Water Transport in Thailand

The water transport Thailand is quite advanced with better connectivity throughout the country and the main stay of the country is known to be Chao Prayah river. The city passes through Chao Prayah river or rather say at every better point the river is seen criss-crossing the land as if it is checking the people and their works in and out while talking with them. Few countries have such ecosystem where the river is so much into it and the human and the ecology taking care of each other.

The water transport in Thailand could be said with the importance given to the country with the country called “Venice of the East” and although the water transport in the country is not about big ferries connecting each other. The boats which are narrow in width and the channels are also small in size which bypass the traffic on the roads. Water transport Thailand has a distinct advantage where one could reach anywhere quickly and bypass the traffic on the roads, with the small ferry services with water taxis and express boats along with ferries traversing the river and further navigating towards the sea.

Here are some of the mediums of water transport Thailand which carries on through out with easy and convenient way to understand the country river connectivity system:

Water Taxi or Charter Boat: The water taxi or the charter boat which is a boat that you can catch anywhere and also wherever you need it. The cost of the water taxi is too high especially for foreigners. The water taxi as a mode of transport is still easy for the western people as the spend more on water transport Thailand and thoroughly enjoy the waterways as it reminds them of Italy, France and Switzerland.

Shuttle boats on the ChaoPhraya River: The most important of river is the ChaoPhraya and is the largest river that runs throughout the city. The boats have predefined routes and the city has an easy way to reach any important place as the river disect most part of the city. None of the cities in Eastern Asia have such distinctive connectivity but water transport Thailand has become an example of it's own. The shuttle boats have specific route and are found through flag mounted on the nose and flag:

. Orange, Yellow, Green-Normal boats, not stop at all stops

. Blue Flag Tourist boat

. Boats with flag: The cheapest one with stop at all piers along the route.

Still, the peak hours see the boats to be overcrowded and at times stampede happens in riding the boat.

There is also ferry service along with tour boats which makes the water transport Thailand an enjoyment just in the form of a cruise. The boat runs every half hour from 09:30 to 18:00 and every 15 minutes during the period from 16:00 to 17:00.

The regular boat channels could be found on the canals of Bangkok(Longum) which runs only within two routes with Express Boat to Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat. The A-line Golden mount line and Nida line also connect the same place on the pier in Pratunam area. The good thing is that all the details are uploaded on Google map making it easy to understand and reach the docks from where the boats take you for the ride.