Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DINNER CRUISES
A dinner cruise along Mae Nam Chao Phraya is touted as an iconic Bangkok experience, and several companies
cater to this. Yet it's worth mentioning that, in general, the vibe can be pretty cheesy, with loud live entertainment
and mammoth boats so brightly lit inside you'd never know you were on the water. The food, typically served as
a buffet, usually ranges from mediocre to forgettable. But the atmosphere of the river at night, bordered by illu-
minated temples and skyscrapers, and the cool breeze chasing the heat away, is usually enough to trump all of
this.
A good one-stop centre for all your dinner cruise needs is the
River City Information Desk
( 0 2639 4532,
0 2237 0077;
www.rivercity.co.th
; ground fl, River City, 23 Th Yotha; 10am-10pm; Tha Si Phraya/River
City, or shuttle boat from Tha Sathon), where tickets can be purchased for
Grand Pearl
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
( 0 2861 0255;
www.grandpearlcruise.com
;
1700B; cruise 7.30-9.30pm),
Chaophraya
www.thairivercruise.com
;
1400B; cruise 7.45-9.45pm). All cruises depart from River City Pier; take a look at
the websites to see exactly what's on offer.
Silom
CHENNAI KITCHEN$
(10 Th Pan; mains 70-150B; 10am-3pm & 6-9pm; ; Surasak exit 3)
This thimble-sized mom-
and-pop restaurant near the Hindu temple puts out some of the most solid southern Indian
vegetarian food around. Yard-long dosai (a crispy southern Indian bread) is always a good
choice, but if you're feeling indecisive (or exceptionally famished) go for the banana-leaf
thali that seems to incorporate just about everything in the kitchen.
INDIAN
RAN NAM TAO HU YONG HER$
(68 Th Narathiwat Ratchanakharin; mains 40-205B; 11am-10pm; ; Chong Nonsi exit 3)
Although the
name of this blink-and-you'll-miss-it shophouse eatery translates as 'soy milk restaurant',
the emphasis here is on northern Chinese cuisine - a rarity in Bangkok. Try the Shang-
hainese speciality
xiao long bao,
described on the menu as 'small steamed bun', actually
CHINESE
