Chao Phraya River, Bangkok

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Chao Praya Houses

Its shure that if you travel in Bangkok you will use a Chao Praya river boat, because it is very cheap and you are very fast in many monuments like: Wat Pho (The Temple of the Reclining Buddha), Wat Phra Khaew (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Arun (The Temple of the Dawn) etc. In the way you can see the houses of Chao Praya river, there are made of wood in the same style.


Information
Name: Chao Praya Houses
Attraction Type: Houses, Wood
City: Bangkok
Pictures in the web:
Attractions and places of interest in Bangkok


My Photos
First Photo: Homes along the Chao Praya river
Second photo: Homes along the Chao Praya river
Third photo: Homes along the Chao Praya river
Forth photo: Homes along the Chao Praya river
Fifth photo: Homes along the Chao Praya river

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The Chao Phraya river cuts right through Bangkok, and it is a central element of the transportation system. A fleet of swift taxis ply the river up and down all day long, cutting off around nightfall. But it is a terrific way to get close to the downtown area (and all the shopping and culture that it holds), as well as move up to the sights of the King's Palace and Wats Pho and Arun.

The river taxi system is most used by Thai residents on their daily commutes. To accommodate as many people as possible, the ticket takers try to pack you in, and during the rush hours it can be overflowing with people. But, it is a slice of real life of Bangkok, away from taxis and air conditioned rides, you are traveling amongst kids going to school, business men on their way to the office, families to the market. With a few foreign backpackers tossed in for variety.

Beyond a means of transportation, a trip up or down the river is a travel experience of itself, a highlight reel of the sights from the banks of the Chao Phraya. If you can grab a seat, relax and let the smell of the river and the skyline of the city wash over you. And for about 7-20 bhat, you can't find much better of a deal in the city.

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A short and quick trip on a boat along the canal, and we arrived at the market. We left the boat and enjoyed the show. Is it always like that?

Is it revivalism for tourist amusement? No. It looks natural, and locals sell and buy indifferent to the curiosity of western people - but taking advantege of them, of course.

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I love going for a trip on the Chao Phraya Express Boat. For one thing it is a real boat used by locals to get around and to and from work and while lots of tourists use it, it does not exist just as a tourist attraction the way some sights do. (If you have ever been to the horrific floating market and taken photos of the tourists, taking photos of the tourists you will know what I mean.) For another thing there are no traffic jams when you travel by boat. Also it is a great way to cool down and you pass some wonderful sights. You can use this service to get to the Grand palace and Wat Pho (Tha Tien pier), the sky train(Sathorn Taksin pier), the Oriental Hotel, China Town, River City.

There are different boats depending on the colour of flag the boat is flying. The different boats have slightly different end points and stop and start at different times. They also have slightly different prices, though all are pretty cheap. We normally paid around 14 baht a trip.

One point to note is that the boats stop running around 7pm, some routes even earlier so don't try to use them too late on.

At some piers you have to buy your boat ticket in advance; at others you pay on the boat. iI you buy it in advance, the ticket seller will want to check it and tear it so it cannot be used again.

If you get on a very crowded boat, move down inside rather than standing at the back. People get on and off at almost every stop, so if you move inside, you will generally end up getting a seat.

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One of the most fun and cheapest ways of getting around central Bangkok is by express boat along the Chao Phraya River. The 21km route is served by 65 boats and operates between 6:00 am to 7:30 pm on weekdays and 6:00 am to 6:40 pm on weekends and holidays. Current prices are from 9 baht (Local line for distance within one zone) to 30 baht (for green-yellow flag trip on its entire route from Pakkret to Sathorn), depending on the type of boat and the distance travelled. I took the service a couple of times from the BTS Skytrain station at Saphan Taksin which is near the Sathon pier to Phra Pin Klao Bridge pier in order to get to the Southern Bus Station instead of getting a taxi through the centre of Bangkok. It's also a very scenic trip as you pass by the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, churches, Wichai Prasit Fort and some temples along the way.

I explored Bangkok by myself and found the Express boat a good cheap and fast way to get around the city. Myself, I preferred to buy a 13tb ticket rather than the "One day 150bt tourist ticket" for the Tourist Boat. The Tourist Boat ran between Central Pier and Phra Arthit Pier and included 10 stops. From Central Pier, it began at 9.30am and from Phra Arthit Pier, it began at 10am. I found that my sightseeing days began before this Boat was operating and that I didn't want to visit all the sights on the one day, plus, if I wanted a good look, I would have run out of time. Just catching the normal boat and by paying 13tb, I found it to be much more economical for what I wanted to see and do. It is a great, cheap way to see the sights of the city from the river. Its interesting, and I think everybody should at least do it once. There is a timetable at each wharf with what colour flag boats that stop at your Pier. It is very easy to follow. You pay when you are on the boat. The boats were crowded everytime that I caught one.
The listed website is very good. It has a route map and tells you the fares and all the information you need before your trip to Bangkok

There're wide-variety of boat trips available along Chao Phraya River. Take the BTS Skytrain to Saphan Taksin (terminal station) then go down to the ferry station where you'll find several boat companies offering you day-trips to: Orchid Farm, Floating Market, ..... Or just simply ride along the river, enjoying the temples and villagers' way-of-life.

Take boat in Chao Phraya River is a very fascinating and relax thing.
Also, you can go to below location avoid traffic jam and cheap than bus&subway.
China Town, River City, Wat Pichiyat, Pak Klong Flower Market, Santa Curz Church, Grand Palace

Fee: Local line, 11 baht per time, If use tourist passport, 100 baht per day.