Amongst Bangkok’s Street Art & Canals

After a few relaxing days on Koh Samet, it was time to make our way back to Bangkok for the final stop of our Thailand adventure. We started the morning with an early breakfast before heading to the pier, where we caught a fast catamaran back to the mainland. From there, it was onto a minivan for the roughly three-hour journey into Bangkok.

We arrived at the Centre Point Plus Hotel Silom around 12:30pm, a little too early to check into our room. No big deal, though. We dropped off our bags and explored the shopping centre attached to the hotel, where we grabbed some lunch before returning to check in. 

Once we had settled in, we caught a taxi over to Talat Noi, one of Bangkok’s older neighbourhoods, tucked between Chinatown and the Chao Phraya River. Historically a community of Chinese merchants, mechanics and traders, it has a interesting mix of old shopfronts, workshops, traditional buildings, little cafés and colourful street art.

One of the first things we came across was a Bumblebee Transformer statue, which is apparently made from scrap metal by a local craftsman. It was certainly not what we expected to see, specially among the traditional buildings and workshops, but that’s part of what makes Talat Noi so interesting. The neighbourhood manages to mix its working-class history with modern art and quirky attractions without losing its character.

We continued exploring the street art, including a narrow lane filled with colourful murals, little coffee shops and plenty of interesting spots to stop for photos. The artwork is scattered throughout the neighbourhood, so exploring on foot is the best way to see it.

As we wandered around, we also stumbled across something we hadn’t planned for: Bangkok’s Vegetarian Festival. Known locally as the Jay Festival, this Thai-Chinese religious tradition takes place around September or October and sees devotees abstain from meat as part of a period of spiritual purification, I had once seen this festival in Khao Lak many years before and it was interesting to see again. In particular as it involves temple ceremonies, offerings and vegetarian food  on offer, plus everyone is dressed in white which is interesting to see.

By this stage, we were getting tired, so we negotiated a price with a tuk-tuk driver and headed back to the hotel. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the pool before heading out for dinner locally at Ma! Bangrak street food market. It was a nice way to finish our first day back in Bangkok, with some good food options and some cold drinks!

Back in our room, we sat on the balcony with cold drinks, looking out over the Chao Phraya River. Sitting there watching the colourful boats pass by, with Bangkok stretching out around us, was a lovely way to end the evening.

The next morning was our last full adventure before heading home, and we had booked the Old Waterways canal tour with Hidden Bangkok Tours. For getting around Thailand, we’d been using Bolt quite a bit as I found its prices generally cheaper than Grab.

Our journey to the tour’s starting point involved the usual Bangkok traffic, followed by some rather tight roads that seemed to get narrower the further we went. Eventually, we reached the meeting point near the river and were soon aboard our private boat, ready to explore a different side of the city.

Bangkok has an extensive network of canals, known as khlongs. Before modern roads, these waterways were the routes for transport, trade and everyday life. Many canalside communities still live alongside the water, with wooden houses, small piers, temples and local shops lining the banks.

The Old Waterways tour with Hidden Bangkok Tours explores these historic waterways, including the Bangkok Yai Canal, going past traditional homes, temples and neighbourhoods, an entire world away from the busy roads. Almost immediately, we could feel the difference. The noise and congestion of Bangkok seemed to disappear as we cruised slowly along the canals. 

At the start of the tour, we were offered a choice of stopping at the enormous Buddha at Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen or visiting the Artist’s House, also known as Baan Silapin, in the Khlong Bang Luang community. We decided the Artist’s House would be more fun for the whole family, so we headed there.

The Artist’s House is a traditional riverside building that has become a community space, with art, handicrafts, small shops and places to explore. It offers a glimpse of the older canal-side neighbourhood while giving visitors the chance to get involved in some of the creative activities. We wandered around, took photos and had a look at the artwork and displays. Eloise made herself a bracelet, while Xander found a piano and happily spent some time playing it. It was a great little stop, and I even managed to get myself another Thai Iced Tea, they are so refreshing!

After spending some time there, we climbed back aboard our boat and continued along the canals. We passed the huge Buddha at Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, which rises high above the surrounding neighbourhood. The giant seated Buddha is one of the area’s most recognisable landmarks, and it was impressive seeing it from the water. We stopped to take a few photos as we passed, before continuing towards the main river.

Getting back out onto the Chao Phraya involved going through a canal lock. The boat entered the chamber, where the water level was adjusted to allow us to pass between the canal and the river. Once the level had changed, we were able to continue out onto the much wider Chao Phraya, where the water was much rougher. 

We finished our tour at the Wat Pho Pier and from there, we caught a river boat back towards our hotel. We had technically already checked out, however we’d left our luggage with the hotel and were allowed to return to use the facilities, so we had a shower to freshen up before we travelled to the airport.

And just like that, our holiday was coming to an end. We had travelled from the streets of Bangkok to the mountains and lagoons of Laos, explored temples and night markets in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, visited the area made famous by the Tham Luang cave rescue, and spent a few days unwinding on Koh Samet. There had been early starts, long travel days, plenty of local food, cold beers, swimming pools, markets, boat rides and more than a few unexpected discoveries along the way.

Finishing our trip on the canals of Bangkok was a great choice. We’d already seen plenty of the city’s busy side, but this final outing showed us a quieter, more traditional part of life along the waterways. It was a fitting way to finish a trip that had been full of new experiences for all four of us.

Thailand and Laos, it’s been a fantastic adventure. Now it was time to head home, start sorting through the photos and videos, and begin thinking about where we’d go next.