“Take me to the river
And wash me down
Won’t you cleanse my soul
Put my feet on the ground”
The Reverend Al Green never sang about Bangkok’s shrieking shopping malls, pavement potholes or nightmare traffic jams, but he was bang on about the redemptive power of the river.
For decades, the city affectionately known as Bangkrackers was a place you left with a hangover (no wonder they used to sell oxygen at the airport). But now that’s all changing, thanks to its emerging riverside area, Chao Praya. It is the city’s most fascinating scenic area; by day, the river offers up a constantly changing scene of whizzing water buses, rice barges, tugboats and klong taxis. By night, as the sun dips behind Wat Arun and Thonburi, it becomes bejeweled in twinkling lights.
Bangkok resident, Paul Ehrlich, Editor-at-Large of Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, has watched the Chao Praya move slowly upmarket over the last five years. It began, he says, in 1999 when the new Skytrain opened with a stop on the riverfront. “These days a Chao Phraya residence has become choice property for locals and foreigners,” says Ehrlich. “Renovated colonial buildings and knockout high-priced condos are spawning new restaurants, art galleries, jazzy shops, outdoor cafes.”
So now that it’s possible to spend an entire weekend on the river without venturing into the jungle madness of the city center, where are the best places to visit?
The River Feeds
Book yourself onto an immaculately restored antique barge for an intimate dinner cruise. Two of the best are The Manohra (+66 02 476-0022), and Tahsaneeya Nava (+66 02 437-4932). Both offer a romantic experience, with great Thai food and stunning nighttime views as you drift past the famous Wat Arun, the Grand Palace, The Royal Barge boat-house, and numerous other temples.
