Taking the public canal boat in Bangkok!

‼️ The canal boat and the Chao Phraya river boat are two different things! The canal is a smaller route that runs from near Wat Saket all the way to the northeast part of the city.

I discovered this under a friend's recommendation. There's not much to see to be honest, and I couldn't find any interesting spot to stop at except maybe The Mall Bangkapi Pier for Happy Land Food Market, but it's nice just to feel like a local in Bangkok. If you know good places to see along the route, let me know!

Starting point for Phanfa Bridge - Water Gate route: Panfa Leelard Pier

Interchange to Saen Saep route: Pratunam Pier (Inbound)

Ending point: Khet Minburi Pier

🚤 What are the canal boats?

They are long motor boats which locals use as transport through the city since before buses and trains came about. There are tourist boats as well but they only go for a shorter route for more expensive price.

🤔 Why canal boat?

To get to places that the trains don't reach, and to get a real feel of how Bangkok is like from the locals' point of view. It's also less crowded and super cheap - 20 baht goes a long way!

🤷🏻‍♀️ How to take it?

Wait at the pier for the boat to arrive, making sure it's going in the direction you want. Hop onboard quickly and take a seat. When the conductor comes over, tell them where you want to go and give them the amount in cash. When you arrive, just hop off!

📑 Things to note:

- The seats are not comfortable at all. My butt hurts after 2 trips of more than half hour.

- The water gets choppy when another boat zooms by, so if you get motion sickness easily, this might not be for you.

- Avoid the rush hour times in the early morning and late afternoon for a more leisurely ride.

- They don't operate after dark.

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