| 6. Boat
6.1 Chao Phraya River Express
There is a motorboat service on the Chao Phraya River called
"Chao Phraya River Express Boat". The boats run between Wat
Ratchasingkhon (in southern Bangkok, near Krungthep Bridge)
and Nonthaburi province. See Thaiways Maps of Bangkok
There are four types of boats, spotted by a
flag in different colours. The boats marked by a blue flag
(the most express), which stops only at Nonthaburi, Wang Lang
and Sathon piers, charge 22 or 32 baht, depending on the distance.
The express boats, marked by a yellow flag, charge 18 baht
for the whole route while the rapid boats, flying by an orange
flag, charge 13 baht per person (whole route) and the ordinary
boats, without a flag, charge 9, 11 or 13 baht, depending
on the distance of the trip. After disembarking at a main
pier, you can cross the river using the ferry service (details
on 6.4 below) if you need.
6.2 Chao Phraya Tourist Boat
This is a special boat service for travelling along the Chao
Phraya River. The boat route, connected to BTS Skytrain at
Taksin Bridge station, starts from Sathon Pier and proceeds
up the river to Banglamphu Pier (near Khaosan Road). The boat
stops at 10 major piers which provide easy access to important
tourist sites such as the Grand Palace, Temple of the Emerald
Buddha, Wat Pho, Chinatown, Khaosan Road etc. A guide is provided
on board and the boat is not crowded as the express boat.
The boat service is available daily from 9.00 to 15.00 hours,
departing every 30 minutes.
The charge is 15 baht per trip. One day river
pass is available for unlimited trips at 75 baht which includes
a Chao Phraya River Guidebook.
6.3 Long-tail Boat In Bangkok,
long-tail boat services are available at many piers along
the Chao Phraya river, offering different routes, such as
those from Khlong Bangkoknoi to Bangyai, and from Khlong Bangphrom
to Khlong Bangramat. The fares depend on the distance of the
route, roughly from 10-20 baht. Most boats are in service
from 6 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.
There are also cruise services along numerous
canals which form an extensive network of waterways around
Bangkok. Some popular places that you can go for a cruise
by boat are the Damnoen Saduak floating market, the Temple
of Dawn, the Royal Barges Museum and various Buddhist temples.
As tourists, you are advised to ask for the fares from more
than one pier before making a decision to assure that you
will be charge at an appropriate rate.
6.4 Cross-River Ferry
From almost every boat landing in Bangkok, there are cross-river
ferries that ply back and forth across the Chao Phraya River.The
standard fare is 3 baht and usually collected at the entrance
to the landing.
| |
|
|
|
Long-tail Boat
|
Cross-River Ferry
|
Chao Phraya River Express |
Cross-River Ferry
|
|
| 7. Motorcycle Taxi
 Due
to heavy traffic in rush hours in Bangkok, nowadays
motorcycle taxis are abundant. Normally, a motorcycle
station can be found at the entrance to a soi (lane).
Fares are about the same as samlos except during rush
hours when they may cost a bit more. If you are not
really in a hurry, you'd better avoid using them as
they are not safe.
|
| 8. Car Rent
Cars are easily rented at rental shops
and companies all around Bangkok.
|
|
Taxis
in Bangkok are fixed with a meter and have a sign "TAXI-METER"
on the roof. The minimum fare is 35 baht for a distance of
no more than 2 km. Then the rates are 4.50 baht per km for
the next 10 km, 5 baht per km for 13 to 20 km and 5.50 baht
per km for any distance over 20 km There is a surcharge of
1.25 baht per minute for traffic congestion when the taxi
moves no faster than 6 km/hr. 
This
is a three-wheeled taxi without a meter or air-conditioning.
Fares must be negotiated beforehand. They are normally a little
cheaper than ordinary taxis and are suitable for short trips
only. 
