If you only have a few days to tour Bangkok but the view of endless traffic weakens your resolve😔, we at Lifesara can still take you on the tour without getting stuck on the street. Because we’re going to board the Chao Phraya Express Boat🚤💦 Just find the closest pier to you, and the whole 8 destinations on Chao Phraya are open to you! And each place is packed full of activities you can spend as much time as you like in there! If your interest is piqued, let’s go through the list together!!
1
Lhong 1919
Let us begin with the hottest cultural attraction on the Chao Phraya riverbank, with Lhong 1919, the historic steamer port that was brought back to life as a classical Chinese-style community mall and cultural center. Simply hop off the boat at Si Phraya, or Marine Department pier, and travel a short distance to Sawasdee Pier, cross the river to Wat Thong Thammachat Pier, then walk a bit down the alley, and Lhong 1919 will be on your left.
Start your tour by visiting the shrine to Mazu, goddess of the sea and guardian of Chinese sailors, then go sipping Chinese tea at Pagoda Chinese Tea Room. If you’re more of a sweet tooth, there’re many unique desserts to be tasted in Okura Oriental La Patisserie. Take a look through the local community’s products at The Gallery, or the reConcept shop for second-handed vintage decorations. Every step you take in Lhong will be just like walking through the scene of some Chinese period movie, as you’re surrounded by 1850s Chinese architecture and well-placed graffiti arts. This place also has a co-working space, too. So if any digital nomad folks want to spend more time living in the action movie scene, you can stick around here for a long while!
Contact
2
Talat Noi
If your craving for the old Chinese neighborhood has yet to be satisfied, you can step off the Marine Department pier⛴, turn left, and start your tour from the very first alley on your left. This neighborhood, known as Talat Noi, is a historical settlement where Portuguese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Khmer lived together since the Ayutthaya period. Being the melting cauldron of culture and ethnicity resulted in the unique attractions that made up the checklist all adventurers must go through if they come to this place.
From a rustic, abandoned orange Volkswagen, to the 220 years old Chinese mansion So Heng Tai, and the Portuguese’s Holy Rosary Church with beautiful stained glass, Talat Noi is filled to the brim with wonderful aesthetics that’ll make all your acquaintance going green with jealousy once they saw your selfies on Instagram. Along with so many living arts, this neighborhood also has lots of delicious eateries both old and new. From ye olde Marine Department duck stew diner, Baan Rimnam Thai restaurant, to the more recent Mother Roaster coffee shop, Talat Noi has a lot of secret spots that’ll excite both your camera and your stomach!!
Open hour: 09.00 – 20.00 (Depends on each shop)
3
Ratchawong Pier; A gateway to Chinatown
If you can only choose one pier to get off in Bangkok, Tha Ratchawong is the only worthy answer. Whether you are a shopaholic, a foodie, a photographer, or all of the above, this pier is the genie’s lamp for all the wishes you could ever think of. Right on the step of the pier is Sampheng, the open market that is the source of all the gift shop items, fashion accessories, clothes, and every other miscellaneous product you wouldn’t know where, or even what to look for👏
At the western end of Sampheng is Phahurat, the Indian neighborhood, and markets for fabrics and special event costumes. Meanwhile, the eastern end is connected to Yaowarat, or more specifically, the old market where you can see all kinds of Chinese cuisine ingredients on sale, as you walk to the end of the alley where Wat Mangkon, the famous Chinese temple, resides. To the north of Sampeng (Or west of Wat Mangkon), is Suea Pa, the commercial center of all smartphone accessories and spare parts. The list can still go on and on, it’s endless, really. This whole neighborhood has everything, and every single one of them is also packed full of famous eateries and aesthetics for many unique photos to be taken. As we said, this place is the one-stop service for all your needs!!
Open hour: 09.00 – 20.00 (Depends on each shop)
Cr : FB Page Sampeng Community
4
Wang Lang
The name of this place means “Rear Palace”. Unfortunately, the last remnant of the palace is one small section of decayed wall. The real gem of this place, however, is the massive amount of shops and hawkers flocked to this market! Being right next to the busiest hospital in Thailand means that this market is kept alive through all economical or health crises, and is still as charming as before.
From the exit of Wang Lang pier all the way to Siriraj Junction, the left side of the street is filled with all manners of foods, sweets, and appetizers both old and new. And when we say old, it means many decades old, ranging from the 30 years old Khanom khrok (coconut-rice pancakes), to more than 50 years old noodles hawker! And once you reach the junction, simply turn left and the first, bustling alley on your left is the heart of Wang Lang market that will take you back to the pier! A closed circuit of delicious foods and cheap clothes!!
BTW, if you’re in need of medicines or medical tools such as a Diabetes testing kit, or a thermometer, Wang Lang is also one of the biggest pharmacy markets in Thailand, and according to a few of our friends aboard, much cheaper than many countries out there!! So if you want to stock up on your first aid kit or pills for common ailments, Wang Lang is worth a trip there for you.
Open hour: 09.00 – 20.00 (Depends on each shop)
5
Asiatique: The Riverfront
Only one stop away from Sathorn Pier is Asiatique: The Riverfront. It’s very likely that this name will show up on all Thailand tourism guides, but we gotta admit it’s indeed that good. Similar to Lhong 1919, Asiatique is the renovation of the Victorian era industrial port into the biggest open air night market on Chao Phraya river bank. Aside from more than one thousand stalls and forty restaurants, other historical buildings such as sawmill and WWII bomb shelter were preserved for sightseeing too.
Asiatique also has one of the biggest Ferris wheels in Bangkok too, so the view of Chao Phraya and Bangkok at night time can be viewed from up there! The riverside footpath is decorated with bronze statues depicting various sailors’ activities, along with concerts or other events depending on the schedule. If you’re up to watching some performances, Asiatique also has Joe Louis Traditional Thai Puppet Theater, the Calypso Cabaret show, and live Muay Thai performances as well!
Contact
Open hour: 11.00 – 24.00
Tel : 092 246 0812 (During 16.00 – 22.00) 02 108 4488 (During 10.00 – 18.00)
FB
Cr : FB Page BangkokFerrisWheel
6
Wat Arun
If you have some Thai coins on hand, pick up a 10 Baht and look at it. That Pagoda on the tail of the coin? That’s Wat Arun’s Pagoda!! You can see the most iconic pagoda on Chao Phraya river from your very first step off the boat toward Wat Arun pier, right next to the temple itself.
But here’s the secret; Wat Arun pier has a ferry to Tha Tien pier on the other side, which is opposite of the famous Wat Pho! That’s right. By traveling to Wat Arun via boat, you can cheaply cross the river to Wat Pho, and from there either move on to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew right on Wat Pho’s side or make a stop at the famous Wat Pho’s Thai Massage school for an authentic experience of Thai Massage!! From Tha Tien, turn right and keep walking until you’re on the alley opposite of Wat Pho’s Buddhist Library, turn right into the alley and you’ll see the place right away!
Open hour: 08.00 – 18.00
7
Yodpiman/Rajini pier (Pak Khlong Talat)
If you’re a flower enthusiast, or just want a flower arrangement for an occasion, you can simply find your way to either Yodpiman pier, or Rajini pier. Once you’re out of the pier you’ll see a lot of activity on your right. That street, along with all the chaos on it, is part of Pak Khlong Talat, the biggest flower market in Thailand.
This place operates 24/7, but the flower shipments from all over the country (or even out of the country!!) will arrive here every day at dawn. But if you do not crave to see the special brand of chaos where all the fresh flowers are being auctioned and sold in bulk, you can come here anytime you wish. However, if you come in the evening, the riverwalk has a good view of both the old Rama I bridge and Wat Arun’s pagoda for all your selfies.
Contact
Open hour: 07.00 – 17.00
Cr : FB Page YodpimanRiverwlk
8
Tha Maharaj
Tha Maharaj by itself is already both a pier and a community mall with many eateries within, but the real gem of this stop is the unique market on the street behind it. From the corner of Wat Phra Kaew to Thammasat University, Maharaj road during the day is full of vintage and old relics hawkers, from rare Thai coinage to many styles of Buddha amulets from many eras. Do they really sell the real, authentic relics of the past? Doubtful, but they’re interesting, nonetheless. Although if the old may be real, maybe not Buddha statues are not interesting to you, have we ever told you that Tha Maharaj is the closest pier to the entrance of Wat Phra Kaew? Or that it is two bus stops away from the National Museum of Thailand? OR!! That Tha Maharaj is only 2 kms away from Khaosan Road?? Simply get off the boat here, and the entire Phra Nakorn district is within your reach, and you won’t pay more than 50 Baht from wherever you get on the boat too!!
Contact
Open hour: 10.00 – 21.00
Cr : FB Page Tha maharaj
