The Chao Phraya (แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา) River is a huge river that runs through Thailand, including Bangkok. Don't you love it when a city is situated on water?
Naturally, you have options for transportation via the river. In many cases, the River may provide a most convenient spot for you to reach your destination with ease. For your convenience, I will link to the official BTS and Chao Phraya Express Boat web pages to highlight some useful pages for planning your trip. We took the BTS from Onnut station (สถานีอ่อนนุช) to Siam (สถานีสยาม) where we transferred to Silom Line (สายสีลม) and got off a few stops later at Saphan Taksin. (สถานีสะพานตากสิน) This station is nicely situated at the Pier where you can catch the Chao Phraya Express Boat or Tourist Boat as well as hire other boats, perhaps a longtail to take you to the floating market. Ticketing - Express Boat
There are several different lines you can take that run different routes and at different times.
Local Line (no flag): 8/10/12 baht Orange Flag Boat: 14 baht Green Flag Boat: 10/12/19/31 baht Yellow Flag Boat: 19/29 baht Of course the prices vary depending on how far you are traveling, which stop you get off at. Ticketing - Tourist Boat
Most likely, this is what you are hear to know read up on.
The tourist boat is a lovely provision!! It leaves from Sathorn Pier every 30 minutes starting at 9:30. A ticket costs 130 baht ( about $3.65 USD) for unlimited rides all day. Much like the BTS day pass, there is a lot of comfort in knowing you have unlimited rides when you are new to the area and just learning how to get around. Once you get your travel streamlined then you can save more by purchasing individual fares. But for tourists visiting for a short time, it's a lovely option! Ticketing - Where To Buy
* Sathorn Pier (Central Pier)
* Phra Arthit Pier * BTS Siam Station * BTS Taksin Station Sights As You Sail
Busy as we all area, multitasking is a must.
And travel, unfortunately, is often too short. We have too many places to go, things to see, foods to try, culture to take in (Side Note: Overplanning is BAD. We'll talk about that later ;) )... The River Boats are a great way to multitask. While you get to your next adventure for the day, you can enjoy the sights of the Chao Praya rushing through Bangkok. Take the time to look around and appreciate the color, the architecture, and the people around you. Why Not?!
If you're not in a rush, why not hop off at a stop you have never been to before? Or why not stay on to one of the very last stops. See what you find!
At The End Of Your Adventure
You may be tired, after hopping on and off all day, trying not to miss the boat and land in the river.
(Yes, that almost happened to me) But even as the darkness surrounds you, the twinkling of city lights and boats dancing on the river could hardly be more beautiful. Have Time For One Last Ride? Hang On Tight and Push Play! <3
Tomorrow is Taxi Tuesday! See ya then for a couple of Taxi Tuesday Travel Tips ;-p
Have a great day!
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Can I just say that I love the BTS? I don't know what exactly it is about it, but I love it. It was was nice, clean, efficient. It was easy to hear what stop you were approaching and which door would open. Most of the time it was crowded. And I mean really crowded. You start to walk a mile in the shoes of sardines smashed all up against each other in one of those little cans. There are sights. There are smells. I love it all. Okay, I don't love all of the smells. But the memories that come with it are my jam! Another reason I probably loved the BTS was because we strategically chose an accommodation that was steps away from the Onnut BTS stop. ;) A girl has to get places, amiright?! Check out this short video for how to insert a ticket at the BTS station, if you're unfamiliar. There are a number of ticketing options for the BTS.
You can get: * Single journey ticket - 15-42 baht per trip (~$0.42 - 1.18 USD) * One day pass - unlimited for 140 baht (~$3.92 USD) It really depends on what you're doing which is a better value. Check the chart at the station (or online) to see what the cost would be for you to get to your destination(s) and back. In some cases it is worth it to get the pass. Or if you are only visiting for a day or so and prefer the peace of mind of the pass in case you get off at the wrong stop and need to get back on etc, then go for the one day pass. Our first day we did a lot of moving and got the one day pass. After that we did the single journey tickets. The stations were great because everything was in Thai and English. Or... whatever they call the English spelling of the Thai words. (?) That was super helpful. There are also quick food places in the stations! I was excited about that!! Although, you are not to eat on the platforms or in the trains. But when you get off it's convenient to grab a bite on your way out. We enjoyed several Thai teas with boba this way. <3 There are 2 BTS lines (Silom and Sukhumvit Lines) and they connect via BTS at Siam station. The BTS website is an excellent resource and has an English option for page viewing. It has interactive maps and routes. You can see not only the stops, but also when you click on any stop it will bring up another map of the area around the stop. What business are around, where the different exits are and so-on.. An incredible service is the "Explore Bangkok by BTS" page. Here you can narrow down places you want to go to by category (such as Palaces, Shopping, Parks, etc) You can read a description of the place and get information like hours, entrance fees, phone number, website, and instructions on how to get there!!! How awesome is that?! I hope this brief overview of the BTS is helpful to you. I found it very convenient to use and user-friendly for a newbie in Thailand. If you're visiting for a short time, it will likely take you to all the main places you would want to go, or at least pretty close to them. Trip on over again next week for info about the Chao Phraya Express Boat including some video footage. ;) Have an awesome weekend! Getting from point A to B when you're in a foreign country can be a bit of a stress. You don't know the going rates and you don't want to get ripped off. You probably stand out like a sore thumb and your confused manner of looking around, looking down at your map and phone, coupled with the dslr that is conjoined to you is not really helping you mesh. Yet you want to be treated as a local. :o) hehe.
The great thing is, we found it super simple to get around in Bangkok! Hooray! Because of being such a large city, there are a TON of ways to get around depending on your needs. The quality of some of this transportation is actually way better than a lot of US cities. Some ways to get around include: * BTS Sky Train * MRT * Chao Phraya Express Boat * Taxi * Tuk-Tuk * Songthaew * Bus * Motorbike Taxi * Renting your own Motor Bike * Renting a car * Bicycle (if you have way more energy & skill than me!) * Walking (Could add: Running, Skipping, Jumping, Hoverboarding, Roller Skating, Skateboarding... ) lol We primarily made use of the BTS, Chao Phraya Boat, Taxi, and Walking! To learn more about each of these options and our experience using them, stop back starting tomorrow morning for some quick tips about the BTS skytrain. :o) Travel can be overwhelming. The thought of being thousands of miles away from everything you know, everything that is familiar, most or all of the people that matter most to you can be... a lot to process. For some people, it completely stops them from leaving their comfort zone. (and on the flip side, some people love the idea of being thousands of miles away from everyone the know :-p) But sometimes when you go somewhere so foreign to you, in the end you find out that Disney was right. It IS a small world after all! At this recommendation of Mark Wiens, we made our way (with the help of GPS on our phones) to Toney Restaurant in Bangkok's Little India (Pahurat). You know how your parents always tell you to stay away from dark alleys? Well.. we wanted to find this place before dark but we definitely went down an alley before we made it and we were still unsure if we had found the place. The familiar sound of English met our ears and we turned to find an American who explained that we had, indeed, made it to Toney Restaurant. The road was torn up from construction and he said we had made it "just in time". (not sure what this meant for future of Toney Restaurant) After perusing the many we decided on 2 Chai Masala Teas, some Pratha, and Chicken Masala. We weren't disappointed. We shared this and it was just perfect. (We like to leave room in our bellies for unexpected things we may find during our meanders.) So how is eating at Toney's a reminder that the world is a small place? Remember the American that called us over? As we chatted with him and his Thai girlfriend, we found out that we are from the same state in USA. In fact, not only that, but we live only about 70 miles from where he grew up. Not only that (&that), but the town he grew up in is the town my SISTER-IN-LAW grew up in! And thus began a long list of names of people we knew in common. How unexpected! The encounter was fully amusing to me for so many reasons that I won't list here, but it made for a truly unforgettable Indian snack in Pahurat Bangkok's Little India at Toney's Restaurant. (Or is it Tony's? That's what the menu says. I think they dropped the "e" sometime after Mark Wien's visit.) Total Price: ~150 Baht or ~$4.20 USD
Meeting a stranger that you sort of know 9,000 miles away from home: Priceless It's a small world after all. You go, Walt! It's not too often you can say something is good when it comes out of a sock. In fact... I don't think I have ever said that before in my life. How many things even come out of socks other than stinky feet? Blech. But..... Whether a literal sock or merely the resemblance of once, you can get some of the most delicious beverages from the apparatus in the video. Love it!!!!
After first purchasing a cold Thai Coffee for just 20 baht, we returned in less than 5 minutes to purchase a Thai Tea (shown in the video). How could we not!? At the moment, 20 ฿(baht) is about 56 cents USD. YUM-AZING!!!! Beyond sheer deliciousness and great price point, the Baristas were the sweetest older Thai couple ever. We had to go back and tell them อร่อยมาก "arroi maak" (very delicious) ขอบคุณค่ะ "Kop khun kha" (thank you!) I like to think it made there day. Mainly because it made mine. ;-) Now they are etched into my heart as a favorite Thai Memory<3 I hope to see them again. And I hope to see you again also! ;-) I love to visit Chinatown and it seems there is a Chinatown everywhere you go around the world - Bangkok is no exception. In fact, Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the "World's best Chinatowns" according to CNN Travel Chinatown is alive in the most vibrant way possible. People scurry, the intonations of language swirl around you mixing with the alluring aromas of unfamiliar edible delights. As you try to capture the moment it's hard to avoid resembling a cat following the buzz of a rogue fly as you try to take it all in, eyes darting back and forth. So while you are in Yaowarat - Bangkok's Chinatown make sure you let your eyes dart around. Take in the movement. Take in the smells. Take in the food. Take in some shopping!? But most importantly... try to take your toes home with you (watch the video below!). Maybe you should pack your steel-toed boots after all ;-) What do you love about Chinatown? How many Chinatowns have you visited? Which was your favorite?! Let us know! ;-) And don't forget to pop back over tomorrow morning to experience one of my favorite Chinatown memories.
Following a couple of weeks of glorious travel throughout Thailand, the sad moment came when it was our last night in Thailand! *cries*
We had an early morning flight so we had to fly into Bangkok from Phuket the day before and we needed some place to stay for just one night. There are SO many places to stay in Bangkok from hostels at a couple bucks a night to very upscale hotels and condos with incredible views. It can be overwhelming. We had a feeling we would be really tired at this point in our trip, so we wanted to book something that was going to be simple, have some nice amenities, and give us the option of doing more in Bangkok on our last night or contentedly relaxing in the room or on the premises. We went with a place called U-Tiny Boutique Home. Have you heard of it? It really feels like home. They pick you up from the airport and had some water waiting for us in the car. Nice. When we got toU-Tiny, we checked in. They gave us a welcome beverage which.. I am not sure what it even was, but it was intriguing. They gave us a map with some handy information including photos of currency which is helpful. We went up to our room and I was quite impressed. The first thing I saw was the HUGE bed situation. Granted, it is two separate mattresses. But still, surface area was grandiose and ideal for sprawling out and hogging as much of the covers as you want to. The AC worked great. Which meant it would be cold in the room and I would definitely want to hoard covers. ;-) Each side of the bed had a little night stand with an outlet. Convenient for plugging in and charging up your necessities. All of that was to the right when you walk in the door. To the left was the combination entertainment center/desk? First you'll see a welcome tray complete with an electric kettle, tea, coffee (not a fan of the instant, Thailand) and some snacks including peanuts and Lays! In the fridge you could enjoy some coke and water! This was all complimentary and much appreciated. There was a little shelf under the TV which you could use when unpacking. Also some tissues and a classic pen and pad for jotting down the life-altering workings of your brain before said brain fails you and you forget the key to your big break. ;-p You'll notice in the photos more outlets! YAY! There can never be enough! There's an outlet on the far left behind the electric kettle and behind thee TV as well. Opposite the bathroom was a spacious wardrobe with room for hanging, folding, and placing your luggage. And before you entered the bathroom there was a lovely welcoming array of items: * Fresh towels * Shampoo * Conditioner * Body Wash * Lotion * Bar Soap * Shower Cap * Cotton Swabs ( Q Tips -- NOT FOR CLEANING YOUR EARS!) [don't worry, we all know you use them to clean your ears - we wont' tell] * Sanitary bags * Cups I was quite pleased with this. I can't say that I loved the lotion. I think that was what smelled like baby powder. But hey, that's a risk you take when you choose to rely on the complimentary offerings. Beggars can't be choosers. Go ahead, baby it up! So the room was great. It met and exceeded my expectations. The staff was tremendous. They arranged a taxi to take us to the Airport Link and Lad Krabang because we were going at an off time when the shuttle wasn't available. When we needed help, they got on the phone to translate for us and describe where to go. Our taxi coming home had trouble locating U-Tiny, so they explained over the phone and all was well. At this place they will give you a free meal each day. Breakfast or if you have an early flight out dinner the night before. Well, as it turned out we got back in from Bangkok really late, tired, not hungry. And we got up super early and had to rush off to our flight, so sadly we did not benefit from that this time, however it's a great amenity! We enjoyed our Lays, peanuts, and coke sustenance, though. ;-) They have a variety of room types and rates. They even have family & friend rooms which have bunk beds etc. So the major perks are: * Roundtrip Airport Transfers 24 Hours * Free Breakfast or Dinner Daily * Great Rooms * Great Staff * Free Wifi * Close to Rail Link ( Connects to BTS) * Pool I wish we had spent more time chilling there, but it was all quite a fast operation. Still, it was worth it! I just found out they are now offering day use/transit stay. So for a huge discount you can get a room for a short period of time to freshen up before or after your flight or between flights. That's a nice option! Cons: * The only con about this place is that if you want to be right downtown and in the action of Bangkok, street food stalls and markets, etc. This is not your place. But then again, if that's what you wanted and needed you wouldn't be looking into Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotels, would you? You definitely can get into Bangkok's bustling energy from this hotel. We did. Anyone can. But this is better for someone before or after a flight, or who mainly use wants to relax and enjoy a BNB kind of style here. Maybe do some golfing, maybe some go in to Bangkok one day, etc. Just a more leisure pace. Overall, I think this is an outstanding choice and a nice value for all the service and perks you get. Love it! |