Khlong boat taxis to get bigger, go farther - more quietly

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

Photo: Mark Fischer / Flickr

 

BANGKOK — Bigger, quieter boats that travel farther east across Bangkok are among a raft of improvements promised by the government Friday for water taxi service in Khlong Saen Saep.

 

Part of a wider mesh of policies to ease traffic congestion in the capital, a Defense Ministry spokeswoman said plans include installing noise-suppression devices onto larger boats to accommodate the more than 60,000 daily passengers.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/transpo/2018/11/02/khlong-boat-taxis-to-get-bigger-go-farther-more-quietly/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-11-2

Its a great service, I use it at least twice a month or more. I wish they ran Boats up and down the Bangkok Yai

Edited November 2, 20187 yr by Nyezhov

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

improvements promised

Stop telling me what you are "going" to do, just do it, and, tell me when it is done.

 

Free beer tomorrow.

And hopefully cleaner too!  The current boats let out horrible pollution which affects all houses (and schools!) along the khlong.  I certainly hope this is not just another promise. 

didn't mention to make it safer LOL

 

1 hour ago, arakie said:

And hopefully cleaner too!  The current boats let out horrible pollution which affects all houses (and schools!) along the khlong.  I certainly hope this is not just another promise. 

The fact that it was not the PM who made this promise gives it a better chance of it becoming reality.

Bigger and faster ,will be able to do more damage to.

regards Worgeordie

Just don't fall into the klong/sewer. Or maybe I missed the news of Klong Saen Seb being rejuvenated with a flushout.

5 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

Just don't fall into the klong/sewer. Or maybe I missed the news of Klong Saen Seb being rejuvenated with a flushout.

I see kids swimming in there all the time

5 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

I see kids swimming in there all the time

Thanks for the information. I was wrong then, a few years ago it was very polluted and anyone ingesting its water was possibly very sick. 

I am pleased to read that it's safe for swimming.

 

1 hour ago, ratcatcher said:

Thanks for the information. I was wrong then, a few years ago it was very polluted and anyone ingesting its water was possibly very sick. 

I am pleased to read that it's safe for swimming.

 

Umm...I didnt say it was safe, I just said I saw kids swimming in it. I wouldnt ???? 

 

Some folks have better immune systems

On 11/2/2018 at 6:39 PM, snoop1130 said:

Bigger, quieter boats that travel farther east across Bangkok are among a raft of improvements

I see what you did there... 

good idea, and extend coverage to Minburi

 

Saen Saeb doesn't end too far from the river.

If the general of nationwide happiness really want to put a mark on his PM period

he should acquire some land from where the canal ends today and open it up to Chao Praya.

would make it possible to clean up Saen Saeb

would be very nice for tourists

would be handy for Bangkokians

 

On 11/3/2018 at 4:44 PM, Nyezhov said:

I see kids swimming in there all the time

And dead fish floating, that may of course be from natural causes and nothing to do with the water quality.

13 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

And dead fish floating, that may of course be from natural causes and nothing to do with the water quality.

 

and dead dogs and dead cats and dead water monitors and dead snakes and dead birds

pretty unhealthy, BKK canals

1 hour ago, melvinmelvin said:

good idea, and extend coverage to Minburi

 

Saen Saeb doesn't end too far from the river.

If the general of nationwide happiness really want to put a mark on his PM period

he should acquire some land from where the canal ends today and open it up to Chao Praya.

would make it possible to clean up Saen Saeb

would be very nice for tourists

would be handy for Bangkokians

 

I alwys wondered why it didnt go to the river. And why some of the other bigger canals arent utilized. You could take the pressure off the BTS a bit by running a boat down the Bangkok Yai.

29 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

I alwys wondered why it didnt go to the river. And why some of the other bigger canals arent utilized. You could take the pressure off the BTS a bit by running a boat down the Bangkok Yai.

my guess is that it did in the past but that some road developer freak filled it

 

out into the river and then upstream to at least Saphan Put or Tha Chang, then you have Yaowarat and Pahurat and Baan Mo and Sanam Luang covered

downstream to Klong Phra Nakong/Klong Tan and up to Saen Saeb again.

brilliant for both tourists and locals

 

in the western side of the city the availability of navigable canals is much better than in the eastern side

 

bangkok yai is there which connects easily with bangkok noi

which takes you thru Taling Chan and up to bang yai and bang bua thong in nonthaburi 

 

on the way up bangkok noi you cross klong maha sawat which would take you quite far further west

and klong bang kruai which takes you rast to bang kruai and the river

from bang yai you have klong bang yai which takes you a bit north and then west as far as Sampran

 

from bangkok yai there are  at least three different routes to the sea/maha chai (not far really)

 

interesting network

Edited November 11, 20187 yr by melvinmelvin

33 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

my guess is that it did in the past but that some road developer freak filled it

 

out into the river and then upstream to at least Saphan Put or Tha Chang, then you have Yaowarat and Pahurat and Baan Mo and Sanam Luang covered

downstream to Klong Phra Nakong/Klong Tan and up to Saen Saeb again.

brilliant for both tourists and locals

 

in the western side of the city the availability of navigable canals is much better than in the eastern side

 

bangkok yai is there which connects easily with bangkok noi

which takes you thru Taling Chan and up to bang yai and bang bua thong in nonthaburi 

 

on the way up bangkok noi you cross klong maha sawat which would take you quite far further west

and klong bang kruai which takes you rast to bang kruai and the river

from bang yai you have klong bang yai which takes you a bit north and then west as far as Sampran

 

from bangkok yai there are  at least three different routes to the sea/maha chai (not far really)

 

interesting network

Google Maps shows its pretty hairy down around Phra Sumen I reckon.

 

Im trying to find the right boatman to take me all around the network. Unfortunately, they only seem to know sections related to their tourist areas. Lots of boats here in Thonburi running the canals, but they again know only their local areas (ie the Bankok Yai and Khlong Dan etc)

 

I love the Maha Chai area and go there once or twice a month. its only 10 baht train ride from Talat Phlu, and for 15 baht more, you can ferry and train down to Mae Khlong. There is a Buddha down there with sunglasses Im going to see, and I Im trying to track down this supposedly a fabulous local seafood joint (not a restaurant, those are pretty good, but a local Myanmar plastic table joint) where they toss it from the Boat into the pot.

 

I think it is the Phasi Charoen that goes to the Ta Chin? I would love to run that I think its navigable.

52 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

bangkok yai is there which connects easily with bangkok noi

which takes you thru Taling Chan and up to bang yai and bang bua thong in nonthaburi 

 

 

That's interesting. What is the route from Taling Chan to Bang Bua Thong?

5 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Google Maps shows its pretty hairy down around Phra Sumen I reckon.

 

Im trying to find the right boatman to take me all around the network. Unfortunately, they only seem to know sections related to their tourist areas. Lots of boats here in Thonburi running the canals, but they again know only their local areas (ie the Bankok Yai and Khlong Dan etc)

 

I love the Maha Chai area and go there once or twice a month. its only 10 baht train ride from Talat Phlu, and for 15 baht more, you can ferry and train down to Mae Khlong. There is a Buddha down there with sunglasses Im going to see, and I Im trying to track down this supposedly a fabulous local seafood joint (not a restaurant, those are pretty good, but a local Myanmar plastic table joint) where they toss it from the Boat into the pot.

 

I think it is the Phasi Charoen that goes to the Ta Chin? I would love to run that I think its navigable.

 

I am using maps (paper) rather than Google, there are some fairly good maps around.

Also the government's own 1:50 000 series is very new and very good and very cheap, Thai and English.

 

Yes, the boat guys are limited in their fantasy and interest - it is necessary to look and find the right guy.

And you must invest PLENTY time, before going, on studying the maps.

 

From Bangkok Yai I have taken 3 different routes to Maha Chai and Tha Chin, in the past.

The easternmost route passed Wat Sai and down to klong Sapha Samit, then couple of clicks west and you are

in Tha Chin 1 click south of the ferry you take over to the next railway station.

The westernmost route ends up in Samuth Sakhon city centre.

 

One real challenge when covering distances on klongs, unless you know the way by heart, is that many

canals change name every click or two. You stop and ask a local for name, he says xxxx, and you look

for xxxx in your maps and you dont find it and the driver knows zilch.

The maps use different names.

This is a real challenge.

 

The easiest, ie least challenging, way of going to Tha Chin / Maha Chai for you would be to go down

Chao Praya, cutting through Phra PraDaeng using the inner canal, then continue down

until you are about 2 clicks from the sea.

Klong Sapha Samit branches off there, goes straight west until you are in Ta Chin, 1 click downstream of ferry.

Nice ride.

 

 

 

 

18 minutes ago, thedemon said:

 

That's interesting. What is the route from Taling Chan to Bang Bua Thong?

 

just follow klong Bangkok Noi, (in Bang  Yai it changes name to Klong Oom.)

 

bangkok noi starts/ends-rather between the king's parade boat house and the Siriraj hospital,

couple of hundred meters south of Pin Klao express boat station

passes taling chan-maha sawat- bang kruai-bang yai-bang bua thong and into the river about

1 click north of the new Nonthaburi 1 bridge,

or 2 clicks south of MRT purple line and Phra Nang Klao bridge

 

 

9 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

I am using maps (paper) rather than Google, there are some fairly good maps around.

Also the government's own 1:50 000 series is very new and very good and very cheap, Thai and English.

 

Yes, the boat guys are limited in their fantasy and interest - it is necessary to look and find the right guy.

And you must invest PLENTY time, before going, on studying the maps.

 

From Bangkok Yai I have taken 3 different routes to Maha Chai and Tha Chin, in the past.

The easternmost route passed Wat Sai and down to klong Sapha Samit, then couple of clicks west and you are

in Tha Chin 1 click south of the ferry you take over to the next railway station.

The westernmost route ends up in Samuth Sakhon city centre.

 

One real challenge when covering distances on klongs, unless you know the way by heart, is that many

canals change name every click or two. You stop and ask a local for name, he says xxxx, and you look

for xxxx in your maps and you dont find it and the driver knows zilch.

The maps use different names.

This is a real challenge.

 

The easiest, ie least challenging, way of going to Tha Chin / Maha Chai for you would be to go down

Chao Praya, cutting through Phra PraDaeng using the inner canal, then continue down

until you are about 2 clicks from the sea.

Klong Sapha Samit branches off there, goes straight west until you are in Ta Chin, 1 click downstream of ferry.

Nice ride.

 

 

 

 

Got a boatman to reccomend?  It seems that its a straight run starting at Wat Paknam right down to Maha Chai. Goof=gle maps calls it the Phasi Charoen. Im trying to plan one out for when my kid gets here. I would have to do an all dayer, ie leave early am and get back at nightfall....looks like there was some service by boat there for about 11 klicks...

Edited November 11, 20187 yr by Nyezhov

 

once you are in maha chai you have 3 interesting options

 

a)

take the west going canal navigate up to Talad Naam Damnoen Saduak,

if the flood gates are in order, ie operable - you can easily enter Mae Klong north of Ampawa,

then you have the sea just down the road

 

b)

go Ta Chin up to Sampran about and find your way to klong Bang Yai and back to bangkok noi

 

c) go up passed Sampran, find the canals going east and navigate back to the river in the Rangsit area

Looks like the Phasi Charoen boat service runs from Wat Paknam to Phet Khesem road. Every hour on the hour till &;30 on weekends. I may just hop this one to start.

 

If anyone has a good boatman, please let me know.

7 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Got a boatman to reccomend?  It seems that its a straight run starting at Wat Paknam right down to Maha Chai. Goof=gle maps calls it the Phasi Charoen. Im trying to plan one out for when my kid gets here. I would have to do an all dayer, ie leave early am and get back at nightfall....looks like there was some service by boat there for about 11 klicks...

 

there is a chap by name Laem, operates a longtail from Tha Naam Non ie the north end station

of the Chao Praya Express, he lives in Bang Yai, my experience is that he is kinda bright and kinda trustworthy

he doesn't speak English much more than zilch though

 

but mind you, these boats that Thais call longtail are pretty big,

16-17 meters long and tall bow and semi rigid canopy

low bridges might represent challenges

 

the ideal boat , except a small aluminium with outboard,

 

would be the kind of taxi boats you see around Koh Kred, the big ones

these boats are called SOONG DTON YAI (2 section big) in thai

most have diesel and gear

 

I doubt you will find such in bkk, might find soong dton lek,

most have taxi meter engine running on gas and no gear. 

 

3 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

there is a chap by name Laem, operates a longtail from Tha Naam Non ie the north end station

of the Chao Praya Express, he lives in Bang Yai, my experience is that he is kinda bright and kinda trustworthy

he doesn't speak English much more than zilch though

 

but mind you, these boats that Thais call longtail are pretty big,

16-17 meters long and tall bow and semi rigid canopy

low bridges might represent challenges

 

the ideal boat , except a small aluminium with outboard,

 

would be the kind of taxi boats you see around Koh Kred, the big ones

these boats are called SOONG DTON YAI (2 section big) in thai

most have diesel and gear

 

I doubt you will find such in bkk, might find soong dton lek,

most have taxi meter engine running on gas and no gear. 

 

Got contact for Laem? or how to find him. I would love to get one of the small boats I see zipping around the Khlong Dan....

OK I see your route. I assume he is one of the dude hanging around N30 (Nonthaburi Pier). If so I will run up there and look for him if thats the way to contact him. it would be easier for me to start on this side of the river though, seems its a long way from Nonthaburi. I guess it would be via the Bangkok yai

 

Edited November 11, 20187 yr by Nyezhov

33 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

just follow klong Bangkok Noi, (in Bang  Yai it changes name to Klong Oom.)

 

bangkok noi starts/ends-rather between the king's parade boat house and the Siriraj hospital,

couple of hundred meters south of Pin Klao express boat station

passes taling chan-maha sawat- bang kruai-bang yai-bang bua thong and into the river about

1 click north of the new Nonthaburi 1 bridge,

or 2 clicks south of MRT purple line and Phra Nang Klao bridge

 

 

OK thanks, I know Khlong Om Non but how are you getting from there to Bang Bua Thong? That's the missing link for me.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

OK I see your route. I assume he is one of the dude hanging around N30 (Nonthaburi Pier). If so I will run up there and look for him if thats the way to contact him. it would be easier for me to start on this side of the river though, seems its a long way from Nonthaburi

yes,

Its called Tha Naam Non, the pier.

he is there from around 0720 morning to about 19 pm

 

unless he has customer's, they usually go to Koh Kred and back

or down river to Pin Klao and then Bangkok noi back up to Non - or the other way around

 

 

1 minute ago, thedemon said:

OK thanks, I know Khlong Om Non but how are you getting from there to Bang Bua Thong? That's the missing link for me.

 

 

that klong runs through bang bua thong - south