Bangkok Blogger|Tales from Thailand

Whenever we have guests visiting from out of town, particularly if they are a bit older and want to see a bit more of Bangkok than the inside of a bar we usually take them on a canal boat tour of Bangkok.

The tours start from Central Pier which is under the Saphan Taksin bridge, next to the BTS stop of the same name. You can chose from three tours of different lengths and each of which set off down the Chao Praya river before heading into the canals that are still in use on the other side of the river known as old Bangkok or Thonburi.

The tour gives you a good insight into what Bangkok was like before they paved over most of the Klongs, or canals, and replaced them with roads. Most of the canals are lined with houses built on the water and depending on the tour you chose you get the chance to visit a floating market selling a wide array of seafood cooked in front of you eyes on small boats.

Getting one of these tours is also good way to get to Wat Arun, AKA the Temple of Dawn which is a must see on the tourist trail in Bangkok. You also get your own long tail boat with driver which is a much more fun way to see the river than the standard tourist boat.

Prices aren’t cheap but are well worth it for something a bit different. Four people cost 2000 baht but I’m sure you could knock them down a bit if you try.

Central Pier:

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Today I went to Khao San road which is the main backpacker area of Bangkok and is in the Banglampoo area.  The main strip of Khao San road is definitely targeted towards the backpacker market with lots of hostels, hotels and guestrooms as well as market stalls selling fake dvds, clothes, fake driving licenses and degree certificates.  There are lots of places to eat and drink and I saw a few people eating fry-ups.  Most places I have been to so far have been all Thai people with one or two farang but here it was mostly westerners walking around in their flip flops and vests.   I went to a tiny Israeli place called Shoshana where I had a lush humus and falafel pitta with salad and fries which came to a very reasonable 90 baht (£1.60).  I only stayed until about midday as the heat and humidity was too much and there isn’t that much to see or do apart from eat.  If you were in Bangkok for a short stay and here for a laugh this  definitely looks like the place to stay and I imagine it has a good night life which I will have to check out at a later date.

Other things to see include the Wat Chana Songkhram and the Wat Bowonniwet & Buddhist University.  There is also the Banglampoo market and the National Gallery.

How to get to Khao San Road:

The best way to get there is to get a river boat with an orange flag to pier N13 which cost me 14 baht.  You can get the river boat from the Central Pier which is next to the BTS skytrain stop Saphan Taksin.