took us along the klongs, as the Thais call river channels. This is a wooden “long-tail boat” with an incomprehensibly attached engine from a truck - to control such a device, the captain of the boat is constantly moving and literally hanging on the lever. On the sides of the vessel there are oilcloth sides that protect passengers from splashes; the roof is made of the same material and is stretched over the top. In general, the boat itself looks very beautiful: the Thais love their “longtails” and decorate them with bright decorations of flowers and garlands.
This is how the Thais steer their “longtail” - a long-tailed boat
Dressed up longtails near the pier in Bangkok
What you can see on the river canals of Bangkok
As you know, in Bangkok there are only about 150 canals with the main artery of the city - the majestic Chao Phraya River, which divides the city into two halves. Our excursion followed a pre-planned route, and besides, there were only two of us in the boat - not counting the captain himself, so our journey was very relaxed: we constantly changed boats different places, took pictures and loudly greeted boats with tourists passing by.
Digging a little from the topic, I’ll say that our excursion took place on the very day when exactly the same boat exploded, at 6.30 in the morning on one of the river canals of Bangkok. Nobody warned us about the danger, and in general there was no panic on the pier that day - there were the usual crowds of tourists rushing to take seats on the river buses. In the evening, I called my mother and found out about this incident.
I'm sitting in a longtail - a business sausage)
Approaching the floating market
Floating Market
The first seller of the floating market, seeing us, immediately swam up to our longtail in her boat and began offering souvenirs and other trinkets (the price tag for the junk was not at all reasonable, then on Koh Samui we saw the same souvenirs only twice as expensive). In general, you can buy a lot of useful things at such boat markets: local farmers flock here and sell at favorable prices fresh fruit, you can try natural juice and coconut ice cream straight from the boat. But to enjoy the spectacle of the market on the water, you need to come here in the morning.
City on the water
We sail further and here the most interesting thing begins - the city of Bangkok appears before our eyes from a completely different side: we see the underside of this multimillion-dollar Asian metropolis: the poorest quarters of Bangkok, shacks built from cardboard boxes right on the water. I immediately had an association with the film water world with Kevin Costner: there are people here too, living on unimaginably houses built on stilts. They approach their flimsy homes on boats, because there is no other way to get there. We saw an old Thai man fishing with a fishing rod in the canal right from the window of his house. There is a feeling that these houses could fall apart at any moment - just from the blowing of the wind, they are so lopsided and dilapidated.
A familiar sight on the canals of Bangkok - laundry hung out to dry
The water in the river along which we are moving is muddy and polluted from longtails and river buses constantly plying along it. But despite this, local children splashed happily and jumped into the river before our eyes. I won’t say whether there are crocodiles in Chao Phraya and whether it’s safe to swim in such a river, but we saw a huge monitor lizard basking in the sun on the shore with our own eyes.
Monitor lizard basking on rocks along the river canals of Bangkok
Temple of the Dawn Wat Arun
By the way, the Temple of the Dawn Wat Arun, in the photo in the background you can see a high pagoda in the Khemer style - in other words, “prang”, was under reconstruction at that moment, so we just sailed past without stopping. The building itself is unusual in that it is decorated to the very top with colored glass, mirrors and porcelain. This mosaic is laid out in the form of patterns and designs by hand by Thai craftsmen. But we did not give up the idea of climbing to the top of the Temple of the Dawn, Wat Arun, and looking at Bangkok from a bird's eye view.
Temple of the Dawn Wat Arun
Walk around Bangkok by water bus
Our excursion ended here, but we continued our acquaintance with the Chao Phraya River on our own. The next day, armed with a map of Bangkok, we came to the nearest pier and boarded a river bus to ride along the widest river channel in Bangkok - along the Chao Phraya River, dotted with barges and boats. Here we did not take an excursion, but simply bought a ticket, like ordinary passengers - local residents. The fare is very symbolic - only 13 baht.
Water bus stop in the building shopping center Bangkok
Here the picture is completely different: instead of slums, a crowded area dotted with skyscrapers stretches out before our eyes. You immediately begin to feel the full power of the Asian metropolis, the urban modern architecture makes it clear how much the city of Bangkok is developing and growing.
View from the water bus window
Reminded me of the Cosmos Hotel in Moscow
You will be whisked past the main attractions of Bangkok - The Grand Palace. So such a walk can be considered an express excursion, besides, if you want, you can get out - the water bus stops at the pier with access to Royal Palace(The Grand Palace).
This is how we swam through the river canals of Bangkok. I believe this walk is the first thing you should do when you arrive in Bangkok: it allows you to better understand the place you have arrived in and see the city from different sides. In addition, this is a budget-friendly way to learn how to move around Bangkok, bypassing traffic jams and enjoying the spray of the waves.
How to book a river cruise in Bangkok
In order to go on an exciting walk along Chao Phraya, you don’t have to go to the pier on your own, especially if this is your first time in the city and you don’t want to get lost. All you have to do is book your place on the boat via the Internet, fortunately there are such applications now. Surely you have heard about Sputnik, and if not, then excursions from Sputnik8 are Bangkok through the eyes local residents, because the guides are people who have lived in the city of angels for a long time, and at the same time speak Russian! Well, where else will you find such a trip, which will include a Russian guide, dinner and transfer from the hotel? Follow the banner and read the program, it is very rich.
