In Bangkok, river and canal boats avoid the road traffic, and many of Thailand's best-known islands can only be reached by ferry, speedboat or longtail boat.
Third-party fares and timetables in this article were checked in September 2026. Fuel costs pushed boat fares in Thailand up and down several times during 2026, so treat every figure as approximate and confirm it with the operator before you travel.
Bangkok river and canal boats
Chao Phraya Express Boat
The Chao Phraya Express Boat is the main public boat service on Bangkok's river. Each boat flies a flag in the colour of its line; check it before you board, because the lines stop at different piers.
| Line (flag) | Route | Approximate fare |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | Nonthaburi – Rajsingkorn | ฿18 flat |
| Yellow | Nonthaburi – Sathorn | ฿23 flat |
| Green-Yellow | Pakkret – Sathorn | ฿16, ฿23 or ฿35 by distance |
| Red | Nonthaburi – Sathorn | ฿32 |
These fares come from the operator's schedule of 24 June 2026. Schedules were cut in 2026: a guide updated in August 2026 reports that the Orange boat runs only at weekday peak times (about 06:00–07:45 and 16:00–18:05 from Nonthaburi), and that Yellow boats cover the other hours, weekends and public holidays. Check the board at the pier, or the ViaBus app, which shows the live position of the boats. The operator's phone number is 02 449 3000.
Buy your ticket at the desk on the pier; the Rabbit card is also accepted. Useful piers for visitors:
- Sathorn (Central) pier: next to BTS Saphan Taksin.
- Tha Tien: for Wat Pho, and for the ferry across to Wat Arun. Since 5 April 2024 the Orange boats stop here instead of at Wat Arun pier.
- Tha Chang: for the Grand Palace.
- Phra Arthit: for the Khao San area.
- ICONSIAM: for the shopping centre of the same name.
Oriental Pier (N1) is closed for renovation.
Blue-flag tourist boat
The blue-flag tourist boat is run by a separate company and stops at piers near the main sights. In August 2026 a single trip cost ฿40 and a day pass ฿150 (discounted prices). Boats leave about every 30 minutes from 08:30 to 19:40, and the service is extended to Asiatique from 11:30 to 19:00. Sathorn to Phra Arthit takes about 30 minutes.
Electric boats and cross-river ferries
Thai Smile Boat (formerly MINE Smart Ferry) runs electric boats on the Chao Phraya on three routes. Its Metro Line reopened on 5 January 2026.
The cross-river ferry most visitors use runs from Tha Tien to Wat Arun: it costs ฿5.5, cash only, and leaves about every 10 minutes from 05:00 to 19:00.
Khlong Saen Saep canal boat
The Saen Saep canal boat is a fast way across central Bangkok when road traffic is heavy. It has two lines, and you change boats at Pratunam:
- Golden Mount line: Panfa Leelard to Pratunam.
- NIDA line: Pratunam to Wat Sriboonreung.
Fares have been ฿16–26 since 24 April 2026 and are tied to diesel prices. You pay in cash to the conductor on board. On weekdays the boats run from about 05:30 until 19:15–20:00, with shorter hours at weekends. Useful piers are Panfa Leelard (Democracy Monument, near Khao San), Pratunam, Chidlom, Wireless and Asok-Phetchaburi (for the MRT).
Keep your phone in a bag, because canal water can splash. At rush hour, move to the edge of the boat before your pier.
Island ferries: overview
| Crossing | Boat and approximate time | Approximate fare per person, one way |
|---|---|---|
| Pattaya (Bali Hai) – Koh Larn | Ferry 40–45 min; speedboat 15–20 min | Ferry ฿30; speedboat ฿200–300 |
| Ban Phe – Koh Samet | Ferry 30 min; speedboat 15 min | Ferry ฿70 (฿120 return); speedboat ฿200 |
| Ao Thammachat (Trat) – Koh Chang | Ferry 25–40 min | Check at the pier |
| Donsak – Koh Samui | Raja Ferry 1 h 30 min; catamaran 45 min | Raja Ferry ฿210 |
| Donsak – Koh Phangan (Thong Sala) | Raja Ferry 2 h 30 min | ฿280 |
| Chumphon – Koh Tao | Catamaran 1 h 45 min–2 h; night boat 6 h | Catamaran ฿600–900 |
| Phuket (Rassada) – Koh Phi Phi | Ferry 1 h 30 min; speedboat 50 min | Ferry ฿450–600; speedboat ฿700–900 |
| Ao Nang – Railay | Shared longtail 15 min | ฿100 |
East coast: Koh Larn, Koh Samet and Koh Chang
Koh Larn. Ferries leave from Bali Hai pier at the end of Walking Street in Pattaya; buy your ticket at the kiosk by the pier. On the listed timetable, boats run to Na Ban pier from 07:00 to 18:30 and to Tawaen beach from 08:00 to 17:00. Check the time of the last boat back before you go.
Koh Samet. Boats leave from the piers at Ban Phe roughly every hour from 08:00 to 17:00, so plan to reach Ban Phe well before the last boat. For the full trip, read How to Get from Pattaya to Koh Samet.
Koh Chang. Ferries run from Ao Thammachat pier, near Laem Ngop in Trat province, to Ao Sapparot on the island. The first ferry leaves at 06:30 and the last at 18:30. Sources disagree on the current passenger and car fares, so check them at the pier. See How to Get from Pattaya to Koh Chang.
Gulf of Thailand: Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
All ferries to Koh Samui leave from Donsak pier, about 60–70 km from Surat Thani airport and town. Raja Ferry, a car ferry, sails to Lipa Noi on Samui, and Seatran to Nathon; both take about 1 hour 30 minutes and run roughly every hour from 05:00 to 19:00. From Surat Thani airport, allow about 2.5–3 hours in total. A combined bus and ferry ticket from the airport with Raja Ferry costs about ฿540–590.
Lomprayah runs high-speed catamarans from Donsak to Samui, Phangan and Tao, between the three islands, and from Chumphon to Koh Tao, plus combined bus and boat tickets from Bangkok (Pinklao). Its fares are shown only on its booking system at lomprayah.com, which takes card, bank transfer, cash and PromptPay. From Maenam on Samui to Thong Sala on Phangan takes about 30 minutes. Bus and boat tickets from Bangkok to Koh Tao via Chumphon cost about ฿1,000–1,200.
The Gulf has its roughest seas from October to December, when cancellations are most likely, so keep a spare day before a flight. See How to Get from Bangkok to Koh Samui.
Andaman coast: Koh Phi Phi, Railay and Koh Lanta
Koh Phi Phi. From Phuket, boats leave Rassada Pier for Tonsai between about 08:30 and 15:00, so if you reach Phuket in the evening, plan to spend the night in Phuket first. From Krabi, boats leave Klong Jilad Pier, about 4 km from Krabi Town, and take 1–1.5 hours. Foreign adults pay a national park fee of ฿400 (children ฿200), which is not included in the boat ticket. See How to Get from Bangkok to Koh Phi Phi.
Railay. Railay has no road access, so everyone arrives by longtail. Shared boats from Ao Nang (about 15 minutes, ฿100 per person) run from 08:00 to 18:00 and carry 8–10 passengers each; trips at night cost more. From Chao Fah pier in Krabi Town the ride takes about 45 minutes, but not in the rainy season.
Koh Lanta. Cars and vans still cross to Koh Lanta on a vehicle ferry. The contract for a bridge from the mainland was due to be signed on 31 August 2026, with opening expected in 2029. See How to Get from Bangkok to Koh Lanta.
Longtails, speedboats and tickets
For a private longtail, agree the price and the return time before you get in. In Krabi in 2026, a private longtail cost about ฿2,500–3,500 for a half day and ฿4,500–6,500 for a full day. Speedboats save time but cost more than ferries.
For ferries, buy at the pier desk or book ahead with the operator, especially in busy periods. Agents such as 12Go also sell combined train, bus and ferry tickets.
Getting to the pier
Smile Taxi Service drives you door to door at a fixed price per vehicle, one way, with expressway tolls included. The fare is the same for 1 passenger or a full car: a sedan takes up to 3 passengers and 2 bags, an SUV up to 5 passengers and 4 bags, and a van up to 7 passengers and 5 bags.
| Route (one way) | Sedan | SUV | Van |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suvarnabhumi Airport → Pattaya (for Koh Larn) | ฿1,200 | ฿1,500 | ฿1,800 |
| Suvarnabhumi Airport → Ban Phe Pier (for Koh Samet) | ฿1,800 | ฿2,100 | ฿2,600 |
| Bangkok → Ban Phe Pier (for Koh Samet) | ฿2,000 | ฿2,300 | ฿2,800 |
| Pattaya → Ban Phe Pier (for Koh Samet) | ฿1,000 | ฿1,300 | ฿1,700 |
| Suvarnabhumi Airport → Koh Chang | ฿3,700 | ฿4,000 | ฿4,600 |
| Pattaya → Koh Chang | ฿3,000 | ฿3,600 | ฿4,000 |
| Phuket Airport → Ao Nang Beach (for Railay) | ฿2,200 | ฿2,400 | ฿3,000 |
The fare in the opposite direction is the same, except Ban Phe Pier → Pattaya, which costs ฿1,200 (sedan), ฿1,500 (SUV) or ฿1,800 (van).
On a Smile transfer to or from Koh Chang, the car ferry costs an extra ฿80 per person and ฿120 per car. Airport pickups include 60 minutes of free waiting from the actual landing time. You pay the driver in cash (THB) at the end of the trip; if you can only pay by card, message the team and it sends you a PayPal payment link, with a 5% fee added. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup. After that, a cancellation or change costs 25% (less than 24 h), 35% (less than 12 h) or 50% (less than 2 h) of the price, and a no-show 100%, also when you pay the driver in cash (details).
Book a sedan from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya, from Suvarnabhumi to Ban Phe Pier, from Suvarnabhumi to Koh Chang, from Pattaya to Koh Chang or from Phuket Airport to Ao Nang, or see all routes and prices for sedans, SUVs and vans. For a pier that is not on the list, ask for a quote on WhatsApp or LINE.
Public transport is much cheaper and suits travellers with light luggage. From Ekkamai bus terminal in Bangkok, a minivan to Ban Phe costs about ฿225 (3–3.5 hours, little luggage space), and a government bus to Koh Chang about ฿261. A private transfer suits families, groups and travellers with large bags.
Safety on the water
Boats in Thailand have sunk or collided with loss of life, usually because of overloading, poor maintenance or rough seas, especially in the monsoon.
- Do not board a boat that looks overloaded or has no life jackets.
- Check the weather before a sea crossing, and do not book a tight connection to a flight.
- Keep your phone, passport and money in a waterproof bag.
- Never leave your passport as a deposit with a jet-ski renter.
- Save the emergency numbers: Marine Department 1199 (24 hours), Tourist Police 1155, police 191 and ambulance 1669.
FAQ
How much is the ferry to Koh Larn? ฿30 one way from Bali Hai pier in Pattaya. The crossing takes about 40–45 minutes.
How much is the Chao Phraya tourist boat? In August 2026, ฿40 for a single trip or ฿150 for a day pass on the blue-flag boat.
Is the Phi Phi park fee included in the boat ticket? No. Foreign adults pay ฿400 and children ฿200 on top of the ticket.
How do I get from Surat Thani to Koh Samui? Go to Donsak pier. The Raja car ferry costs about ฿210 and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes; a Lomprayah catamaran takes about 45 minutes.
How do I cross the river to Wat Arun? Take the cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier. It leaves about every 10 minutes from 05:00 to 19:00 and costs ฿5.5 in cash.
Who do I call in a boat emergency? The Marine Department on 1199 (24 hours) or the Tourist Police on 1155.
For a fixed-price ride to your pier, book online or message Smile Taxi Service on WhatsApp or LINE.