Any coffee shops with good views of the river or along the river? Not looking for a bar a la The Deck...looking for a Western style coffee shop with a view. Anyone?

Not that i know of

Why not try one of the hotels like the Shangri-la, Oriental or the Peninsular on the other side? I can't remember which one I went to but it had a nice place to sit outside, overlooking the river.

Th e Royal Orchid Sheraton has a large deck off from their first floor dining room. Ridht on the river and an enjoyable spot to watch the world go by.

BAYBOY

A hippy friend of mine ran a well known coffee shop on the CP river where all the tourists stopped going by boat upstream. He told me he used the river water to make coffee because he did not have piped water and did not want to buy bottled water. But he reckoned since it was boiled it was OK. His coffee was strong so you could not taste the dirty water. Many swore the coffee was terrific. This is is a true story but happened a long time ago. I wont mention the name of the coffee shop or the proprietor because he might read this and get mad at me. He is now a successful freelance journalist. So why I'm wring this is beware of coffee shops on the river

If you're up around the Grand Palace area, there are many good shops right on the river, from the palace, all the way to Thammasat University. I like the Deck, but if you want somewhere more casual, check out the area between Tha Chang and Tha Phra Chan Piers. There is even an S&P with nice views, and a casual atmosphere. There is another small cafe around there, but I can't remember the name. Across the river from there, you can hang out at the shops near the pier at Sririraj Hospital. The Black Canyon there has a second floor that most people don't know about, with a nice view of the university and the palace in the background.