I have mentioned to many friends that the best way to beat the terrible traffic jam in downtown Bangkok is to take the ferry / boat along the Saen Saep Canal (Khlong) that connects major touristy areas like Pratunam and i guess it's time to share with all of you about it!
There are close to 30 stations along the canal and it's heavily utilized by the locals which means you can be ensured that the prices would be affordable. Of course, there are certain things you should look out for.
For example, you may find this counter at certain stations and assumed it would be the place for tourists like us, who don't speak English, to buy tickets. No, it's not and even when the touts insist you can buy the boat tickets from them, the rule of thumb is to shake your head and ignore them.
Why? Because they would ask you to pay 200 baht (per person) for a tour boat along Bangkok canal and the maximum one would usually pay from one end of the canal to another end is only 19 baht and unless you want to spend your entire day touring along the canal with an insane number of stops, it's absolutely not worth it!
Per-trip tickets are paid when you are on the boat and please be assured that the person collecting the money would know to approach you. So stay put and wait for him / her. To make it easier, just note to prepare the coins beforehand.
Typical tickets that were issued after payment. Prices ranged from 9 baht to 19 baht and i would append the rate table nearing the end of this post.
The boat could be as empty as the above where we could easily find seats. It happens most of the times when i travel along the canal but it commonly coincides with the low peak periods.
During peak periods like morning office rush, lunch break etc, it can be crowded and in my recent trip to Bangkok, there was once we actually couldn't even squeeze in as it was packed like sardines!
That's also the first time i know we can stand while in the boat! Gosh, it almost felt like we were on a bus, without the polluting fumes from nearby motor vehicles.
We eventually managed to get onto the boat via the standing section and holding onto our dear lives using the overhanging ropes / metal bars; i wouldn't want to fall into the river.
One advantage to standing; you can take pictures of another angle!
As commuters on the boat, we have a social obligation and that's a necessity to ensure you don't get splashed on by the dirty river water! p.s. that's another reason why i prefer standing over sitting on the boat.
Those sitting / standing on the sides are required to pull up the plastic sheets used to protect the commuters from the splashes. Don't be worried; it's a simply pulley system and honestly doesn't require much effort.
Reason why i prefer standing; even if i get splashed on, i would at most dirty my pants / shirt. If i am seated, there's a chance i would get to ingest authentic water that hailed from Bangkok's river.
One last piece of advice when taking the express boats along Saen Saep canal; when you embark and disembark. It's a boat for goodness sake and given the sheer number of passengers; do exercise caution when board / exit the boat.
No staff would be on standby to assist you (hello, it's less than a Singapore dollar per trip) and it's really up to your own safety discretion. I have seen locals jumping off when the boat hadn't even touched the cushioning tires at the pier!
Random photos at the Soi Thonglor pier. The most famous one would be at Pratunam which is the key interchange that's near to Platinum Mall, The Berkeley Hotel Pratunam, Neon Market etc.
Want to know which directions to board? Check the sign at the pier! Using the above taken at Soi Thonglor pier as an example; boats travelling to the right is going to Charn-Issara.
Embedding a time-lapsed video that i took for your viewing pleasure!
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Website (more information)
Map (Detailing the Route)
As above.
Ticketing Table
As above.
