Chao Phraya Buffet Dinner Cruise with Live Shows Bangkok

The Chao Phraya River at night

The Chao Phraya is Bangkok's great river, flowing about 370 kilometres from the north of Thailand to the sea and dividing the capital into the Bangkok and Thonburi banks. For centuries it was the city's main road: kings, merchants and farmers all travelled by boat, and the royal palace, the oldest temples and the first trading houses were all built along its banks. After dark, the floodlit temples and bridges turn it into the most beautiful stretch of the city.

A Chao Phraya dinner cruise is the easiest way to see these landmarks in one evening without traffic. This cruise sails from the Thonburi bank at 20:00 and returns at 22:30, so there is time to eat, watch the shows and still spend long moments on deck. The route can change with river traffic, water levels and weather.

Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn

Wat Arun stands on the Thonburi bank opposite the Grand Palace and is one of Bangkok's best-known landmarks. Its central prang, decorated with pieces of colourful Chinese porcelain and seashells, rises high above the river and is surrounded by four smaller prangs. The temple dates back to the Ayutthaya period, and it became the royal temple when Thonburi was briefly the capital of Siam in the 18th century.

Seen from the river at night, Wat Arun is lit in warm gold, and the boat passes close enough for excellent photos from the rooftop deck or the open-air bow. If you plan to visit Wat Arun by day, the temple is open from morning until early evening and the cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier takes only a few minutes.

The Grand Palace and Wat Pho

On the opposite bank rise the white walls, golden spires and tiered roofs of the Grand Palace, built from 1782 when Bangkok became the capital. Inside its walls stands the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred temple in Thailand. From the river you see the palace's riverside front, beautifully floodlit, with the spires of the royal buildings glittering above.

Just south of the palace is Wat Pho, with its great reclining Buddha, about 46 metres long and covered in gold leaf, and Thailand's first public centre of learning. Both landmarks are closed in the evening, so the cruise is a wonderful way to see them lit up after a day of sightseeing on foot.

Rama VIII Bridge and the old Thonburi riverside

Further upstream the boat reaches the Rama VIII Bridge, opened in 2002 and named after the king who reigned in the 1930s and 1940s. It is one of the world's largest asymmetric cable-stayed bridges, with a single tall pylon on the Bangkok bank, and at night its cables are lit in shifting colours. On the way you pass the riverside campus of Thammasat University, one of Thailand's oldest universities, and the cream-coloured Santa Cruz Church in the old Kudi Chin quarter.

These quieter stretches show another side of Bangkok: old riverside communities, small temples and wooden houses next to modern towers. The rooftop deck, with open 360-degree views, is the best place to enjoy this part of the route.

Dinner, shows and seating on board

The boat has three decks. The open-air rooftop on the 3rd deck gives full 360-degree views, the open bow on the 2nd floor offers a quieter, romantic setting, and the indoor dining rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors are air-conditioned with large glass windows. Your table is reserved after booking, and each group has its own table. In case of rain, guests in open areas move inside and can return outdoors when it stops.

The buffet includes salmon sashimi, steamed and grilled prawns, mussels, squid, sushi, teppanyaki, beef steak, Thai dishes, international favourites, desserts and seasonal fruit, with free-flow soft drinks, water, tea and coffee. During the cruise you watch Thai classical dance, a cabaret-style show and a live band. Tell us about birthdays or anniversaries and the host can prepare a small surprise.