Chao Phraya River News

All passengers and crew managed to escape from a sinking passenger vessel on Thailand's Chao Phraya River on Sunday evening, The National Thailand reports. The three-story vessel High Season 1 was said to be carrying 60 passengers, mostly Thai and Chinese tourists, plus 15 crew when it sank near a private pier in Soi Somdet Chaophraya 1 in Bangkok’s Khlong San district. There were no reported injuries or damage to property or the environment.“The ship made a U-turn to return to the hotel when it reached Phra Pok Klao Bridge.

The 5th Annual Ferry Safety and Technology conference will be held in Bangkok Thailand on February 20‐22, 2019. The conference is designed to showcase the best practical technologies to improve safety particularly‐ but not solely, for the developing world.The conference is co‐hosted by the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) and the famed Chao Phraya River Boat Co. The conference features good news on multiple fronts: new high‐quality ferry systems; new development of inland waterways making them safe for ferries in India and Bangladesh (in a presentation by the World Bank)…

Wise visitors to Bangkok will be sure to take a Chao Phraya river cruise past the spectacular Temple of the Dawn, Wat Arun, and the glories of the golden spired Grand Palace. The ultimate way to do this is on a dinner cruise with a buffet of the celebrated Thai food.This has become such a popular experience that the river at night becomes a spectacular parade of beautifully lit low-slung river cruise ships gliding under bridges and moving sedately amidst that city’s lights and sights.

The Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) has announced the winners of its 2017 competition for the design of a safe and affordable ferry, chosen by a panel of judges. The awards will be presented on May 11, at WFSA’s Ferry Safety & Technology Conference. Dr. Roberta Weisbrod, the Executive Director of the WFSA, said, “Urban linear ferries like Bangkok and New York are in growth mode everywhere. The students have garnered useful experience, especially the awardees, in designing for a growing market.

There is a convergence of new advances in technology for ferries AND quantum leaps in ferry operations in Asia, Africa and North America. Can operating a ferry be made better safer and cheaper? Yes, says technology. What’s exciting about this year’s Ferry Safety and Technology conference, the Third Annual, is the promise of technology – how telematics, affordable sensors, and graphic visualization – enhance safety, and vastly benefit the quality and cost of operations. This isn’t a conference for nerds and geeks – it’s for those of who need to use technology to understand it.

For many years, the Supatra River House on the Chao Phrya River, has been a favorite with Thai and foreign dinners. Situated on the Thonburi side of the river, the most favored approach to the restaurant is by boat. To that end, the owner, Khun Supapan maintains a fleet of beautifully restored Chao Phraya River water taxis. These can pickup dinners from their riverside hotels or any one of the Express Boat docks, including Tha Maharaj pier on the Bangkok side across from the Supatra River House.

Thailand has long been noted for exquisite food and gorgeous boats. In recent years these two have found luxurious expression in the growing fleet of big, low-slung dinner-cruise vessels. In 2005 we reported on a 53x11-meter vessel capable of feeding 400 people at a sit-down buffet. A pair of 640 HP Cummins KTA19 M3 engines powered this vessel. June 2014 will see the game moved up several notches when the dinner cruise vessel Wonderful Pearl makes her grand entry to the Chao Phraya River from her builders, the Mahachai Dockyard on the Ta Chin River just to the west of the Bangkok.

Among the world’s great commuter boats, the fleet of the Chao Phraya Express Boat Company holds a particular place. Not only for its singular success in moving large numbers of passengers in a city whose roads are notorious for their traffic jams, but also for the beauty of the fleet of graceful wooden boats. Thai culture recognizes four great principles; Suay (beautiful), saad (clean), sanook (fun), suparp (appropriate). These boats meet all four criteria. Their beautifully clean lines speak for themselves but they are also entirely appropriate to their function and…