Cruising The Chao Phraya River With Boat Ferry And Admiring The Diverse Riverfront Landscape Of Bangkok | Thailand

My hotel is only 10 minutes walk from the Sathorn Central Pier, so the public ferry system became my main transportation going about downtown Bangkok.  This is something to consider when selecting a place to stay, living close to the river and close to a ferry terminal has it’s advantages.

The Sathorn Central Pier Ferry terminal is a main terminal meaning every boats stop here, it is also here that you can transfer to different boats that goes to different area, just like subway, but on water.

The terminal is under a highway sky bridge, I walk under it almost everyday to reach the terminal, so familiar with it, I miss the rustic feel of the walk.

A common scene on the Chao Phraya River, busy with boats traffic as it is the main waterway going up and down the region, here you have your long tail boat, which is most likely for private rental, your ferry boats, which are for local commuters, your hotel chatters, for hotel guest, and those bigger, faster and way more luxurious boats that goes on long distant tour for the tourist.

For visitors, the best way to enjoy the Chao Phraya River and the beautiful cityscape is by taking the ferry, which is a wooden long boat really. They are more for local commuters, very affordable. There are several kind of ferry services, varies in routes, you can take the one that is more for tourists, for a higher price, but also good for the whole day and they stop at every terminals. It is still very affordable really, and it will pay for itself if you use it a lot.

This is one of those ferry that’s design for tourists, you pay for a whole day pass and use it all day. If you use the ferry a lot in a day, the whole day pass is the best option. Even if you do not actually want to go anywhere, just want to ride along the river all day without getting out, you can do that too. Well, actually, you still may have to get out of the boat at the end of the route if they are switching boats to go the other way, that happens quite often actually.

Each and every ride on the boat is a whole new experience, the city changes a little under different weather condition, lighting, and river current, you will never get tired of it. If you are with that special someone, I bet it’s an extremely romantic experience to cruise the river together in each other arm. Envy.

The ferry stops at one of the terminals dropping off passengers and picking up new ones.

One good thing about taking the public ferry boats is that they stop at or close to every major attraction sites in Bangkok, so for tourists, especially first time visitor to Bangkok, it makes it one of the best options to tour Bangkok. This is the stop at Wat Arun; one of the must go temple in Bangkok.

A gorgeous view of the Wat Arun Temple as it sit gracefully along the Chao Phraya River, in fact, the best place to view this temple to its fullest is from the river, and the trusted public transportation, the ferry boats, are wonderful option, provided that you sit on the right sitd of the boat. Definitely one of the best sight in Bangkok, it really is one of the best landmarks in the world.

The prang, which is the tower like spire of this famous temple, is a lot more impressive than any photos or publication can portray, it truly is an architectural marvel.

The ferry boats of the public transportation all have the same design and you can’t miss them, however, not all of them go to the same stop, they have their own routes and specific stops, so you will have to pay attention to the color of the flag that is on the boats, as different flag color mean different route.

Bangkok landscapes are diverse, from modern cityscape to glimpses of the old Bangkok waterfront, it won’t get boring or dull as you move along the Chao Phraya River.

I imagine these wooden houses were all over the riverside and were common sights in older times, but with the advance of time and society, these wooden residences are less and less, perhaps in a couple of years, they will all be gone.

This is one of those very busy terminal, I saw warehouses that is most likely a market, a hotel and a temple, on the other side of the Chao Phraya River opposite Bangkok downtown.

Depending on time, sometimes you are lucky enough to find a ferry boat that is quite empty, well, unlucky for the ferry company I guess … When you have an empty ferry, it’s fun, you basically have the ferry all to your self, you can sit anywhere you want and get the best view in the house, and it will feels like a private tour, extra special if you are with your love ones.

A lot of the ferry boats, especially the long tail boats, have decoration at the front end of the boat, usually with flower chains, as an offering to the Gods for good luck and protection. The Chao Phraya River is in no way calm and smooth, so if you can get some extra helping hand from the beyond, why not?

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-Lumaca

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