Bangkok has a wonderful network of boats and river ferries, which are part of the local public transportation. It is the cheapest way of moving around the city. If you come here for only a few days, it’s a good idea to use them as your main mode of transport. If you are staying longer, you might have to take a boat every day.
- There are a couple of types of boats in Bangkok. They are marked with different colours and don’t stop at the same places. Understanding the whole system takes a little time, but you can get used to it quickly. ‘Beginners’ should carry a list of the boats with them, or alternatively can use the metro, BTS or taxis, if they find taking a boat too stressful.
Types of boats
Express Boat River Taxi
There are 5 types of Express River Boats in Bangkok: without flags (for local markets), with blue flags (tourist boats), with orange flags, yellow and green.
The boats without flags operate from 6 until 18:30 every 20 minutes, from Monday to Friday and cost 10-20 Baht. They stop at every pier from Wat Rajinsgorn (S1) to Nonthaburi (N30).
The boats with blue flags are for tourists. They stop wherever you want and start running from 9:00 to 19:00, cost 40 Baht one way or 100 Baht for a whole day.
The boats with orange flags stop at main piers. They run from 5:00 to 19:00 and cost 15 Baht. They start in Wat Rajsinkorn and finish in Nonthaburi.
The boats with yellow flags work only during rush hours, from 6:15 to 07:00 and 16:45 to 20:00. One tickets costs 29 Baht. They are bigger, faster and more comfortable. They stop at 10 stops and they are mainly used by people travelling to work from the north part of Bangkok.
The boats with green flags work from Monday to Friday from 0^;00 to 08:10 and from 16:05. One ticket costs 32 Baht. Those are fast track boats and the only ones that get to Pakkret (N33). They stop at 13 stops out of 33 and they are the fastest to get to Koh Kret.
Long Tail Boat
Long Tail Boats are usually featured in colourful booklets advertising Thailand. They are tourist boats and are available for private hire.
Drivers can be seen around main piers, especially near the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.
There are no fixed prices. The cost depends on the place, time and distance. It’s best to bargain for a good price. If one driver refuses to take you, you can always find another one.
Getting to the other side of the river
There are 32 piers in Bangkok, from where you can get to the other side of the river. Boats that operate there look like metal rafts with roofs. They are slow, but cost only 3 Baht!
Canal Boats
Łodzie te służą przede wszystkim do przewozu pracowników biurowych do pracy w centrum Bangkoku, ale stanowią także niemałą atrakcję dla turystów.
Bangkok lays on water and has an extensive network of canals. The main one, Saen Seab Canal cuts the city in half. You can go through these canals using one of the boats. They run every 5-20 minutes and cost 9 to 19 Baht, depending on the time of your journey.
Canal Boats have 2 lines – west (with the final stop at Golden Mount) and east (with the final stop at Wat Si Bunrueang).