Things to Do on Chao Phraya River Bangkok

Things to do on Chao Phraya River Bangkok include hopping on and hopping off the public ferries to see the Thai capital’s breathtaking riverside sights such as Wat Arun and explore off-the-beaten-track waterfront neighbourhoods, taking a canal tour by long-tail boat along the lesser-visited khlongs, and savouring traditional food on a secret river island.

When we first visited Thailand over 25 years ago, we made a beeline for Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, hopped on a ferry and hopped off along the way to explore Chinatown, the Flower Market, Little India, the Grand Palace and many glittering temples, and the atmospheric, dimly lit Amulet Market.

Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River has experienced a renaissance in the decades since, but exploring Bangkok’s riverside and canals, whether by public ferry, private long-tail boat or on foot, is still one of our favourite things to do in Bangkok, and one of the first things we recommend visitors to Thailand’s capital do.

Having lived in Bangkok, we now prefer to stroll lesser-visited neighbourhoods on the Thonburi side of the river and take excursions to Koh Kret, Bangkok’s secret island. We recommend you do the same on your next trip to the Thai capital.

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Things to Do on Chao Phraya River Bangkok – Where to Stay, Cruise, Explore, and Eat

One of the first things we ever did on our first visit to Thailand over 25 years ago was to ride the public ferries along Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. We’d hop off along the way to explore Chinatown, Little India and the Flower Market, sprawling Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo or Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and browse the Amulet Market and fascinating shops dotted around that neighbourhood.

On subsequent trips to Bangkok, and when we lived in the Thai capital, we’d focus our attention more on the commercial districts of Siam, Sathorn and Silom, and the hip neighbourhoods off Sukhumvit Road, such as Thonglor and Ekkamai, our main interests being the restaurants, cafes, bars, and boutiques we were covering for magazines and guidebooks.

It’s only in recent years, frustrated by the traffic-clogged roads and gridlock, that we’ve found ourselves increasingly drawn back to the old town of Bangkok and the bustling-by-day tranquil-by-night Chao Phraya River, which meanders through the Thai metropolis, snaking past of the city’s must-do sights, such as mosaic-covered Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn, and off-the-beaten-track areas, such as Bangkok’s Portuguese quarter.

The Chao Phraya River has experienced a renaissance in the last decade and is a very different river to the one we cruised all those years ago. Most of the dilapidated stilted houses that lined the riverbanks have been demolished, boardwalks now in their place. Empty plots of waterfront land now boast colossal shopping malls and luxury residential developments, when a park from which to enjoy the river flowing by might have been a better choice.

Yet there is still much to delight in if you ride the public ferry boats, alight to amble local neighbourhoods, leisurely explore the canals by long-tail boat, and discover a secret island that even many Thai residents don’t know about.

These are some of the best things to do on Chao Phraya River Bangkok and they’re some of our favourite things to do Bangkok.

Check into a Riverside Hotel on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River

One of the first things to do on Chao Phraya River Bangkok is to check into one of Bangkok’s best riverside hotels, preferably one you can arrive at by boat.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

The Mandarin Oriental is Bangkok’s oldest hotel and one of its most luxurious hotels, and it’s also one of our favourite hotels in Bangkok. Established as much more modest accommodations in 1876, it’s Author’s Wing has hosted writers such as Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and Maugham. It’s also home to one of Bangkok’s best Thai cooking classes at the Mandarin Oriental Cooking School.

Sala Rattanakosin

A stylish contemporary-style boutique hotel, Sala Rattanakosin is set in a row of remodelled shophouses a short walk from Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. Most of its 17 rooms boast breathtaking views of Wat Arun, and there are even more jaw-dropping vistas from the rooftop bar, which is the place to be at sunset.

Arun Residence

Nearby, in a restored 19th century shop-house, mid-range Arun Residence also overlooks Wat Arun and has magic vistas from its al fresco Thai restaurant.

Chakrabongse Villas

Also close by, the unique Chakrabongse Villas is set in a palatial residence and sprawling grounds built in 1908 by Prince Chakrabongse. His granddaughter Narisa and her family live in the elegant main house while guests stay in one of seven different types of lodgings surrounding it. The Chinese Suite, which we were lucky to stay in, has direct access to the riverside swimming pool.

Praya Palazzo

On the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, Praya Palazzo was home to Thai noble Praya Chollabhumipanish who commissioned the Italian Palladio style villa in 1923, a time when Italian architects such as Galileo Chini and Carlo Rigoli were building grand Italianate mansions for King Rama V. The 17 rooms have high ceilings with polished wooden floors and there’s a waterfront swimming pool.

The Siam

Located on the riverside in the Dusit district, The Siam is an exclusive 39-room retreat designed by Southeast Asian starchitect Bill Bensley. Book Connie’s Cottage, a century-old traditional teak house shipped from Ayutthaya by late Thai silk tycoon Jim Thompson.

Cruise Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River By Public Ferry

So much has changed in the Thai capital since our first visit to Bangkok over 25 years ago, but one thing that hasn’t changed: one of the best things to do on Chao Phraya River Bangkok is a cruise on the historic artery.

You can see the main sights on the original hop-on hop-off Chao Phraya Tourist Boat, but for a more local way of experiencing the river, board the Orange Flag Chao Phraya Express Boat, which departs from Sathorn Pier beneath Saphan Taksin BTS Station (take Exit 2), the main Chao Phraya River pier.

Note that there are five public boats with their own routes and different stops, each identified by coloured flags: Orange Flag, Yellow Flag, Green Flag, Blue Flag tourist boat, and No Flag local line. Look for the small triangle flags, which are on all the boats, except for the ‘No Flag’ boat, which obviously has no flag.

When you arrive at Sathorn/Saphan Taksin you’ll be bombarded by Blue Flag tourist boat ticket-sellers. Ignore them and make a beeline for the Orange Flag Chao Phraya Express Boat queue. Once on board, pay 15 baht (US$0.50) directly to the conductor and pay this again each time you board.

The Orange Flag boats depart every 10-20 minutes between 6am-7pm, stopping at the most popular piers for Bangkok’s must-do sights, as well as piers that provide access to lesser-visited local neighbourhoods.

Start around 9am or so and alight first at Wat Arun. After you’ve explored the temple, take the small cross-river boat (4 baht) to Tha Tien Pier #8 for Wat Pho and Siam Museum.

When you’re done, head to Rajinee Pier #7 to re-board the boat and alight at Wang Lang or Pran Nok Pier #10 for lunch at Wang Lang Market.

After, return to the same pier to board the Orange Flag for Memorial Bridge Pier #6.

Stroll across the bridge (also called Phra Phuttayotfa Bridge, Saphan Phut or Phut Bridge) to the historic Portuguese quarter for Santa Cruz Church and the Baan Kudichin Museum.

Backtrack across Memorial Bridge to visit Pak Klong Talad Flower Market and Yodpiman River Walk Mall.

From here, Yodpiman Pier #6 will take you south to Rachawongse Pier #5, from where you can walk along Ratchawong Road to Yaowarat Road, Chinatown.

Explore Bangkok’s Khlongs on a Longtail Boat Canal Tour

Old Bangkok was called the Venice of the East for good reason – it was criss-crossed by canals, called khlongs in Thai – which makes exploring the khlongs one of the essential things to do on the Chao Phraya River Bangkok. I get giddy thinking about the Thai capital’s transformation in just a century or so.

Bangkok has gone from a bustling little riverside town where residents went everywhere by boat to the metropolis that we know today with its tangle of overpasses and toll-ways. Bangkok’s last major khlong was dug in 1895 and the khlong building period wound down by 1915, when these watery arteries began to get filled in and paved over to form roads.

These days you can count on both hands the number of khlongs left on the Chao Phraya River’s right bank – in Phra Nakhon, home to Rattanakosin Island, Dusit, Prom Prap Sattru Phai, and Samphanthawong – however, on the left bank, in the laid-back residential districts of Khlong San, Thonburi, Bangkok Yai and Bangkok Noi, khlongs still lace the area and are used by locals.

If you really want to immerse yourself in khlong life, check into canal-side lodgings, such as the charming Siam Motif Boutique Hotel, and you’ll see locals commuting to and from work by boat along Bangkok Noi canal in the mornings and early evenings.

One of best things to do on Chao Phraya River Bangkok to get a feel for how life must have been lived on the water is to do a khlong tour or hire a long-tail boat for a private khlong tour. We’ve tried both and they’re both fantastic.

The organised tours typically depart from Tha Chang or Si Phraya piers on the Chao Phraya River and might include a stop at Wat Arun and the Royal Barge Museum before cruising into Bangkok Noi canal.

Longer khlong tours might also take in Bangkok Yai canal, the Artists House, an orchid farm and perhaps a floating market, and you can expect picturesque scenery like the lush vista in the image above.

On weekends, cruises include the Artists House and Taling Chan Floating Market. Some khlong tours also take in Lat Mayom Floating Market, one of Bangkok’s less touristy floating markets.

Convenient piers to hire a long-tail boat for a private canal tour are Tha Tien and Tha Chang piers, where a regular public boat service operates from 6.30am-11pm every half hour or so, or when full for 30 baht per person.

Eat Your Way Around the Mon Island of Koh Kret

One of the most satisfying things to do on Chao Phraya River Bangkok is to eat your way around the Mon island of Koh Kret (Koh Kred), which remains something of a delicious secret that’s overlooked by most visitors to Bangkok and even unknown to many Thais, including some of our friends!

Home to a community of Mon (who along with the Khmer of Cambodia were the original Southeast Asians), the small Chao Phraya River island is much loved by Bangkokians for its traditional Mon food, as well as its Mon clay pottery and slow pace of life.

There are just seven tiny villages on Koh Kret, no roads or cars, lush farmland fringed by palm trees, and a perimeter skirted by dilapidated wooden houses on stilts.

Hire a private longtail boat for a cruise around Koh Kret. A typical cruise itinerary includes stops at a handicraft centre cum art gallery, a pottery shop and Ran Baan Khanom Wan or Thai Dessert House, where you can watch desserts being made and try some before you buy them.

After, take a stroll or bike ride around Koh Kret to absorb everyday life – and work up your appetite for more eating! Expect to see ramshackle timber houses with washing hung between balconies, dogs dozing on doorsteps, locals throwing fishing lines into ponds, and sarong-clad women in straw hats tending to their fields.

Don’t miss the whitewashed 200 year-old Mon pagoda Wat Poramai Yikawat with a reclining Buddha and Ayutthaya-style murals.

On weekends and holidays, there’s a market on Koh Kret where you can graze on street food, tropical fruit and kanom waan (sweet snacks), many of which are Portuguese influenced, such as foi thong, duck egg yolk shaped into golden yellow strands in boiling pandan-scented sugar syrup.

Travel to Koh Kret by public boat (approx. one hour) from Saphan Taksin pier. Take the green flag Chao Phraya Express Boat during peak hours (6.15-8am, 3.30-6pm; no service Sundays) to Pak Kret (pier N33) or orange or yellow flag Chao Phraya Express Boat to Nonthaburi (pier N30) the rest of the time.

Then walk 500 metres or so to Pak Kret or take an air-con van, public bus 32, taxi, or longtail boat river taxi. At Pak Kret, longtail boats shuttle visitors from Wat Sanam Neua pagoda across to the island every 5-10 minutes.

Last Published 3 July 2019; Updated 24 March 2025

Have you explored Thai’s capitals river and canals? What are some of your favourite things to do on Chao Phraya River Bangkok?