The Chao Phraya Express Boat is Bangkok's river bus: long boats that run up and down the Chao Phraya River between the Sathorn pier by BTS Saphan Taksin and Nonthaburi in the north. For most visitors, the useful part is the stretch from Sathorn to the old town, where the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun and Chinatown all sit close to the water. The cheapest boat, the Orange Line, costs a flat 18 baht (October 2026).
There are two different companies on the same piers, which is why visitors get confused. Chao Phraya Express Boat runs the commuter lines, named by color. Chao Phraya Tourist Boat is a separate company with its own blue-flagged hop-on hop-off boats, higher fares and English commentary. Both are useful; they are just not the same thing.
Small cross-river ferries add a third layer. They do nothing but shuttle from one bank to the other, and they are how you reach Wat Arun from the Wat Pho side.
Bangkok's river boats in October 2026
- Orange Line
- Nonthaburi to Rajsingkorn, flat 18 baht
- Yellow Line
- Nonthaburi to Sathorn, flat 23 baht
- Green-Yellow Line
- Pakkret to Sathorn, 16, 23 or 35 baht by section
- Red Line
- Nonthaburi to Sathorn, flat 32 baht
- Tourist Boat
- Separate company; 40 baht single, 150 baht all-day River Pass; every 30 minutes
- Key interchange
- Sathorn (Central Pier), next to BTS Saphan Taksin
- Closed
- Oriental Pier (N1), for renovation
- Rabbit card
- Accepted on the express lines and the Tourist Boat, according to Rabbit
How the pier numbers work
The piers carry codes as well as names, and the logic is simple once you see it. Sathorn, also called Central Pier, sits by Taksin Bridge and BTS Saphan Taksin. Piers upstream (north) of it are numbered N1, N2, N3 and so on as you head toward the old town and on to Nonthaburi. The few piers downstream are numbered with an S. Higher N numbers mean further north.
For sightseeing you only need a handful of them. Going north from Sathorn, the piers most visitors use are:
- Sathorn / Central Pier: change here from the BTS Silom Line at Saphan Taksin.
- Ratchawong (N5): for Chinatown; MRT Wat Mangkon is nearby.
- Rajinee (N7): for the Pak Khlong Talat flower market; near MRT Sanam Chai.
- Tha Tien (N8): for Wat Pho, and the cross-river ferry to Wat Arun.
- Tha Chang (N9): for the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew.
- Prannok (N10): for Wang Lang market and Siriraj on the west bank.
- Phra Arthit (N13): the closest pier to Khao San Road.
The codes come from the Tourist Boat's official route map; the express boat company's own route map is published as an image, so check the pier signs as you go. Not every line stops at every pier. That is the whole difference between the colors.
The colored express lines
The operator stopped using the word "flag" on its own timetable; it now calls them lines, though the boats still fly colored flags and many people still say "orange flag boat". From the schedule valid since 24 June 2026:
| Line | Route | Fare | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | Nonthaburi – Rajsingkorn | ฿18 flat | Sightseeing on a budget; stops at most piers |
| Yellow | Nonthaburi – Sathorn | ฿23 flat | Faster commuter trips, fewer stops |
| Green-Yellow | Pakkret – Sathorn | ฿16 / ฿23 / ฿35 | Trips to the far north (Pakkret) |
| Red | Nonthaburi – Sathorn | ฿32 flat | Fast commuter service |
For a sightseeing day, the Orange Line is the one to look for. The faster lines skip piers, which is useful for commuters but annoying if you wanted Tha Chang. Before you board, check the pier board or ask the staff whether that boat stops where you want to go.
The operator's timetable says "Monday–Friday" under each line. Its header says boats run Monday to Sunday and on public holidays. Because the page contradicts itself, do not assume a particular line runs at the weekend; the Tourist Boat is the safer plan on a Saturday or Sunday.
Tickets are paid in cash, at the pier or on board depending on the pier. Rabbit, the company behind the BTS's Rabbit card, says its card is accepted on the Orange, Yellow, Green-Yellow and Red lines too. You can follow the boats live in the ViaBus app, which the operator links from its site. The company does not publish its operating hours as text, so do not plan a late-evening trip on an express boat without checking at the pier.
The Chao Phraya Tourist Boat
The Tourist Boat (blue flag) is run by a separate company, Chao Phraya Tourist Boat. Its official timetable gives a single ticket at 40 baht and an all-day River Pass at 150 baht, with a boat every 30 minutes. Boats leave Phra Arthit from 08:30 to 19:00 heading south, and Sathorn from 09:00 to 19:45 heading north. Sathorn to Phra Arthit takes about 30 minutes.
Its stops, from south to north: Asiatique (only from about midday), Sathorn, ICONSIAM, Ratchawong, Rajinee, Wat Arun, Tha Chang, Tha Maharaj, Prannok and Phra Arthit. Two details catch people out. The Tourist Boat has its own stop at Wat Arun, so you do not need the cross-river ferry. And it does not stop at Tha Tien; its map shows Wat Pho as a walk from the Wat Arun side, which in practice means getting off at Tha Chang or using the Orange Line to Tha Tien.
Is it worth paying more? For a single trip, the Orange Line does the same job for less than half the price. The River Pass makes sense if you plan to hop on and off four or more times in a day, or if it is a weekend.
Cross-river ferries
Between the express piers, small ferries run straight across the river all day. They are the quickest way from the east bank to the west bank sights, and the most useful one for visitors links Tha Tien, by Wat Pho, with the pier at Wat Arun. You pay a small fare in cash on the pier. We could not find an official fare, so we do not print one; keep some coins and small notes ready.
Our guide to Wat Pho and Wat Arun covers both temples, and the guide to the Grand Palace explains the Tha Chang approach.
Connecting with the BTS and MRT
The river and the trains meet at three useful points. At Sathorn, the BTS Silom Line station Saphan Taksin is a short walk from the pier; this is the classic route from Silom or Sukhumvit to the old town. At Ratchawong, MRT Wat Mangkon puts you in Chinatown. At Rajinee, MRT Sanam Chai is close by.
The ICONSIAM pier on the west bank also has the Gold Line, a short people-mover from BTS Krung Thon Buri described in our article on reaching ICONSIAM by BTS. For the rest of the rail network, see the guide to the BTS and MRT, and our page on paying for Bangkok's trains explains which card works where.
A simple river day from Sathorn
A route many visitors use: take the BTS to Saphan Taksin, walk to Sathorn pier and take the Orange Line north to Tha Chang for the Grand Palace, which is best seen early. Walk south to Wat Pho, then cross from Tha Tien to Wat Arun by ferry. Back on the east bank, the boat south to Ratchawong drops you in Chinatown for the evening. Our three-day Bangkok itinerary builds on this.
Boats are crowded at commuter times, and the piers are floating pontoons that move with the river. Wait behind the line until the boat is tied up, step on when the crew signals, and keep a hand free. In the rainy season the river runs high and fast; the Tourism Authority of Thailand reported on 29 September 2026, after heavy weather, that marine services were running on most routes, so check before you set out after a storm. For the wider city, see the Bangkok city guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Chao Phraya Express Boat?
From the operator's schedule valid since 24 June 2026: the Orange Line is a flat 18 baht, the Yellow Line 23 baht, the Red Line 32 baht, and the Green-Yellow Line 16 to 35 baht by section. The separate Tourist Boat costs 40 baht for a single trip or 150 baht for a day pass.
Which pier is closest to the Grand Palace?
Tha Chang (N9) is the pier for the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. The Tourist Boat stops there, and so does the Orange Line, though it is worth confirming on the pier board that your boat calls there. Tha Tien (N8), a short walk south, is the pier for Wat Pho and the ferry to Wat Arun.
Is the blue flag boat part of the Chao Phraya Express Boat?
No. The blue-flagged hop-on hop-off boat belongs to a separate company, Chao Phraya Tourist Boat, with its own tickets and stops. It stops at Wat Arun and Tha Chang but not at Tha Tien.
Can I use the Rabbit card on Bangkok's river boats?
Rabbit lists the Chao Phraya Express Boat lines and the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat among the services that accept its card. Carry some cash as well, since the cross-river ferries are paid at the pier.
Is the Oriental Pier open?
No. The Chao Phraya Express Boat company lists Oriental Pier (N1) as closed for renovation in October 2026. Use Sathorn, a short walk south, instead.
Sources
- Chao Phraya Express Boat – Boat schedule from 24 June 2026 (checked October 2026)
- Chao Phraya Tourist Boat – Hop-on hop-off boat and timetable (checked October 2026)
- Rabbit – Using Rabbit on public transport (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Weather and travel conditions in Bangkok, visitor information (checked October 2026)