Bangkok Guide - How to get to Wat Arun & Wat Pho using Public Transit
Thinking of taking a trip to Bangkok to see all the wonderful sights the city has to offer? The Wat Arun and Wat Pho temples are probably on your must-see list!
Having just travelled to Thailand and seeing these amazing sights in person, I thought I would share some travel tips to help you get there too! Bangkok is known for crazy traffic, so skip the taxis and take public transportation to the temples. You will need to use the BTS and then connect to the river ferry - but it is an EASY and FUN experience (I’ve included photos below to help you navigate!).
Here are the 6 easy steps to get you to Wat Arun and Wat Pho (see photos below):
Find your nearest BTS station and buy a ticket to Saphan Taksin (this is the station where you will connect to the ferry). If you are travelling along the Mo Chit - Bearing line, you will need to transfer at Siam to connect to the other BTS line (National Stadium - Bang Wa)
When you get off at Saphan Taksin, take Exit 1 “Cross-River Ferry Pier” and walk to Central Pier. You can’t miss it (you can pretty much see it when you exit down the escalator)
Once you reach the pier, follow the signs for Chao Phraya Express Boat “Orange Flag”. This might be a little confusing as there are a number of different type of ferries/boats you can take from the pier. But for the cheapest fare, your best bet is to take the Orange Flag ferry.
When you find the Orange Flag area, you will see a desk with an attendant. This is where you pay your fare - at the time of writing (March 2019) the fare was 20 Baht per person. Pay your fare and then stand in line for the Orange ferry.
Once you’re on board, you will need to get off at Pier 8 (Ta Tian). This will drop you off right in front of Wat Arun!
If you want to cross the river to see Wat Pho and the Grand Palace, then follow the signs to the Wat Pho pier (3 min walk along the river) and board the cross-river ferry (Cost = 4 Baht per person). To get back, just reverse these steps!
A fun and cheap way of getting to the beautiful must-see destinations in Bangkok. Hope this helps any future Thailand travellers :)
Step 2: Saphan Taskin - Below is a picture of the Area Map you will see once you reach Saphan Taksin
In Saphan Taksin - Follow the signs to Exit 1 “Cross-River Ferry Pier” and walk to Central Pier.
Exiting Saphan Taksin - When you take the escalator/stairs from Saphan Taksin station you will be able to see the Central Pier (you can see the Central Pier structure in the photo below)
Step 3: Central Pier - Follow the signs for Chao Phraya Express Boat “Orange Flag”, you will see an overhead sign like the one below to help guide you
Step 4: Orange Flag Fare - You will see this desk with an attendant. This is where you pay your fare (20 Baht per person). Pay your fare and then stand in line (behind the desk) for the Orange ferry.
Once you've found your way to the temples, you can enjoy the sights!
