Getting to Khao San Road is about to get a whole lot cooler and greener! Bangkok launches Thailand’s very first electric taxi boats this September. Floating through the city’s historic canals, the service gives both residents and visitors an eco-friendly way to explore the city without choking on exhaust or shouting over those roaring old-school engines.
The Big Mango is always finding new ways to fight back against pollution and let’s be real, PM 2.5 is the real enemy here. Most of it comes from traffic jams and those smoke-belching old buses. This time, the solution shows up on the water: electric boats. These new boats are made with recycled materials and run fully on clean energy with zero fumes, zero noise and maximum chill.
The brains (and boats) behind the project are Thoresen Thai Agencies (TTA) and its marine arm, TTA Mariner. They’re kicking things off with two boats during the pilot phase. Each one carries up to eight passengers and cruises along at a smooth 12 km/h – just fast enough to get you places but slow enough to soak in the view.
The first routes link Hua Lamphong Pier to Thewarat Market Pier along Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, looping back through Khlong Bang Lamphu before docking at Pipit Banglamphu Museum Pier. That means you’ll float past Khao San Road, Bang Lamphu, Bo Be Market, Nang Loeng Market, Phra Sumen Fort and Mahakan Fort. A canal-hopping itinerary that feels like both a sightseeing tour and an eco-escape.
And this is just the beginning. From the third month onward, the service will extend to Khlong Ong Ang and Khlong Saen Saep, which means direct EV boat access to Khlong Ong Ang Walking Street, Siam Paragon and CentralWorld. Yes, you could technically shop at Paragon and then float your way to a street food crawl.
How to catch one
Booking is as easy as hailing a Grab – just hop on the app. Tickets start at B60 per person or you can rent the whole boat for private trips. For now, boats run 9am–6pm but late-night rides might pop up soon. Fingers crossed for post-midnight Khao San shuttles.
The capital traffic is a daily war zone. Cars are gridlocked, BTS is sardine-packed and buses are… well, buses. EV taxi boats bring in a fresh piece of the puzzle: fast(er) connections between neighborhoods.
Bangkok’s been called the ‘Venice of the East’ forever but let’s be honest, the canals have lost their sparkle. These EV boats could bring back the magic. And with millions of tourists set to land in Bangkok, this might just be the city’s next signature move: rediscovering the khlongs without the guilt trip.