Thailand Life Tools

Chao Phraya river boats: which boat, which day, which pier

HOW

Five kinds of boat share the river. On weekdays the express boat’s flag lines are the cheap way along it; at weekends only its midday yellow service runs, and most visitors take the blue-flag tourist boat or the Thai Smile Boat.

ORANGE FLAG
฿19
TOURIST BOAT
฿40
CHECKED

One ride, from the operators’ own sites (checked 31 October 2026).

NSPHRA ARTHITN13THA CHANGN9THA TIENN8RAJINEEN7RATCHAWONGN5ICONSIAMSATHORNCEN · BTSASIATIQUEWAT ARUNFERRY FROM N8BLUE FLAG ฿40 DAILY · ORANGE ฿19 WEEKDAYS
Diagram of the order of things, not a floor plan or to scale.

Checked 31 October 2026

Weekdays: the express boat runs all day, its flag lines in the morning and evening rush and the midday yellow service between, ฿19 on the orange flag. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: only the midday yellow service, roughly 07:30–17:45 (official timetable from 6 October 2026).

Any day: the blue-flag tourist boat (฿40 a ride, ฿150 all day) and the Thai Smile Boat (฿30 a trip) stop at the sights’ piers, Wat Arun included. To cross the river, the small ferries cost a few baht in coins.

A yellow-flag Chao Phraya Express boat at Ratchawong pier

Which boat runs when

First and last boats of the day from each operator’s own timetable. The express boat’s other flag lines are for commuters and come after.

  • Express boat, yellow flag (midday)

    Days
    Every day
    First–last
    07:30–17:45 (Mon–Fri 08:10–15:40)
    Fare
    Checking
    Basis
    Checking

    Nonthaburi to Wat Rajsingkorn, stopping at Phra Arthit, Tha Chang, Tha Tien and ICONSIAM. The only express boat at weekends. Its fare is not on the official site (checking).

  • Blue-flag tourist boat

    Days
    Every day
    First–last
    08:30–19:45
    Fare
    ฿40 · ฿150 all day
    Basis
    Official

    A separate company. Every 30 minutes, Phra Arthit to Sathorn by ten piers including Wat Arun, and on to Asiatique later in the day. Hop on and off all day with the ฿150 pass; children under 90 cm free. Its own pages give slightly different last boats.

  • Thai Smile Boat

    Days
    Every day
    First–last
    Checking
    Fare
    ฿30
    Basis
    Checking

    Three lines; the green City Line stops at Asiatique, Sathorn, ICONSIAM, Wat Arun and Tha Chang. Cash, QR or HOP Card. Its hours are not on an official page (checking).

  • Cross-river ferry

    Days
    Every day
    First–last
    05:00–19:00
    Fare
    under ฿10
    Basis
    Checking

    Short crossings from bank to bank, such as Tha Tien to Wat Arun. Under ฿10, in coins; the sources give ฿4 to ฿10 (checking). Not the tourist boat.

Commuter lines (weekdays only)

BoatFirst–lastFare
Express boat, orange flagWeekday rush hours only, Nonthaburi to Wat Rajsingkorn, stopping at Tha Tien and ICONSIAM.06:00–18:05฿19
Express boat, yellow flagWeekdays: into town in the morning, out in the evening. Skips Phra Arthit and Tha Tien.06:00–19:05฿24
Express boat, green-yellow flagWeekdays from Pak Kret in the north, ฿17 to ฿36 by distance.06:00–17:45฿17–36
Express boat, red flagAir-conditioned; four weekday morning boats into town, none back.06:50–07:40฿33

Express boat fares went up ฿1 on 5 October 2026; they follow the diesel price and changed at least four times in 2026.

The pier for each sight

Get off here, then walk. Lines from the operators’ route maps.

  • Khao San Road

    Pier N13 Phra Arthit

    Walk from Phra Arthit pier; the Khao San page has the way and a map link.

    Every day
    • Yellow flag (midday)
    • Blue-flag tourist boat
    Weekday rush hours
    • Orange flag

  • Grand Palace

    Pier N9 Tha Chang

    A short walk from Tha Chang.

    Every day
    • Yellow flag (midday)
    • Blue-flag tourist boat
    • Thai Smile
    Weekday rush hours
    • Orange flag
    • Yellow flag
    • Green-yellow flag

  • Wat Pho

    Pier N8 Tha Tien

    Tha Tien pier is just behind the temple.

    Every day
    • Yellow flag (midday)
    • Thai Smile
    Weekday rush hours
    • Orange flag

  • Wat Arun

    Pier Wat Arun

    Its own pier for the blue flag and Thai Smile; or the ferry from Tha Tien. The orange flag stopped calling here in April 2024.

    Every day
    • Blue-flag tourist boat
    • Thai Smile

  • ICONSIAM

    Pier ICONSIAM

    Its own pier; or the mall’s shuttle from Sathorn (fare applies).

    Every day
    • Yellow flag (midday)
    • Blue-flag tourist boat
    • Thai Smile
    Weekday rush hours
    • Orange flag
    • Red flag

  • Asiatique

    Pier CEN Sathorn (Central Pier)

    The free shuttle from Sathorn from 16:00; the blue flag and Thai Smile also stop there.

    Every day
    • Yellow flag (midday)
    • Blue-flag tourist boat
    • Thai Smile
    Weekday rush hours
    • Orange flag
    • Yellow flag
    • Green-yellow flag
    • Red flag

Sathorn Pier is at BTS Saphan Taksin (S6), Exit 2. Oriental pier (N1) is closed for repair (no reopening date given).

Crossing the river

Small ferries cross from bank to bank all day. The one tourists use is Tha Tien (N8), behind Wat Pho, to Wat Arun: a few baht, under ฿10, paid in coins at the pier, roughly 05:00–19:00 (news and reviews; no official fare was found).

The ferry and the tourist boat are different boats. The ferry only crosses; the blue-flag tourist boat (฿40) runs along the river and also stops at Wat Arun.

Mall shuttle boats from Sathorn

  • Asiatique: free, 16:00–23:30, every 25–30 minutes (Asiatique’s site).
  • ICONSIAM: from Sathorn and Si Phraya piers, 09:00–23:00 every day; a fare applies and its page does not give the amount (checking).

STEP BY STEP

Taking a boat, step by step

For a day of sights between the Grand Palace and Asiatique.

  1. Pick the boat by the day

    Weekday rush hours: the orange flag (฿19). Midday and weekends: the yellow midday express boat, the blue-flag tourist boat or the Thai Smile Boat.

  2. Check the flag before you step on

    Express boat lines go by flag colour, and the yellow and orange flags skip different piers. The tourist boat flies a blue flag.

  3. Have cash

    The express boat’s site does not say how to pay now. The Thai Smile Boat takes cash, QR or a HOP Card; the ferry takes coins; the tourist boat’s online pass is changed for a paper ticket at a pier.

  4. Know your pier

    N9 Tha Chang for the Grand Palace, N8 Tha Tien for Wat Pho and the Wat Arun ferry, Sathorn (Central Pier) for the BTS and the Asiatique shuttle.

Changes to know

  • Since 5 April 2024 the orange flag stops at Tha Tien instead of Wat Arun pier (express boat news).
  • On royal ceremony days the express boat runs special timetables, posted on its site (for example the Royal Barge Procession rehearsal on 28 October 2026).
  • Older guides and Wikipedia give the express boat running into the evening at weekends and other fares; the official timetable from 6 October 2026 says otherwise.

Questions

Does the Chao Phraya Express Boat run at weekends?
Only its midday yellow-flag service runs on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, roughly 07:30–17:45. The orange, yellow, green-yellow and red flags run on weekdays only (official timetable from 6 October 2026).
How much is the orange flag boat?
฿19 for any distance since 5 October 2026 (official). Fares follow the diesel price and changed at least four times in 2026.
How much is the Chao Phraya tourist boat?
฿40 a ride or ฿150 for the all-day River Pass, children under 90 cm free (the blue-flag company’s own site).
Which pier for the Grand Palace and Wat Arun?
Tha Chang (N9) for the Grand Palace. For Wat Arun, take the ferry from Tha Tien (N8) behind Wat Pho, or the blue-flag tourist boat or Thai Smile Boat to Wat Arun pier.
Is the boat to Asiatique free?
Yes: the shuttle from Sathorn Pier (BTS Saphan Taksin, Exit 2) runs 16:00–23:30, every 25–30 minutes (Asiatique’s site).
Is the ICONSIAM boat free?
No. ICONSIAM’s page says a fare applies for its shuttle from Sathorn and Si Phraya (09:00–23:00) but does not give the amount.
How much is the ferry to Wat Arun?
A few baht, under ฿10, paid in coins at Tha Tien. Sources give ฿4 to ฿10 and no official fare was found, so we are still checking.

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