River Pier/ferry Questions (kiak Kai & Khlong Toei)

[on-on]

I've lived here for a while, but most of my river travel has been recreational and outside of the main river/khlong networks. I'm now looking at a potential commute from around the Channel 3 building on Rama IV to near the Rama VII bridge (shoot me now) and I'd prefer the rivers to the road. I've got two questions that would really help me figure this out, so any advice is appreciated:

1) At Kiak Kai pier (N21), is there a regular ferry across to Wat Chat Kaeo? It looks like it on Google Earth and I can find mention of one, but a couple of Thai people in the area looked funny when I asked about the local kahm fahk and farangs I ran into swore there wasn't a way to take the boat from nearby, but didn't sound like they were frequent river rats. So, I put it to the Thai Visa denizens.

2) I regularly ride the little local boats and sampans from Wat Khlong Toei Nok around the Phra Padaeng area, but I've never tried to go North from there really. I read somewhere there's an express boat from the Port Authority pier (S6) next door all the way up to the Central Pier at Saphan Thaksin (CEN). Still, I've spent a fair amount of time down there and I've never seen it. Does anyone know if such a thing exists or if there's any other service north to Saphan Thaksin from around The Port?

Search is down right now, but I've been able to piece together some info - just not firsthand accounts from anyone who can verify it. Again, any help or advice would be appreciated!

[allane]

1) At Kiak Kai pier (N21), is there a regular ferry across to Wat Chat Kaeo? It looks like it on Google Earth and I can find mention of one, but a couple of Thai people in the area looked funny when I asked about the local kahm fahk and farangs I ran into swore there wasn't a way to take the boat from nearby, but didn't sound like they were frequent river rats. So, I put it to the Thai Visa denizens.

I am taking a bit of a chance with this one, so you will be too, unless you want to wait for a more certain answer. I am a former resident of Bang Seu, though haven't been there much in the last few years. To the best of my recollection, there is no cross-river ferry at Kiak Kai. The nearest one would be at Payap Pier. Or, you can go cross-river on the main north-south river boats. The "orange flag" semi express ones go from Bang Pho to Phraram 7 (and vice versa), the "no flag" ones go from Wat Soi Thong to Phraram 7 and vice versa.

Edited September 7, 2009 by allane

[on-on]

allane, thanks for the advice!

I did the trip myself yesterday and confirmed that there's no boat available from Saphan Thaksin down to Khlong Toei, though it goes as far as Big C at Ratburana. Now I have to confirm that from the Khlong Toei end.

As for the ferry at Kiak Kai, several locals again told me there isn't and I'm all but sure everyone's right, but then on the express boat back from Rama VII pier I saw a typical small ferry boat (like they use at Khlong Toei) sputtering across the river. Impossible to tell if it's a ferry, for general hire or if it's just a local business or personal boat. Everything in the world is telling me there isn't a ferry, but being a typical stubborn American I'm going to waste a good hour sitting around Wat Chat Kaeo staring at the pier and asking the monks to see for myself, heh.

Thanks again

[sabaijai]

2) I regularly ride the little local boats and sampans from Wat Khlong Toei Nok around the Phra Padaeng area, but I've never tried to go North from there really. I read somewhere there's an express boat from the Port Authority pier (S6) next door all the way up to the Central Pier at Saphan Thaksin (CEN). Still, I've spent a fair amount of time down there and I've never seen it. Does anyone know if such a thing exists or if there's any other service north to Saphan Thaksin from around The Port?

Could you tell us more about these local routes?

[on-on]

2) I regularly ride the little local boats and sampans from Wat Khlong Toei Nok around the Phra Padaeng area, but I've never tried to go North from there really. I read somewhere there's an express boat from the Port Authority pier (S6) next door all the way up to the Central Pier at Saphan Thaksin (CEN). Still, I've spent a fair amount of time down there and I've never seen it. Does anyone know if such a thing exists or if there's any other service north to Saphan Thaksin from around The Port?

Could you tell us more about these local routes?

It's a little difficult to discuss because it's kinda local and there's definitely farang pricing even when you speak Thai, heh. I considered writing a brief online guide, but there are too many things to discuss. Some easy things, though, are:

1) You can get over there from several locations, the easiest (on The Port side) being Wat Khlong Toei Nok, which is down the alley next to the 7-11 before the entrance to the Khlong Toei Port. For some, the ferry across from Wat Bang Na at the end of Sanphawut will be easier. To get to Wat Khlong Toei Nok (hereafter Wat KTN), it's easiest to tell a taxi or moto "Tha Rua Khlong Toei" and then add "Wat Khlong Toei Nok" if they're not 100% sure which side. Wat Bang Na is pretty simple, you just tell them to go to the end of Sanphawut at the river.

2) Getting across from Wat KTN you have to go through the local river taxi mafia lady. She's pretty fierce, but once you accept her double pricing scheme and give up she's nice enough - I always joke with her now that I'm out of money and pretend to sneak by her and she's taken a liking to me. Still no regular prices though, heh. I speak enough Thai to joke and get around, but I'm not really proficient, so one could be excused for assuming it's my lack of Thai-ness. Still, I have a friend who has been going there for literally years, speaks fluent Thai and has had a running battle with her because she refuses to let you ride the ferry across. Basically, there's a ferry that runs from Wat KTN pier directly across to Bang Krachao (they refer to it as Bpa Shing from the Wat KTN pier) and then over to another pier about a half-kilometer up river and then back to Wat KTN. She won't let you ride the ferry - absolutely will not have it. So you have to hire a small boat across for THB 10 instead of THB 4 or 5, the cost of the ferry (I forget). Once you're across you can take the ferry back with no problems and you pay on her side, but there are small boats for hire directly across if you don't want to wait - you pay the boatman. I usually pay THB 10, but I think it's actually THB 7. Since that guy gets the money I'm happy to spot him a few Baht. Rough life.

You can also take a boat to Wat Bang Kor Bua (Hereafter Wat BKB) from here for THB 40 - may be less for locals, I haven't tried to negotiate it down. It's a pretty long ride, though, so I imagine it's no less than THB 25-30 if not THB 40. Wat BKB is the next major Wat down river on the Phra Padaeng side. They will take you further, to Wat Bang Nam Pheung (Nok I think), but she'll make with the "oohs and aaahs" and you'll get a bill for like THB 100, so it's actually cheaper and quicker to take the small boat to Wat BKB and then grab a moto right there to Wat Bang Nam Pheung Nok for THB 20. This is not the same Wat Bang Nam Pheung as the floating market, but it's not far away - I *believe* that one's either just Wat Bang Nam Pheung or is Wat Bang Nam Pheung Nai. I differentiate by telling moto drivers "Talaat Nam" if I want to go there instead.

During rush hour there's also usually a big longtail that ferries about 20 people back and forth for THB 10 from Wat KTN to Wat BKB, so you can catch that too after about 17:00 and until about 19:00 I think. Not sure exactly. It runs mornings as well, but I don't know the times.

Incidentally, if you ever see the bike tour companies advertising things like Bangkok's Green Oasis or Real Thailand or what have you, this is the place. You'll see them boarding and de-boarding from the pier at Wat KTN and across at Bang Krachao.

3) Getting across from Wat Bang Na at Sanphawut on the ferry takes you directly to Wat Bang Nam Pheung Nok for something ridiculous like THB 2 - may be THB 4. It's all on the up and up though and no "special price." Big municipal ferry boat and you can ride your motorcycle or bike on. Once you get off here you can catch a moto pretty much anywhere. I've never seen small hire boats here and I've been told they can't use these ferry piers, but where there's a pier there's usually someone with a boat you can hire if you ask around. I usually jog out of either here or Bang Krachao, though, so if I'm going around the Wat Chak Daeng or Wat Krasop then I'll take a moto. The only other pier downriver from there that I know is Tha Talun, which is sort of between Wat Bang Nam Pheung Nok and Wat Krasop - but it's quite a long distance for a small boat and I can't recall if it's serviced by a ferry or what as I've never embarked or disembarked there.

Hope that helps a little. It's a beautiful area and it's already being flooded with recent construction. See it while it's still green and the people are still rural and friendly