Chao Phraya River "The River of Kings"

Be part of the timeless bustle and activity of the river-picturesque old rice barges laden to the gunnels with rice, sand or gravel; the buzzing "long-tail" boats; tugs pulling huge steel barges in long "trains", ferries, water-taxis and every type of small craft imaginable-all form an unforgettable panorama that makes up the lifeline of "The Land of Smiles" and its people.

Enjoy the endless variety of river life passing the famous Wat Arun (The temple of Dawn), the magnificent Grand Palace, the Royal Barges boat-house, and numerous other Wats, Temples and points of interest.

The cruises being offered are:

Canal Cruises
Usually by using long-tailed boats to visit a vast network of canals. In these areas many homes, trading houses and temples remain oriented towards water life and provide a fascinating glimpse into the past, when Thais considered themselves "Jao Naam" or "Water Lords".

Longer Cruises
Several operators offer these cruises on luxurious all air-conditioned boats passing taking you up-river to Bang Pa-In Summer Palace and the ruins of Ayutthaya with lunch included. The return is by air-conditioned bus.

Dinner Cruises
Nightly cruises are available. It's a fine way to dine outdoors when the weather is hot, away from city traffic and cooled by river breezes. Several of the dinner boats cruise under the illuminated Rama IX Bridge, the longest single-span cable-suspension bridge in the world.

Overnight Cruises
Leaving Bangkok in the afternoon and heads up-river towards Ayutthaya or down-river towards Bangkok). In the evening it anchors at Wat Praket , where a candle-lit dinner is served. The next morning passengers offer food to the monks form the wat, and then the barge move on to Bang Pa-In. After a tour of the Summer Palace, a long-tail boat takes passengers on for a tour of the ruins of Ayutthaya (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO) . The return is also by air-conditioned bus.

Mae Kok River trip to Chiang Rai

From Tha Ton you can make a half-day long-tail boat trip to Chiang Rai down Kok River. The best time to do the trip is at the end of November when the river level is high. The travel time down the river depends on the river conditions and the skill of the pilot, taking anywhere form three to five hours.

The boat trip to Chiang Rai can be made in two or three stages, stopping first in Mae Salak, a large Lahu village which is about a third of the distance, or Ban Ruammit, a Karen village about two-thirds of the way down. From here you can trek to other Shan, Thai and hill-tribe villages.