Bustling Bangkok | Part 2 | Chao Phraya River Cruise

During our vacation, we spent seven days in Bangkok. I’m going to split our time in Bangkok into multiple parts to cover a wide range of information about the places we visited, the modes of transportation, and the costs involved.

In this second chapter, I’ll share our experience on the Chao Phraya River Cruise.

Chao Phraya

The Chao Phraya River Cruise is a popular activity included in almost every Bangkok itinerary. Our dinner cruise was scheduled for the day we arrived. The Chao Phraya is the main river in Thailand, flowing through Bangkok into the Gulf of Thailand, stretching approximately 372 km in length. The river is also used heavily for transportation purposes. With its width, it can accommodate multiple medium-sized ships at once.

It’s not exactly the cleanest river, as there’s constant activity and boat traffic throughout the day. From morning to night, you’ll find passenger boats, public ferries, and private cruises operating non-stop.

How to Reserve Tickets

Since this activity was included in our travel package, we didn’t need to worry about booking tickets ourselves. We boarded a cruise called Chao Phraya Princess, and reservations can be made directly through their website. The price listed online is 1,200 Baht, though travel agent prices might be slightly cheaper.

The cruise lasted about two hours, starting around 7:30 pm.

https://www.chaophrayaprincess.com/reservations.php

Buffet Types

They offer an Indian Buffet and a Western Buffet, and you can choose according to your preference. We picked the Western option. On our ship, the lower deck had the Western Buffet, while the upper deck had the Indian Buffet.

Arrival at the Pier

Our assigned pier was Terminal 21, Rama 3 Pier. From our hotel, we were supposed to be picked up at 5:00 pm, but due to traffic, the cab only arrived at 5:30 pm. The 12 km trip took over an hour because of Bangkok’s heavy evening traffic.

Honestly, my first day in Bangkok didn’t go so well until the cruise ride began 😅.

When we reached Terminal 21, we were directed to the ticket booth, where we received our tickets and a numbered sticker. We waited in a queue before boarding. While waiting, a photographer took our picture, which was later available for purchase (we didn’t buy it).

Boarding the Ship

The pier looked beautiful at night, decorated with fairy lights, which made the ship arrivals quite scenic. The crowd was mostly South Asians, and we even met a number of Sri Lankans there.

Boarding was organized in a queue, and once on board, we were guided to our table. Harith and I had a table all to ourselves by the window, which was perfect.

Once everyone was on board, the cruise set off.

Buffet and Live Music

We were first welcomed with a drink. The buffet was international with a good variety, including Thai options. I really enjoyed the food, but even more than that, the overall vibe while sailing past beautiful scenery was unforgettable.

Throughout the cruise, there was live music with a mix of English and Hindi songs. The upper deck had the liveliest atmosphere, filled with a Bollywood vibe.

The Scenery

Along the river, we passed some of Bangkok’s most iconic landmarks, including temples, shopping malls, hotels, and piers. Other cruise ships, lit up with dazzling lights, added to the vibrant atmosphere.

We also had the chance to go up to the top deck and to the front of the ship for an even better view.

My impression of Bangkok definitely improved after this cruise ride.