How much is the Chao Phraya tourist boat?

When I put this guide together in December 2024, the blue flag tourist boat was 150 THB for an all-day pass (unlimited rides from 08:30 to 19:15 on the day you buy it) or 45 THB for a single trip. Prices change, so check at the pier.

Which pier is closest to the Grand Palace?

Tha Chang Pier (N9). Wat Pho is at Tha Tien Pier (N8), and Wat Arun has its own pier on the other bank, or a short cross-river ferry from Tha Tien.

What's the difference between the orange, yellow and blue flag boats?

Orange flag boats are the cheap, everyday boat that stops at the main tourist piers. Yellow flag boats are faster commuter boats with fewer stops, mostly at rush hour. Blue flag boats are the tourist boats, with a guide and hop-on, hop-off passes.

Bangkok by Boat | Thailand Explorer

Gliding along the Chao Phraya in a boat is one of my favorite ways to see Bangkok. You get the old temples, the riverside markets and the skyline all in one ride, with the hum of the engine and a bit of spray on your face, and it’s cheaper and calmer than sitting in Bangkok traffic.

The public boats are a lifeline for people who live here, not just for visitors, and they run up and down the main stretch of the river all day.

The boats, by flag color

Look at the flag on the back of the boat. The color tells you which service it is.

Orange flag: the budget boat, stopping at the main tourist piers. This is the one most visitors want.
Yellow flag: faster, with fewer stops, mostly for commuters.
Blue flag (tourist boat): made for visitors, with a guide on board and stops at the big sights.
No flag: local boats with lots of stops, good for poking around neighborhoods.

The tourist boat (blue flag)

The blue flag boat is the easy option if you want to hop on and off at the big sights all day.

Prices when I made this guide (December 2024):

All-day river pass: 150 THB, unlimited rides from 08:30 to 19:15 on the day you buy it
Single trip: 45 THB, one ride only

Where to start: Sathorn Pier (also called Central Pier), right by BTS Saphan Taksin station. You can also join at Tha Chang (Grand Palace), Tha Tien (Wat Pho and Wat Arun) or Phra Arthit (near Khao San Road).

Where to buy tickets: at the pier ticket counters, on board (cash only), or online on the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat website. It runs every day.

Express boat schedules and fares

These were the times and fares in December 2024.

Boat	Runs	Fare
Orange flag	Daily, 06:00 to 19:00	15 THB flat
Yellow flag	Mon to Fri, 06:00 to 08:00 and 16:00 to 19:00	30 THB flat
No flag	Mon to Fri, 05:00 to 18:30	10 to 20 THB by distance

The yellow flag boats are handy for getting up to Nonthaburi Pier (N30), with its local markets and Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat. The no-flag local boats go all the way up to Pak Kret Pier (N33), where you can cross to Koh Kret, a laid-back little island known for its pottery.

Main piers and what’s near them

Sathorn Pier (Central Pier)

Connects to the BTS Skytrain at Saphan Taksin. Nearby: Asiatique The Riverfront (a big open-air mall with food and shows), State Tower (home of the Sky Bar) and Silom Road for shopping and nightlife.

Ratchawong Pier (N5)

Your stop for Chinatown (Yaowarat Road). Nearby: street food and gold shops, Sampeng Market for textiles and everything else, and Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, a major Chinese Buddhist temple.

Memorial Bridge Pier (N6)

Nearby: Saphan Phut Night Market, Pak Khlong Talat (Bangkok’s main flower market) and Wat Prayurawongsawat, with its big white stupa.

Tha Tien Pier (N8)

Nearby: Wat Pho and its giant reclining Buddha, Pak Khlong Talat, and the cross-river ferry to Wat Arun.

Tha Chang Pier (N9)

Nearby: the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and Tha Chang Market for street food and souvenirs.

Wat Arun Pier

Drops you right at Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. Nearby: Wat Kalayanamit, with its Thai-Chinese architecture, and the Kudi Chin community, a historic Portuguese-Thai neighborhood.

Phra Arthit Pier (N13)

Nearby: Khao San Road, Banglamphu Market for food and clothes, and Santichaiprakarn Park on the river.

Si Phraya Pier (N3)

Nearby: River City Bangkok (antiques and art), the Bangkokian Museum (traditional Thai home life) and the Gothic-style Holy Rosary Church.

Side trip: Taling Chan Floating Market

Taling Chan is one of Bangkok’s smaller, more local floating markets: grilled seafood cooked on boats, fruit, desserts and snacks, with a lot fewer tourists than the big ones. The boats don’t go there directly, but it’s easy to combine.

Take an express boat to Sathorn Pier.
From there, grab a taxi, a tuk-tuk or a Grab. It’s about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
Get there early. It’s mainly a weekend market, usually around 08:00 to 16:00, and the best food goes first.

Thanks for reading

Thailand changed my life, and that’s what got me building the Thailand Explorer app. I hope this helps you enjoy the river as much as I do. If it does, the app is a free way to save the places you want to see and plan the rest of your trip.

Bangkok by Boat