Flags, piers, and fares explained — the fastest way through Bangkok is still the oldest.
Bangkok's fastest route through the old city is not a road. The Chao Phraya express boat runs the length of the riverside districts at a speed no taxi matches in traffic, for a fare that is a rounding error, and it has been doing it since long before the Skytrain existed.
Read the flag, not the timetable
Boats are identified by the coloured flag on the stern, and the flag tells you which piers it will bother stopping at.
- Orange flag — the workhorse. Stops at most main piers, runs all day, single flat fare. This is the one to take unless you have a reason not to.
- Green and yellow flags — express services running rush hours only, skipping many piers and running further out of town.
- No flag (local) — stops everywhere, slowest, cheapest, and does not run all day.
- Blue flag — the tourist boat, higher fare, English commentary, limited to the sightseeing piers.
If you are going between the major sights, the orange flag does the job for a fraction of the blue flag's price.
The piers you will use
Sathorn (Central Pier) connects to the BTS at Saphan Taksin and is where most journeys start. Going upriver from there: Tha Tien for Wat Pho and the ferry to Wat Arun, Tha Chang for the Grand Palace, Phra Athit for Khaosan.
Piers are numbered northward from Sathorn, and the number is painted on the pier. Note where you got on; the return trip is easier if you know the number.
How boarding works
Boats do not stop for long — they nudge the pier, staff shout the destination, and you step on quickly. A whistle from the conductor is the signal to get off or move. Pay the conductor on board or at the pier booth, depending on the service.
Hold the rail when standing. The wake from passing barges rocks the boat hard enough to knock people off balance, especially near the middle.
Cross-river ferries are separate
The small ferries that cross straight over — Tha Tien to Wat Arun, for instance — are a different service with their own tiny fare, paid at the gate. They run constantly and take a few minutes.
Practical notes
Service stops in the evening, earlier than you would expect, and there are fewer boats at weekends. Check the last departure before relying on it to get home.
Sit on the upper deck if the boat has one, and on the west side in the late afternoon for the view of the temples in the low sun.
