An adventurous trip by boat from Bangkok to Koh Kret
The Chao Praya Express Boat, a water transport service in Bangkok, together with the Skytrain is the best way to get around the city quickly and without traffic jams. journey. You are not bothered by traffic. A cool breeze blows on board. And the view from the river is also overwhelming.
Unfortunately, most visitors to the capital only experience a small portion of the ferry service. They sail between Saphan Taksin pier in the south and the Royal Palace (the temple with the Emerald Buddha) and the pier at Khao San in the north.
The more adventurous Thailand-goers among us will wonder where the boats go after they have dropped off tourists. All you see is that they sail further upstream and then disappear from sight.
From Pakret to Koh Kret
Most Chao Praya Express boats stop at Nonthaburi Pier. This pier is located about 15 kilometers from the center of Bangkok. The special boats with the green flag sail another ten kilometers upstream to the town of Pakret. This city has little to offer tourists. It is the starting point on the way to Koh Kret. This is a nice idyllic and dreamy island in the middle of the Menam River. On Koh Kret you get the feeling that you are very far away from hectic Bangkok. It is almost completely green and there are no cars. There is an authentic rural atmosphere. You can enjoy the peace and fresh air. The island has several shops that sell the unusual Mon pottery.
Of course you can also easily get to Pakret by bus or taxi from Bangkok. However, it is more interesting to travel by Express Boat (look for the green flag). These boats only run from Bangkok to Pakret on weekdays. They leave at the end of the afternoon and at the beginning of the evening. The boats only operate during the week, as they are used by the locals for commuting. Take the first boat to Pakret (departing from Saphan Taksin at about 06.00:XNUMX in the morning). There you take the ferry to Koh Kret. Explore the island and travel back to Bangkok before dinner.
How to travel to Saphan Taksin pier?
Take the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin station. There you will follow the crowd to Saphan Taksin pier. Make sure to be there by four in the afternoon. Board a boat with a green flag. Ignore the boats with the orange and yellow flags and the boats without a flag. Try to get a seat on the right side of the boat (starboard). This way you can avoid the glare of the midday sun. The trip to Pakret takes just over an hour. Upon arrival in Pakret, follow the crowd to the main road. Here you will take a motorcycle taxi to Wat Sanam Neua temple (24 Moo 3 Chaengwattana Road). You pay ten baht for this short ride. Walk through the temple and board a ferry to Koh Kret. You pay two baht for this. The trip across the river takes only a few minutes.
Discovery tour on Koh Kret
At the pier on Koh Kret you will find a few simple shops. There is also a fleet of motorcycle taxis waiting for you. Most are driven by a woman. Something you never really see in Bangkok. Most motorcycle taxi drivers in Bangkok are from the rural north of Thailand Thailand. The female drivers on Koh Kret are almost all locals. You rent a motorbike taxi per hour, but you can also rent a bicycle. You have to be able to handle cycling in the heat all day long. With a motorbike you can make a tour of the entire island in about 45 minutes. The road is a narrow concrete strip less than two meters wide. On the road, all you see are motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, cattle and plenty of giggling kids.
There are a number of tourist sites on the island. You can visit various Buddhist temples. The most interesting temple is the Wat Poramaiyikawat (57 Moo 7). It has a small adjoining museum. The best thing on Koh Kret is sailing through the small hamlets. You can then enjoy the soothing rural view. Along the way, stop whenever you feel like a refreshing drink.
When you get back to the pier, take the ferry back to Pakret. Here you will go to the pier of the Chao Praya Express Boat (the same pier where you arrived earlier). The green flag boats only sail to the south of Bangkok in the morning. You will therefore have to hire and pay for a private boat to take you to Nonthaburi pier (you will pay around 500 baht for this). A trip in one of the rented speedboats can be very intense. If you do not like this, it is better to take the bus from Pakret to Bangkok.
At the pier Nonthaburi you take an Express boat to the center of Bangkok. They depart approximately every 20 minutes and run until seven in the evening. The journey takes about an hour and costs 15 baht.
View
By the time you board the boat it will be evening. The view of Bangkok from the Menam River is really dazzling! The fairytale-lit Temple of the Emerald Buddha will leave an indelible impression. Also very special is the illuminated stupa of the Wat Arun (the temple of the dawn), truly phenomenal.
A few minutes later you will be back at Saphan Taksin pier. This is the pier where you started your adventure.
This is something I will definitely do when I am in Bangkok again. Thanks in advance for the tip.
Greetings Herman
For this boat trip, keep in mind that the boat leaves between 6 and 8 o'clock in the morning.
The return journey can also be made by boat to Nontahburi between 4 and 7 am.
Buses also depart from Pak Kret:
166 to Victori Monument
52 to Mochit/BTS
32 to Nonthaburi, pay attention to the exit point, which is not at the pier.
There are also many mini buses with the same routes.
Only on the one of Victori Monument it is in English but on the others only Thai.
But the one that has BTS on it is for Mo Chit.
For those who do not want to leave early, take the bus from Nontaburi, which leaves again near the pier.
The trip from Nontahburi goes over a very beautiful part of Chao Phraya.
You will also see the outline of the prison (Bangkok Hilton)
I use the boat from Pak Kret very often and every time I pass it I think of the movie Bangkok Hilton with an escape across the river.
In Pak Kret you also have many small shops and a market. Is somewhat hidden in the street.
Koh Kret is just a piece of nature and very beautiful.
Cycling and walking is just great fun here
There is also a rehab center on Koh Kret, where fallen women are helped up. Perhaps that explains the large number of female drivers of motorbike taxis. By the way, Khun Peter, Menaam means nothing but river. It always needs a proper name. In this case Chao Phraya. (Likewise: Menaam Loei, Menaam Ping, Menaam Khong etc.
The Chao Praya Express Boat entertained us well. The agility with which the boats arrive at the quay, the rapid disembarkation and disembarkation of passengers, and the rapid departure again is a sight to behold. Dirt cheap, fun, and you see Bangkok in a different way.
Thanks for the tip Koh Kret.
Here you get an impression of how fast it is to get on and off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI8i4amAroA
And here you can see the beautiful views:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxlddwbAvss
Koh Kret:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KuZD9CZm_0
Here are the official and correct sailing times, which differ from those mentioned in the article.
In addition, the island is just on the Chao Praya and not on a river called Menam.
GREEN FLAG BOAT
Route : Pakkred (N33) – (We write Phakret)
Nonthaburi (N30) – Sathorn (Centre)
Operation : Monday – Friday (so not on Saturday and Sunday)
Morning Service 06.15 – 08.10 hrs.
Afternoon Service 15.30:18.05 – XNUMX:XNUMX hrs.
Fares: 13 / 20 / 32 Baht
(Depends on distance)
Dear Martin: Menam simply means “river” in Thai. So the piece definitely does not contain the name of another river. So Chao Phraya river = Menam Chao Phraya…..
think I visited this island last time through a Dutch tour operator who did bangkok by bicycle tours! the price was about 1000 bath per person, the female thai guide was very good and we left after the meeting and coffee in the morning around nine o'clock, pleasant tour through Bangkok and its small alleys, then cycling on the boat and so the crossing to your named island, I think? Here we drove via narrow concrete paths right in the middle of the jungle away from the immense crowds! toilet and drink stops we had been on the island for some time, then back via ferry and back to the starting point around 13h, we were back from a beautifully organized bicycle tour! Now that I know your story I definitely want to try this one too. on your own! Of course I see that you need some time to get to the island and back, as well as if you want to return with the boat of 500 bath (pp?); therefore I think that you can do this trip at half of the tour operator? thanks again for your beautiful emails that I read every day! alfons and marina from Belgium!
Sorry Mertens,
The bike ride from Co van Kessel is not to this island, (Kho Kret)
This island is far too far from the center, about an hour by boat and they don't take bicycles.
Piet 33 is under the bridge of the Chiang Watthana Road, known for the immigration office.
You can also take the boat to go to this immigration office, walk a short distance after pier 33, past the many stalls, and then take bus 52. Then you have not only made a very nice trip, but you only spend 9 Bhat bus + 13 Bhat boat + 20 or 32 Bhat boat, so only 42 Bhat.
for a great experience.
Greetings
Seems like a very nice trip, but it looks like a reposted message from the date of many comments. Don't go back to Bangkok until Jan'15, so ask me if all this information is still up to date? Greeting!
The pottery does not come from Myanmar but is made on site. Glazed and unglazed. When you buy iced coffee somewhere, you get it in an earthenware jar that you can take with you, which is included in the price. A lot of sweets are also made, in the most beautiful shapes, such as roses.
We sailed in a rented longtail boat from the pier at the royal palace to koh Kred for 1200BHT.
More than worth a visit !!
The trip that Heer Mertens is talking about is not Koh Kret but Pra Padeng, the so-called green lung of Bangkok on the other side of the Chayo Praya near Klong Toey. Very worthy of a visit indeed. Koh Kret is a lot further north and indeed more than an hour's boat ride from Taksin bridge. It is indeed worth a visit, but in Thai high summer (now) it is extremely hot if there is no breeze.
You are right Bas, last month we did koh kret, this was much nicer regarding the cycle paths and population, we went especially on Saturday because a brewery called Chit-Beer is only open on weekends, so we left on our own. from pier 12 near khao san road until we could not go further than pier 30, due to the weekend the express boats did not sail to the island, a friendly man stood there watching us and gave the tip to take his long tail boat to the island for 1000 bath return, after some negotiation I had haggled for 300 bath! he would take us there and wait as long as we wanted to come back, so all alone nice breeze, refueled on the way and in 15 to 20 minutes we were there, a bit walking and cycling (good!) at 40b pp; the tour is easy to do, the cycle paths are also wider than on the other cycle tour with ko; all beautiful and easy to follow, I think if you just keep pedaling you will be able to get around it in 1 hour island, but anyone who wants to experience this and do the tour in this way can do it at their own pace; we will definitely come back if we stay in bkk again, for a maximum of 1000 bath for 2 you have a fantastic trip far away from the heat and crowds!
A very interesting article. Only I haven't found out yet why people have to be at Sapan Taksin at 16:00 PM, if the boat first arrives at 06:15 AM?.
If you board at Sapan Thaksin around 16:00 PM, you no longer have to get off at Koh Sakret, because the last boat leaves at 18:05 PM. The cruise takes more than an hour. Unless you want to go for a walk all night on the island in the moonlight?. There are no hotels at all.
The boats with the green flag sail from south to north in the MORNING and not the other way around as stated in the story
Renting a private boat is also not necessary at all. Boats with the green flag sail back to Sapan Taksin in the afternoon. See timetable above from blogger Martin, which is still correct.
As said, a nice performance, only the times are not right. Stick to the timetable posted by Martin. If it is too early for you, take a tuk tuk or taxi to the ferry Koh Sakret and take the boat back to Bangkok from 15:30
well,
We sailed on Wednesday, April 26 (so 3 days ago), at about 15.00 p.m. from the south to the north, Pakret pier 33, with a boat with a green flag.
well it can be.
We paid; 15 Bhat to Nothabori and then he sails on and has to pay 13 Bhat again.
We live in Lak-Si.
Greetings
I made this trip in July 2013. Absolutely recommended. We rented a motorcycle taxi on the island itself. Back we took the taxi to bkk. By far the easiest.
I really wanted to do this trip and we went on a Friday. On arrival we were immediately told that little was open, rest day. We found that very unfortunate and did not see much of the potter's, this is what we came for. We took a bicycle and cycled around the island. So if anyone goes there, inquire well in advance if they don't have a day of rest.
Yes, recommended, I've been there several times.
On Koh Kret there is a fairly large 'market' around Wat Poramaiyikawat which is very popular with Thai tourists, especially on weekends, when it can be really busy. However, most of the tourists stay there and you can easily avoid / cycle the hordes.
There is also plenty to see during the week and there is always a potter going on somewhere 😉
Last time I visited the island there was also a restaurant that sold home brewed beer!
As for the rehab center, it's not open to tourists, of course.
Coincidentally visited Koh Kret with my girlfriend last Sunday. First drove by taxi at 200 baht from Pratunam to the pier and after arrival on the island booked a boat trip around the island at 60 baht pp. This can be done immediately after arrival at a counter on your right. Unfortunately, this trip was very touristy (Thai, no foreigners) and there were two stops along the way to let people buy food and souvenirs. Of course you also cannot see the interior of Koh Kret by boat, but on the other hand you do have a good view of the houses-on-wooden-pillars along the water. I found KK very interesting and hope to return there for a trip through the interior and the famous “thoot man plaa”, fried fish balls. Unfortunately, my girlfriend was less enthusiastic about this, so I missed this fat bite for this time.
By the way, we went back by bus, which departs from the main road a short walk from the pier. Because the weekend was unfortunately no express boat.
Been to Koh Kret twice, this with a privately rented longtail boat at the Taksin pier. Ask the helmsman to sail to Koh Kret via the klongs and sights. Be sure to visit the dry-docs with the "Royal Barges" (royal sloops). A fun and affordable half day or longer tour.
In fact, Koh Kret is an artificial island. They simply dug a channel to cut off the bend in the Chao Phaya. Koh Kret is a settlement of the Mon, the original inhabitants of Thailand
Next to Pakkret pier, there is still an antique covered Chinese market that has been covered for a hundred years. Nice to walk around. Stuff is sold here that you will not find anywhere else unless it is in China town. Many traders are descendants of escaped Kuomintang soldiers.
Pakkret also has several temples that are worth visiting, especially the temple with the reclining Buddha, much more beautiful and authentic than its tourist counterpart in Bangkok
Pakkret is not polluted by tourism and almost no Westerners live there.
Nice, interesting story and a good tip if I'm in Bangkok again.
Is the Wat Arun already out of the scaffolding, by the way.
Pak Kret also has a waterfront homebrew bar where owner/brewer Chit was the first pioneer to promote and sell homebrew in Thailand. Because of the cartel of the big breweries, brewing is illegal unless you have more than 10 million liters of capacity per year. A nice hangout place after exploring the island to drink cheap craft beer. Only open on weekends.
I mean Koh Kret
Nice tip but don't tell too much otherwise it's over with the rest. I've been there at the beginning of this month. There are also some homestays, does anyone have experience with that?
Nice to read so many comments about Koh Kret, was there again last year, as my Thai in-laws live there, and see it change every time. More and more beautiful hiking trails, on poles, with beautiful lighting. But quiet in 2020 because of Corona. Everything built on stilts because of the annual floods. Visit worth recommending.
By the way, together with my wife I have a restaurant in Din Daeng called "JenJo", where you will find an extensive kitchen, even spring rolls, bitterballen, croquettes and pita shawarma, at Thai prices. Knowing more ? [email protected]
Greetings