In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Choose the bank first. The east bank has the city: Shangri-La is a 6-minute walk from BTS Saphan Taksin, Mandarin Oriental runs a free boat to Sathorn Central Pier, and the Old Town hotels, Sala Rattanakosin (facing Wat Arun) and Riva Surya (Phra Arthit Road), put the temples within a walk or a boat ride. The west bank has The Peninsula and Anantara Riverside, with a pool and a garden each and a shuttle boat as the only quick way across. Check the last boat back before you book. Every hotel links to its Hotels.com page.
How the river works for a hotel guest
- Sathorn Central Pier is in front of BTS Saphan Taksin (exit 2). It is where the hotel shuttle boats and the public boats meet the Skytrain.
- Hotel shuttle boats. The Mandarin Oriental and The Peninsula run a free boat to Sathorn Central Pier, and Hotels.com lists a free boat across the river for Anantara Riverside. Hours differ by hotel, so ask for the timetable and the last boat back.
- The public boat. The orange-flag Chao Phraya Express Boat charges a flat 19 THB for the whole line, per the operator, and stops at Tha Tien (Wat Pho), Tha Chang (the Grand Palace) and Phra Arthit (Khao San Road). Bangkok public transport has the other boats.
A Mandarin Oriental shuttle boat. Photo: Chainwit., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
The six hotels compared
| Hotel | Bank and address | Reaching the Skytrain | Facilities | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandarin Oriental | East bank, Oriental Avenue (Charoen Krung Soi 40) | Free shuttle boat to Sathorn Central Pier | Two outdoor pools, spa | Not on a rail line |
| The Peninsula | West (Thonburi) bank | Free shuttle boat to Sathorn Central Pier | Four restaurants, outdoor pool, spa | Across the river from the city |
| Shangri-La | East bank, New Road | 6-minute walk to BTS Saphan Taksin | 802 rooms, two outdoor pools | A big hotel |
| Anantara Riverside | West (Thonburi) bank | Free shuttle boat across the river | Lagoon-style pool, spa, two tennis courts | Across the river from the city |
| Sala Rattanakosin | East bank, opposite Wat Arun | River boat from Tha Tien, or a taxi | Rooftop bar | No Skytrain |
| Riva Surya | East bank, Phra Arthit Road | Phra Arthit pier for the river boat | Riverside pool, spa | 20 minutes’ walk from the Grand Palace |
The hotels
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
East bank · Oriental Avenue, Charoen Krung Soi 40 · free shuttle boat to Sathorn Central Pier · Hotels.comad
The building opened as The Oriental in 1876, one of the first hotels in Thailand (Wikipedia). It has two outdoor pools and a spa. Its restaurant Anne-Sophie Pic at Le Normandie holds two Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026 (where to eat). It is a five-star hotel, so expect the top price band, and it is not on a rail line: every trip to the Skytrain starts with the boat.
The Peninsula Bangkok
Thonburi (west) bank · about five minutes by car from ICONSIAM and Wat Pho · free shuttle boat to Sathorn Central Pier · Hotels.comad
A 37-floor tower with 367 rooms that opened in 1998 (Wikipedia), on the west bank. It has four restaurants, an outdoor pool, a poolside bar and a spa. The shuttle boat is the quick way to the city side of the river.
The Peninsula Bangkok from the river. Photo: Fabio Achilli, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The Peninsula Bangkok’s riverside terrace. Photo: David Broad, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Shangri-La Bangkok
East bank · 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Road, Bang Rak · 6 minutes from BTS Saphan Taksin · Hotels.comad
An 802-room hotel in two towers with a quarter of a mile of river frontage, facing BTS Saphan Taksin (Wikipedia). It has two outdoor pools and a spa. It is the one hotel here with a walk to the Skytrain instead of a boat. At 802 rooms, check-in and breakfast run at big-hotel pace.
The Shangri-La Bangkok on the river. Photo: Shangrilahotelbangkok, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort
Thonburi (west) bank · free shuttle boat across the river · Hotels.comad
A resort with a lagoon-style pool, a spa and two outdoor tennis courts. Everything in the city is across the river, so plan the return boat before dinner.
Sala Rattanakosin Bangkok
East bank, opposite Wat Arun · within about 10 minutes’ walk of Wat Pho and the Grand Palace · rooftop bar · Hotels.comad
A riverside hotel facing Wat Arun, a short ferry from Wat Arun. Not every room faces the river, so book a river-view room. The nearest Skytrain is far: use the river boat from Tha Tien or a taxi.
Riva Surya Bangkok
East bank · 23 Phra Arthit Road · 6 minutes from Khao San Road, 20 from the Grand Palace · riverside pool, spa · Hotels.comad
A boutique hotel with 68 rooms, a riverside pool and a gym. Its Deluxe Riva rooms are 40 square metres with a tiled balcony facing the river (rivasuryabangkok.com). The walk to the Grand Palace is 20 minutes, so you will use the Phra Arthit pier for the river boat to the Grand Palace.
Seeing the river from the water
Staying on the river makes the boats the easy way to see it. Two ways to use them:
- An all-day boat pass: the Chao Phraya River hop-on hop-off boat passad (from ฿150, 4.5 stars from 3,540 reviews) is an unlimited all-day ticket reaching the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Chinatown; the hop-on hop-off guide lists the piers.
- An evening on the water: the White Orchid dinner cruise with free beerad (from ฿1,128, 4.4 stars from 5,474 reviews) sails from Asiatique The Riverfront or ICONSIAM with a buffet and live music; the dinner cruises guide compares the boats and piers.
Booking a river room
- Ask for the boat timetable and the last boat back. It decides whether you can eat out in the city.
- Book a river-view room if you want the water; at Sala Rattanakosin, not every room faces Wat Arun.
- Plan the airport trip. None of these hotels has a station at the door, so use a taxi or take the boat or walk to the Skytrain for the airport rail links.
For hotels away from the water, see where to stay in Bangkok. The Bangkok guide has the entry rules, and the Chao Phraya dinner cruises leave from ICONSIAM and Asiatique.
Common questions
Why stay at a hotel on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok?
For a pool and a garden on the water, and a boat that skips the road traffic. Several of the large hotels run a free shuttle boat to Sathorn Central Pier, which is in front of BTS Saphan Taksin. The Old Town hotels put the Grand Palace and Wat Pho within a boat ride or a walk.
How do you get from a riverside hotel to the BTS Skytrain?
By the hotel's shuttle boat to Sathorn Central Pier, then up to BTS Saphan Taksin. Shangri-La is the exception: Hotels.com gives a 6-minute walk to the station. Ask each hotel for its boat timetable and the last boat back.
Which riverside hotels are on the west bank?
The Peninsula Bangkok and Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort are on the Thonburi (west) bank. Mandarin Oriental, Shangri-La, Sala Rattanakosin and Riva Surya are on the east bank with the city.
Which riverside hotel looks at Wat Arun?
Sala Rattanakosin, on the east bank directly opposite the temple. Not every room faces the river, so book a river-view room.
How much is the public river boat?
The orange-flag Chao Phraya Express Boat charges a flat 19 THB for the whole line, according to the operator, and stops at Tha Tien for Wat Pho, Tha Chang for the Grand Palace and Phra Arthit for Khao San Road.
