My boat trip on Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

9 days ago (Edited)

I promised myself a boat trip on Chao Phraya River several months ago! But various things got in the way and I didn’t have the chance to take my favourite boat trip on the river for ages. Yesterday I did gather all my scattered mind and went on a boat trip on a very sunny day. I knew the boat trip would revive my spirit and cleanse my mind, I would feel refreshed and reactivated after an exhilarating boat trip.

I was lucky that the weather was very breezy so it wasn’t too hot for walking around Bangkok and catch a boat trip. I walked from my other destination in the old part of the city towards the old pier called Tha Chang pier (which meant the pier for elephants). The name told a historical story of the fact that this pier was the nearest pier to the Grand Pslace. In the old days, Royalties would travel on elephants’ backs and they would descend the elephants at this pier to continue on their boat journeys to other destinations. Hence, the name ‘elephant pier’!

The old pier had gone through a major reconstruction a few years ago, so the pier looked very spacious and modern o anticipation of huge increase in tourism a few years ago. The plandemic had changed and affect all the expectations concerning tourism. But the renovated pier has made the whole area much brighter and more elegant in keeping with its history.

There were several Chinese tourists waiting for the boat trips going back to the modern part of the city. These tourists would usually stop to do some shopping at the famous IconSiam and Asiatique along the river. The sun was about to set so I would be able to take some photos of the sunset. I was quite surprised that the boat wasn’t crowded. Perhaps, most western tourists had gone back home as the winter had almost transitioned into spring. Here it’s the beginning of summer or hot season and the temperature could rise up to 30 degree Celsius.

The boat would go pass the Grand Palace so I could take some photos of the tops of the palace buildings about two kilometers away. Then, the boat would stop at the next pier (Rachinee pier) where I could see the roof of the temple in which the Reclining Buddha was housed. This temple (Wat Pho) was always a famous sightseeing stop. It would take about three hours to walk around and see all the art work, sculptures and paintings in this temple. There were big and small temples along the river banks, including old Chinese shrines, old churches and old buildings with neoclassical architecture.

Some old or traditional houses could still be spotted along the river. There used to be old wooden houses with old trees along this river. But most of the land had been sold to real estate developers. So, skyscrapers, luxurious hotels and condominiums replaced all the old wooden houses with large gardens. In some part of the old city, it had been designated as listed areas for preservation. So, we could still see some old houses and townhouses with roof top restaurants for tourists to enjoy the sunset views by the river.

The most famous spot would be those small guesthouses and restaurants opposite the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun). I didn’t have the time to stop at Wat Arun this time. I would have to find some time to visit this temple and go further off the route towards the much older temple associated with King Taksin. This King was very famous for fighting the Burmese domination of Siam and gained independence within nine months. But he suffered from lots of palace intrigues and strange accusations so he was beheaded at his small palace (not far away from Wat Arun).

The local people there still believe that area was still haunted with mysterious energies and apparitions. There’s so much hidden stories concerning our ancient history along Chao Phraya River such as the confrontation with the French gunboats and years later the bombing of some group of attempted coup which failed miserably.

The sky was very blue and the air was light during the boat journey. The river had hidden strength and power which nourished all living beings along the riverbanks. There were lots of activities on the river with touring boats and other commercial boat services by hotels along the river. Then, I could spot small restaurants and coffee shops dotted along the river. I always felt much revived after spending some time by the river. Most people could feel the attraction to be near water, either to be by the sea or lake or river. The river with its energy and moving water made life and civilisation possible and the continuity of life. That’s why scientists were looking for the sign of water on Mars and other planets which could indicate some forms of life.

The boat passed the famous Oriental Hotel where writers, film stars and foreign Royalties used to be frequent visitors. The excitement of passengers seemed to increase as the boat got near IconSiam. The huge building complex looked very impressive and striking from the middle of the river. As the sun was setting, the whole structure looked rather dark as the sun was behind it. There were lots of tourists at the pier and on the special dinner cruises. The marketing team of this shopping mall was very good at bringing in group tours to spend time and money there!

IconSiam was so big that I still haven’t covered all the floors and departments of this huge building! It’s too overwhelming for me to spend more than three hours at this place. I would be quite exhausted by walking nonstop inside. So, I ought to go back there to explore other sections which I hadn’t visited in the past.

I would usually get off at the pier at the Taksin bridge as it’s about five minutes’ walk from the old Robinson mall where I parked my car. The boat trip would usually take about twenty five minutes though I wished it could have lasted longer. The trip cost me about twenty cents which was very cheap but it’s still more expensive than traveling by the hot bus (which would cost me about fifteen cents). I hoped that the fees would continue to be low and affordable for ordinary working people who commuted to work everyday by boats.

I was very glad I went on this boat trip and I wondered why I didn’t do this sooner. My energy was renewed and my vibes became higher which made me much more active and full of hope. I thought there was some kind of magic in this river and the moving water felt massive in volume and force. I couldn’t understand the scientific mechanisms between water movements and the ether in the surroundings. The whole place felt ageless with hidden infinite life force. I was very thankful to the river and water for nourishing all those who came by the river.