Route Map

CHAO PHRAYA PIER GUIDE

BANGKOK WATERWAYS

This printable guide has been designed to highlight the most interesting piers found along the 21km Chao Phraya River Express Boat route. Temples, a wet market or an unexpected enclave... if it's something worth seeing then it's here. Once you've decided which piers you want to visit, use the quick links below to familiarise yourself with the different ferry lines, namely their routes, schedules and fares. Then set off on your custom-made - and dirt cheap - adventure on the River of Kings.

A quick tip: of the five lines that ply the water the Orange Flag is your best bet - it operates all day. After the morning rush-hour, boats come every 20 minutes until around 16:00 when other lines kick into action and boats appear more frequently. If completely confused by the melee, another more comfortable option is a 'Tourist Boat', though these only come every 30 minutes.

Operating Hours: 06:00 - 19:30
Price: Typically between 10 to 15 baht, though long journeys at peak hours can reach 30 baht (fares paid onboard).

Quick Links:

• Route Map for the five public lines
• Boat Schedule (operating times/boat frequency)
• Fares
• Tourist Boat Timetable

Nonthaburi (N30)

Reasons to come:

• Nonthaburi, a charming provincial town with old fashioned clock tower, cyclos (bicycle taxis), a clothing market and early 20th Century European-style civic buildings
• Koh Kret, the nearby Mon tribe island and daytripper favourite

Lines: local, orange, yellow, green-yellow, blue 

Kiak Kai (N21)

Reasons to come:

• interesting temple
• short taxi ride from Soi Ari, a hip road popular with the city's arty urban youth
• Krung Thon Bridge 
• River Side Bangkok Hotel

Lines: local, orange

CHAO PHRAYA RIVER IN BANGKOK

BANGKOK WATERWAY

Like all urban rivers, the history of the Chao Phraya is intertwined with the city it flows through. The original site was chosen by early settlers because of its fertility and abundant fish. Later King Taksin, after the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese, located his new capital here, on the western banks today known as Thonburi.

In 1782 King Rama I, finding the eastern banks more favourable, founded modern Bangkok and celebrated the occasion by building some of the world's most beguiling temples. Later still the canals it feeds became famous, earning Bangkok its 'Venice of the East' epithet. And, meanwhile, eminent Western authors like Maugham, Conrad and Coward were singling out the Chao Phraya as one of their favourite spots in the Far East.

‘The River of Kings’

Truly, the River of Kings - as King Rama I named it - is the lifeblood of Bangkok. And not just because of this rich history. Around 50,000 people still use its ferries to get to each day. Slow barges bearing cargo coast upstream. Kids still frolic in the russet-brown water. Wooden shacks, mottled by the elements, still lurch over the water.
Soaring hotels and condominiums hem in solemn temples, churches and civic buildings that look 19th century European, while yards away the odd wooden sampan sells noodle soup or dried squid to hungry river workers. It is this juxtaposition of calm and chaotic, modern and traditional, religious and secular, ugly and sublime, foreign and indigenous that makes the Chao Phraya so evocative.

River Boats and Ferries

Five public boat lines, all operated by the Chao Phraya Express Boat company, ply the same 21km route: 'local line', 'orange', 'yellow', 'blue' and 'green-yellow'. Operating between 06:00 and 19:30 daily, each is identifiable by the coloured flag hanging off its rear.
The rush-hour only 'local line' stops at all 34 piers, while the other four are express lines stopping at only selected piers. Only the Orange Flag Line, with its flat fee of 15 baht, runs all day and on weekends – for most journeys this fits the bill. The others stop at around 09:00 and begin again at around 16:00. Cross-river ferries operate at most major piers and will drop you to the other bank for 3.5 baht (see Chao Phraya Pier Guide for details).

Chao Phraya River

Phra Arthit Road runs parallel to the Chao Phraya River, stretching from Phra Sumen fort to Thammasat Universty. Lined with quaint shop-houses, cosy hole-in-the-wall restaurants, bars and cafés with live music, this is where the artsy type convene after sundown before hitting nearby Khao San Road. The nearest river pier is Phra Arthit Pier.
Thewet is scintillating. People come here to make merit by releasing fish or to feed the school of frenzied catfish scraps of bread. There's also a ramshackle yet photogenic wet market, and the Royal enclave of Dusit nearby. The nearest river pier is Thewet.
Oriental, the old Westerner Quarter with crumbling European architecture, antiques shops and the venerable Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where some of the 20th century's most eminent scribes once stayed. The nearest river pier is Oriental.
Pak Khlong Flower Market, a living breathing oriental market teeming with life and colour, is one of the most pleasant places to spend an early morning. Find fresh flowers of all species, fruits and vegetables at wholesale price. The nearest river pier is Rajinee.

cr:bangkok.com

Phuket

Phuket

What comes into the mind of travellers when we talk about sea, sun and sand? Phuket must definitely be one of the answers. A number of exciting activities can be found on this island. In the early days of regional maritime trade, the cape of Phuket was locally referred to as Jung Ceylon, while locals called it Thalang, which evolved to be the name of the main town to the north of the island. As the perfect stopover sheltering traders from monsoons, Jung Ceylon welcomed merchants from India, Persia, Arabia, Burma, China, and also Siam. During the

16th century, the island was  a popular trading port for tin. In 1785, Thalang town was surrounded by Burmese troops who invaded the coastal area. It was under the leadership of Chan, the widow of the governor, and her sister, Muk, who united the local residents and successfully fought and drove the invaders out of Phuket. It took over 30 days for the defending troops of Phuket, under the command of Chan and Muk, to claim their victory. As a result of such heroic deeds, noble titles were granted to Chan and Muk as Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Sri Soonthorn, respectively. They are still highly respected by Phuket residents even today. When the city was in a peaceful state, the development of mining was so unprecedented. Chinese businessmen and miners later migrated to Phuket and soon enjoy thriving wealth. The island's long history has shaped the Phuket of the present with its diverse ethnic groups, culture, architectural influence, and fine cuisine. These attributes have made Phuket a complete tourist destination that offers a lot more beyond its natural heritage of sea, sand, forest, and world-renowned diving sites. Sino-Portuguese architecture casts its spell delighting travellers to the city, while Phuket style of hospitality has never failed to impress visitors from all walks of life.Getting to Know: 1. Phuket is located approximately 862 kilometres south of Bangkok. 2. There are only two seasons in a year the green season (May to October) and the hot season (November to April). 3. Phuket is divided into 3 administrative districts: namely, Amphoe Muang, Amphoe Thalang and Amphoe Kathu.Key Tips

The beaches of the south coast are typically crowded, while the north is far more tranquil.
All the major beaches (such as Patong beach, Kata beach, Karon beach, Nai Han beach, Mai Khao beach , Nai Yang beach) offer instruction and equipment for diving, snorkling, wind surfing and sailing. Don't forget to notice red flag! before swim. 

cr : tourismthailand.org

Ancient City: A day around Thailand

The Ancient City

The Ancient City, seen from its highest point.

Outside of Bangkok, on the old road to the beach resort of Pattaya, lies a relatively little known park dedicated to preserving Thai cultural heritage in the form of the many significant buildings and historical places from throughout the country. Founded by a rich Thai gentleman (recently deceased) the "Ancient City" (Muang Boran in Thai) is well worth a visit.
Taking up 320 acres of land, roughly in the shape of Thailand, the huge park reproduces -- usually on a smaller scale -- important buildings from around Thailand. There are over 100 monuments collected or reproduced. Some of them are reconstructions of buildings that no longer exist. Other buildings are examples of traditional vernacular architecture that were scheduled to be demolished and instead were purchased by the Ancient City, dismantled and reconstructed in the park. The panorama above left was taken from a small scale reproduction of Khao Pra Viharn, a mountain-top temple on the Cambodian border.

View through a gate in
one of the many
traditional-style houses.

The reconstructed
throne hall from
Ayutthaya.

Many of the buildings represent religious and royal sites from around Thailand as well as from the past. The throne hall at right reproduces one which was destroyed 200 years ago when the old capital of Ayuthaya was sacked by the Burmese. Inside are some quite exquisite examples of Thai wall paintings, and you can easily imagine the first ambassadors from Europe handing their credentials up to King Narai enthroned on the elevated reception area.
There are also many examples of typical Thai houses from the past. The gate with the nice view at left is in a typical central Thai house consisting of several individual single-room buildings around an elevated platform.

A wooden temple
bought from Northern
Thailand.

One of the most striking examples of temple architecture is the wooden wat purchased from a hill temple in the North of Thailand (right). Its beautifully carved and decorated, and very different from the typical Thai temples you will see all over Thailand today. The bicycles you see in front (click the photo to enlarge it) are for rent for use within the park, which is quite large. They are a good way to get around if you don't have a car. You really wouldn't want to walk all the way around the park. As it is, it will take you most of a day to see the whole thing.

The Thai floating village -- the
best place to stop for lunch.

As it does take the better part of a day to see the park, you'll be wanting lunch. There are ample "snack bars" spread throughout the park, but the place for lunch is the recreation of a Thai floating village (left). There are a number of restaurants in various styles on the water. You can walk around until one place strikes your fancy. The food is generally basic Thai. There are also some souvenir stands around the village as well.

Royal barges with a new
temple under
construction in the
background.

The Ancient City is constantly expanding and improving. Under construction is a massive temple (right) which when finished will contain something like 1,000 Buddha images, one of every kind and style.
A visit to the Ancient City makes an excellent, although potentially exhausting, full day outing from Bangkok. Be sure to start early and allow yourself the better part of a day to see everything. The Ancient City is located on the old Sukhumvit road. It's not far from the Crocodile Farm, which is a better known attraction.

Getting There

Getting to the Anicent City on your own can be a bit difficult, and time consuming. You may be able to book a day trip through a local tour operator. You could also try taking the Skytrain to the furthest station on the Sukhumvit Line (Bearing) and then grabbing a taxi to Ancient City.

Admission Fee

Admission is 400 Baht (13.00 USD) for adults and 200 Baht for children. Another 300 Baht is charged to bring in your own car. The Ancient City is open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

cr : bangkokforvisitors.com

SAM PAN BOAK [ UBONRATCHATHANI ]

Sam Phan Bok (3000 holes)

GRAND CANYON OF THAILAND    

Many tourists might have heard about the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but there is also one in Thailand. In the northeast of Thailand, there is another beautiful unseen natural wonder called, Sam Phan Bok, or Grand Canyon of Thailand. Located in Pho Sai district, Ubon Ratchathani, Sam Phan Bok is a new destination that attracts numerous people to watch memorable sunsets and to spend the night on the fascinating rocky ground.

Visitors might become bewildered with the strange-looking and artistic shape of a giant stone platform, 3-7 meters tall and 20 meters wide, lying in the middle of the Mekong River. Locals named this place for its abnormal landscape and because it is filled with numerous holes and basins, “Sam Phan Bok”. The word “Bok” means “œhole” in the local language. Sam Phan Bok literally means three thousands holes.

Sam Phan Bok is a testament to Mother Natureโ€™s power, formed from water running and crashing against the rocks. As a result of this water erosion, holes of various shapes and sizes dot the rocky canvas, which makes the rocks appear like sculptures carved by the Mekong River.

The rocks offer a fantastic panorama of topographical scenery that becomes visible to the naked eye but once a year when the water in Mekong River recedes. This happens after the rainy season between December and April.


On the sunny day at Sam Phan Bok, while the summer breeze is blowing, a group of local children can be seen climbing up to the top of the canyon playing pirates; pretending to hide treasure in one of the many secret enclaves. It is said that there the most beautiful Bok is named, Sa Morakot (Emerald Pond). It is hidden in a labyrinth of a walkway that is worth exploring.

Along the vast canyon, some holes are very big and vast like swimming pools. Some holes are oval-shaped and reflect the blue sky and other objects nearby just like a mirror. If you are lucky enough, you will find the fresh water jelly-fish in the Mekong. Such a sight would be a highlight considering how seldom they are seen.

Visitors to Sam Phan Bok can take a boat and float along the river and to explore the caves, sandy beaches, unique local fishing villages and more. The best time for visiting is in the morning and in the evening. For the first timers, visitors should start this trip with Had Salueng, a long white powdery beach at Song Khon village. Also, they should to taste the delicacy of Thai-Isaan food (fresh water fish menu), this is a must-try recommendation for all tourists.

Sam Phan Bok is about 120 km. from Ubon Ratchathani. Visitors can drive along the road no. 2050 via Trakan Phuet Phon District to Pho Sai District to witness the impressive Grand Canyon of Thailand.

 

Hilight :
• Mekong Grand Canyon, a formation of millions of years of water erosion and a 20-meter-wide water channel with a height of 3-7 meters
• Pak Bong, the narrowest part of the Mekong River (only 56 meters wide).
• Hat Hong, an enormous sand ridge, serving as a vantage point for the spectacular sunset
• Lak Sila Lek, a rock on which the French soldiers once in the colonial period marked digits to gauge the water level of the Mekong
Activity :

Enjoy the majestic Sam-Phan-Bok, with a round-trip cruise (from Hat Salueng at Songkhon Village) for about 4 kilometers passing several interesting spots

How to go :
• By car: From Ubon Ratchathani town, go along Highway No. 2050, passing Trakan Phuetphon County to Phosai County, then go to Songkhon Village, continue driving for a further 3 kilometers to reach Hat Salueng where you can hire a boat to Sam-Phan-Bok
• By bus: Take a bus from Mochit 2 station (Northeastern Route), which is available daily
• By train: Take a train from Hualumpong station or Bangsue station on Bangkok-Ubon Ratchatani route, which is available daily
• By air: Take a daily flight from Bangkok to Ubon
 
What / Why :
Sam-Phan-Bok, a group of mystic rocks looming above the waterway only in the dry season, is located at Songkhon Village, Pho Sai County in Ubon Ratchathani. Songkhon Village is a peaceful compact community on the Mekong bank of the East end of Thailand.

Author :
A cruising trip of the Mekong River and Sam-Phan-Bok takes about 2 hours. It is recommended to go in the early morning or in the evening to avoid the hot and strong sunshine.
For More Information :
Contact : Songkhon Local Administration Organization
Tel: (66) 4533 8057, (66) 4533 8015

cr : ubonratchathanithailand.com
       hailand-travelonline.com
       wikalenda.com

Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

Wat Phrasrirattana Sasadaram

the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaeo)

Wat Phra Kaew ("Temple of the Holy Jewel Image"), also spelled Wat Phra Kaeo and commonly known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is located on the ground of the Royal Palace in Bangkok. It is the most revered Buddhist shrine in Thailand.

Central to the temple is the Emerald Buddha, a dark green statue standing about 2 feet tall. No one is allowed near the statue except the Thai king, who conducts rituals at the temple throughout the year.

History  

According to popular belief, the Emerald Buddha is ancient and came from Sri Lanka. Art historians, however, generally believe that it was crafted in 14th-century Thailand.

The much-revered Buddha image has traveled extensively over the centuries. The story goes that the Emerald Buddha was once kept covered in plaster in a monument in Chiang Rai, but a damaging lightning storm in 1434 uncovered the treasure.

The king of Chiang Mai tried very hard to procure the statute, but three times the elephant transporting the statute stopped at a crossroads in Lampang. Taking it as a sign from the Buddha, the statue was placed in a specially-built monumental temple in Lampang, where it stayed for 32 years.

The next king of Chiang Mai was more determined, succeeding in bringing the Emerald Buddha to his city. It was housed in a temple there until 1552, when Laotian invaders took it. The statue stayed in Laos for 214 years, until General Chakri (later King Rama I) brought it back to the Thai capital at Thonburi after his successful campaign in Laos.

In 1784, when he moved the capital across the river to Bangkok, King Rama I installed the precious figure in its present shrine, where it has remained as a tangible symbol of the Thai nation. It is feared that removal of the image from Bangkok will signify the end of the Chakri dynasty.

What to See

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha sits within the grounds of the Bangkok Grand Palace, surrounded by walls more than a mile long. Inside, it contains some of the finest examples of Buddhist sculpture, architecture, painting, and decorative craft in Thailand.
The Emerald Buddha sits atop a huge gold altar in the center of the temple. It is a rather small, dark statue, just over 2 feet tall, made of green jasper or perhaps jadeite ("emerald" refers to the intense green color, not the specific stone).




Like many other Buddha statues in Thailand, the Emerald Buddha is covered in a seasonal costume, which is changed three times a year to correspond to the summer (crown and jewelry), winter (golden shawl), and rainy months (gilt robe and headdress).
The costume change is an important ritual and is performed by the Thai king, who also sprinkles water over the monks and the faithful to bring good fortune during the upcoming season. The two sets of clothing not in use at any given time are kept on display in the nearby Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Thai Coins on the grounds of the Grand Palace.
The Emerald Buddha is housed in a magnificent bot (the central shrine in a Buddhist temple), which is used by monks for important religious rituals. The interior walls are decorated with late Ayutthaya-stylemurals depicting the life of the Buddha, steps to enlightenment, and the Buddhist cosmology of the Worlds of Desire, Being, and Illusion.
The cycle begins with the birth of the Buddha, which can be seen in the middle of the left wall as you enter the sanctuary, and the story continues counterclockwise. Also note the exquisite inlaid mother-of-pearl work on the door panels.

The surrounding portico of the shrine is an example of masterful Thai craftsmanship. On the perimeter are 12 open pavilions, built during the reign of Rama I. The inside walls of the compound are decorated with murals depicting the entire Ramakien, the Thai national epic, painted during the reign of Rama I and last restored in 1982, in 178 scenes beginning at the north gate and continuing clockwise.
There are several other monuments on the temple grounds, among the most interesting of which are the three pagodas to the immediate north of the ubosoth(main building), representing the changing centers of Buddhist influence. Phra Si Ratana Chedi, to the west, is a 19th-century Sri Lankan-style stupa housing ashes of the Buddha.
Phra Mondop, in the middle, is a library built in Thai style by Rama I, known for its excellently crafted Ayutthaya-style mother-of-pearl doors, bookcases containing the Tripitaka (sacred Buddhist manuscripts), human- and dragon-headed nagas (snakes), and statues of Chakri kings.

The Royal Pantheon, to the east, was built in Khmer style during the 19th century. It's open to the public for one day in October to commemorate the founding of the Chakri dynasty.
To the immediate north of the library is a model of Angkor Wat, the most sacred of all Cambodian shrines. The model was constructed by King Mongkut as a reminder that the neighboring state was under the dominion of Thailand.
To the west of the bot, near the entry gate, is a black stone statue of a hermit, considered a patron of medicine, before which relatives of the ill and infirm pay homage and make offerings of joss sticks, fruit, flowers, and candles.
Scattered around the complex are statues of elephants, which symbolize independence and power. Thai kings went to battle atop elephants, and it is customary for parents to walk their children around an elephant three times to bring them strength. You can rub the head of an elephant statue for good luck – note how smooth it is from being touched by millions.

cr : acred-destinations.com/