Sail into Bangkok’s heart along the Chao Phraya River. Experience the city glowing at night and feel the magic on both sides, aboard ‘Sawasdee Chao Phraya’, a large, luxurious cruise ship.
Sounds great, right? But what is the reality?
We bought our 55000 won tickets through a Korean travel website. We picked up our tickets from the pier at around 5.30 pm and were given a sticker to put on our top which specified which table we would be sitting at. We then enjoyed the evening weather while waiting for the cruise ship to arrive. At 6.50 pm, the ship arrived in style with the crew portside waving at us and music playing.
Boarding was very quick and efficient, and they take a photo of your group as you board. Our table was right at the front near a stage, lights, and speakers. Probably better if booking again in the future to be just a little back from our position, but you do need to be somewhere near the front to enjoy the onboard show fully.
After a brief safety announcement, the show began with an opening dance, and once it was finished, the buffet was open for the rest of the voyage.
The show consisted of 3 set-piece traditional Thai dance routines, and in between singing from the main female host. To cater to the audience, she sang English, Korean, and Chinese songs, and to my untrained ears was a good singer and general show hostess.
The food was varied, plentiful, and delicious. No need to worry about something you fancy running out. They replaced empty plates pretty quickly.
Total cruise time was 2 hours. I normally suffer from motion sickness when on board boats, but this one was rock steady, and I had no side effects.
Was it all worth it……? Most definitely! Bangkok at night is a feast of city lights, and seeing it from the river while enjoying a great meal and show made for a beautiful evening. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone coming here to take a nighttime cruise. We even brought the photo they took when boarding the boat. It was a nice memento of a lovely evening.
