The Chao Phraya
A river boat from Si Phraya past the Memorial Bridge, the Grand Palace and Wat Arun, up to Bang Pho.
Our route
Press play to watch the whole trip — by car, plane and boat — or pick a day. Dashed lines are flights, dotted lines are boats, and the red lines are the slow road transfers and our stormy boat ride back from Koh Larn.
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Our journey · 5–11 May 2023
StopPassed– – Flight· · · BoatSlow or difficult sectionUse the layer button for satellite view
The line joins the places in our photos: roads follow the road route between them, flights are drawn as arcs and the boat trips follow the photos taken on board. Times at stops come from the photos and the bookings (“approx.” where estimated); between stops the replay spreads the travel evenly and passes quickly over the flights. Times are local: IST in Hyderabad, Thai time (1½ hours ahead) in Thailand.
Our Google My Maps
Open our shared map in Google Maps to see each day’s route and every stop, with times and notes. On a phone it opens in the Google Maps app.
Open tour map in Google Maps ↗Slow sections
The flights were quick; the slow part was the road transfer from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya after the Phuket flight. The hardest moment was at sea: a sudden storm on our small boat back from Koh Larn.
| Section | Reason for low speed | |
|---|---|---|
| Suvarnabhumi Airport → Pattaya | The long road transfer after the morning flight from Phuket | |
| Koh Larn → Pattaya Beach (our small hired boat) | A sudden storm on the way back: heavy rain and big waves, the boat out of control — thrilling and terrifying | |
| Other slow areas | City traffic in Bangkok and Pattaya, and waiting for boats and transfers |
Our family
The four of us travelled together: Vasavya, Usha, Adarsh and Spurthi. We left home in Hydernagar on the night of Friday 5 May for the 1:10 AM flight, and were home again just after midnight on Thursday 11 May.
Flights and hotels
| Date | Flight | Route | Time (local) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 6 May | Thai Airways TG 330 | Hyderabad (HYD) → Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) | 1:10 AM IST → 6:15 AM |
| Sat 6 May | Thai VietJet VZ 312 | Bangkok (BKK) → Phuket (HKT), Terminal D | 8:30 → 9:55 PM |
| Mon 8 May | Thai VietJet VZ 315 | Phuket (HKT) → Bangkok (BKK) | 8:55 → 10:20 AM |
| Wed 10 May | Thai Airways TG 329 | Bangkok (BKK) → Hyderabad (HYD) | 10:10 PM → 12:10 AM IST |
| Nights | Hotel | Room |
|---|---|---|
| 5–6 May | OYO 583 Sweethome Guest House60/1 Ratchaprarop Road, Makkasan, Bangkok | A day room after the night flight |
| 6–8 May | Patong Lodge Hotel284/1 Prabaramee Road, Patong, Phuket | 2 nights · family triple room, breakfast |
| 8–9 May | The Beach Front ResortSoi 4, Beach Road, North Pattaya | 1 night · two-bedroom family suite, sea view, breakfast |
| 9–10 May | Baiyoke Sky Hotel222 Ratchaprarop Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok | 1 night · Deluxe, Sky Zone, breakfast |
The slow and difficult sections
3 h 14 minSuvarnabhumi to The Beach Front Resort, Pattaya (≈122 km), 11:06 AM–2:20 PM on 8 May
21 minKoh Larn to Pattaya Beach (≈10 km) in our small boat through the storm, 3:24 PM–3:45 PM on 9 May
Suvarnabhumi → Pattaya. After the morning flight from Phuket landed at 10:20 AM, it was mid-afternoon before we reached The Beach Front Resort — the longest stretch of the trip on the road.
Koh Larn → Pattaya Beach. We had hired a small private boat for the four of us. The ride out to the island was smooth, but on the way back the weather changed completely — heavy rain, big waves and a boat that felt out of control. A great experience, and a terrifying one.
The flights were quick; the slow part was the road transfer from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya after the Phuket flight. The hardest moment was at sea: a sudden storm on our small boat back from Koh Larn.
Trip highlights
Phi Phi and the islands
A speedboat day from Chalong Pier: Ton Sai, a try-scuba dive and lunch at Loh Dalum on Phi Phi Don, Pileh Lagoon and Maya Bay, past Monkey Bay, Bamboo Island, Ao Nang and James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay to a beach stop at Khai Nai, then Koh Khai and Coral Island.
Tiger Park and Underwater World
Tigers near Jomtien and the walk-through tunnel aquarium on Sukhumvit Road.
Terminal 21 and Walking Street
An evening at the airport-themed mall and a late walk down Beach Road.
Coral Island, a storm and the Big Buddha
Our own small boat to Na Baan, Tong Lang and Ta Waen beaches, a wild ride back through a sudden storm, then the golden Buddha on Pratumnak Hill.
Baiyoke Sky and Pratunam
The city from the top of Bangkok’s tallest hotel, Rama 9 by night and the Pratunam markets.
Plan and trip
Our first plan had Pattaya first, with Coral Island, the Big Buddha and the underwater walkthrough on 7 May. The booked trip went to Phuket first: Phi Phi on 7 May, then Pattaya on 8–9 May for Underwater World, Coral Island and the Big Buddha, and the last night in Bangkok at the Baiyoke Sky.
Five days
Road distances follow the road route between the places in our photos; flights are great-circle distances, so all are approximate.
| Trip day | Route | Approx. km |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1Fri 5 – Sat 6 May | Hyderabad → Bangkok → Chao Phraya river → Phuket → Patong | 3,2693,099 by air · 157 by road · 13 by boat |
| Day 2Sun 7 May | Patong → Chalong Pier → Phi Phi Don → Pileh Lagoon → Maya Bay → Monkey Bay → Bamboo Island → Ao Nang → James Bond Island → Khai Nai → Koh Khai → Coral Island → Patong Beach | 31041 by road · 269 by boat |
| Day 3Mon 8 May | Patong → Phuket → Bangkok → Pattaya → Tiger Park → Underwater World → Floating Market → Thepprasit Night Market → Terminal 21 → Walking Street | 880676 by air · 204 by road |
| Day 4Tue 9 May | Pattaya Beach → Na Baan Pier → Tong Lang Beach → Ta Waen Beach → Pattaya Beach → City Sign → Phra Tamnak Viewpoint → Big Buddha Hill → Pattaya Park Night Market → Dolphinarium → Bangkok → Rama 9 | 191168 by road · 23 by boat |
| Day 5Wed 10 – Thu 11 May | Pratunam → Suvarnabhumi Airport → Hyderabad | 2,4952,423 by air · 72 by road |
| Total | ≈7,200 km≈6,198 by air · 641 by road · 305 by boat | |
Day 1 · Fri 5 – Sat 6 May
Hyderabad → Bangkok → Chao Phraya river → Phuket → Patong
≈3,269 km3,099 by air · 157 by road · 13 by boat
| Time | Place | About this stop |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | Left home for the airport (planned 9:30 PM). |
| 5 May 10:34 PM → 6 May 1:10 AM | Google Maps ↗ | Check-in, immigration and security for the night flight. |
| 6:10 AM | Google Maps ↗ | Thai Airways TG 330, 1:10 AM IST → 6:15 AM; immigration and breakfast at the airport. |
| 8:17 AM | Google Maps ↗ | A rest after the night flight, at 60/1 Ratchaprarop Road; the room was booked from the night before so we could check in at once. |
| 1:47 PM passed | Google Maps ↗ | By tuk-tuk through Ratchaprasong, past Gaysorn Village, on the way to the river. |
| 2:06 PM – 2:19 PM | Google Maps ↗ | On the Chao Phraya by river boat from Si Phraya, next to the Royal Orchid Sheraton. |
| 2:34 PM passed | Google Maps ↗ | Upriver under the Memorial Bridge, past the old city. |
| 2:56 PM passed | Google Maps ↗ | Past the Grand Palace and Wat Arun, on to the Rama VIII bridge. |
| 3:08 PM passed | Google Maps ↗ | Up the river past Thewet and Samsen. |
| 4:24 PM | Google Maps ↗ | The northern end of our river trip, near Wat Bang Pho Omawat. |
| 4:29 PM passed | Google Maps ↗ | Off the boat and by road to the airport. |
| 5:49 PM – 8:30 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Thai VietJet VZ 312 at 8:30 PM. |
| 9:44 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Thai VietJet VZ 312, 8:30 → 9:55 PM, into Terminal D. |
| 6 May 11:11 PM → 7 May 8:36 AM | Google Maps ↗ | Two nights at Patong Lodge, 284/1 Prabaramee Road, Kathu: a family triple room with breakfast. |
Day 2 · Sun 7 May
Patong → Chalong Pier → Phi Phi Don → Pileh Lagoon → Maya Bay → Monkey Bay → Bamboo Island → Ao Nang → James Bond Island → Khai Nai → Koh Khai → Coral Island → Patong Beach
≈310 km41 by road · 269 by boat
| Time | Place | About this stop |
|---|---|---|
| 9:15 AM – 10:05 AM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The meeting point for the speedboat island tour; our boat was the Sea Angel Cruise 2, boarding at about 9:15 AM. The pier itself is not confirmed in our photos. |
| 10:45 AM passed | Google Maps ↗ | Out round Cape Panwa and across the bay at speed. |
| 11:13 AM – 11:18 AM | Google Maps ↗ | First stop in the sheltered bay under the cliffs at the south end of Phi Phi Don. |
| 11:24 AM | Google Maps ↗ | Along the south coast past Long Beach. |
| 11:30 AM – 12:40 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Ashore at Ton Sai, the main pier and village of Phi Phi Don. From about noon to 12:30 PM a try-scuba dive in the bay — the underwater photos are on the Olympus camera, whose clock was on Thai time although the album labels it GMT+9. |
| 12:45 PM – 1:17 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Across the narrow sandbar from Ton Sai to Loh Dalum Bay: lunch at about 12:50 PM, then the beach and the kayaks. |
| 1:29 PM passed | Google Maps ↗ | Out of Ton Sai Bay and south at speed towards Phi Phi Leh. |
| 1:40 PM – 2:15 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Into the emerald lagoon between the cliffs of Phi Phi Leh: a long-tail boat ride and a swim among the boats. |
| 2:45 PM passed | Google Maps ↗ | Round Phi Phi Leh to the floating pier in Loh Samah Bay, then through the entrance arches and along the boardwalk to Maya Bay. |
| 2:55 PM – 3:29 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Half an hour on the beach at Maya Bay, the cove made famous by “The Beach”. |
| 3:50 PM passed approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The monkeys’ beach at Ao Yong Kasem. Not in our photos, so placed on the way north from Maya Bay; the time is approximate. |
| 3:58 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | North of Phi Phi Don to the white sand and clear water of Bamboo Island (7°49′00.6″N 98°47′43.9″E). |
| 4:10 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | Across to Ao Nang beach on the Krabi mainland, under the limestone cliffs. From memory: not confirmed by our photos, so the place and time are approximate. |
| 4:24 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | North through Phang Nga Bay to the limestone karsts of Khao Phing Kan and Ko Tapu. From memory: not confirmed by our photos, so the place and time are approximate. |
| 4:38 PM – 5:20 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | Our afternoon beach stop — photos from 4:40 to 5:19 PM among the beach umbrellas, in the shallow water and on the rocks. Most likely Khai Nai, off Ko Yao; the exact island is not confirmed. |
| 5:40 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | Past Koh Khai, the little island between Phuket and Phi Phi (7°44′44.8″N 98°36′51.7″E). |
| 6:05 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | Past Coral Island, just off Phuket’s south coast. |
| 6:15 PM passed approx. | Google Maps ↗ | Back to Chalong Pier and by road to Patong. |
| 7:16 PM – 8:35 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Back at the hotel after the island day. |
| 8:45 PM – 9:08 PM | Google Maps ↗ | An evening walk to the beach and the lit-up PATONG BEACH letters on Beach Road. |
| 9:20 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The second night at Patong Lodge. |
Day 3 · Mon 8 May
Patong → Phuket → Bangkok → Pattaya → Tiger Park → Underwater World → Floating Market → Thepprasit Night Market → Terminal 21 → Walking Street
≈880 km676 by air · 204 by road
| Time | Place | About this stop |
|---|---|---|
| 7:57 AM – 8:55 AM | Google Maps ↗ | Thai VietJet VZ 315 at 8:55 AM. |
| 10:20 AM – 11:06 AM | Google Maps ↗ | Thai VietJet VZ 315, 8:55 → 10:20 AM, then by road to Pattaya. |
| 11:06 AM: the long road transfer from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya — about the slow sections | ||
| 2:20 PM – 3:45 PM | Google Maps ↗ | On Soi 4, Beach Road, North Pattaya: a two-bedroom family suite with a sea view. |
| 3:58 PM passed | Google Maps ↗ | Through the middle of Pattaya in a songthaew, the local “baht bus”. |
| 4:21 PM – 5:17 PM | Google Maps ↗ | The tigers at Tiger Park, on Sukhumvit Road near Jomtien, with the safari bus ride among them. |
| 5:31 PM – 6:28 PM | Google Maps ↗ | By songthaew along Sukhumvit Road to the walk-through tunnel aquarium — the “underwater walkthrough” of our plan. |
| 6:40 PM – 7:15 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The four-regions floating market off Sukhumvit Road: boats, stalls and wooden walkways over the water. Not in our photos: placed from memory, so the time is approximate. |
| 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | Street food and stalls at the night market on Thepprasit Road. Not in our photos: placed from memory, so the time is approximate. |
| 8:43 PM – 10:20 PM | Google Maps ↗ | The airport-themed mall on North Pattaya Road: dinner, the mall, and the night market outside under the airliner. |
| 12:24 AM – 12:30 AM | Google Maps ↗ | A late walk down Beach Road to Walking Street. |
| 12:50 AM – 12:31 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The night at The Beach Front Resort, breakfast included. In the morning, the beach and a parasailing trip out to the platform in the bay. |
Day 4 · Tue 9 May
Pattaya Beach → Na Baan Pier → Tong Lang Beach → Ta Waen Beach → Pattaya Beach → City Sign → Phra Tamnak Viewpoint → Big Buddha Hill → Pattaya Park Night Market → Dolphinarium → Bangkok → Rama 9
≈191 km168 by road · 23 by boat
| Time | Place | About this stop |
|---|---|---|
| 12:32 PM | Google Maps ↗ | The speedboat tour of Koh Larn (Coral Island): a small private boat hired just for the four of us, from the beach in front of the resort. |
| 1:05 PM – 1:12 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | A smooth ride out across the bay, along the island’s east coast to Na Baan, the main pier and village. |
| 1:22 PM – 1:45 PM | Google Maps ↗ | The quiet little beach on the north side of the island. |
| 1:55 PM – 3:10 PM | Google Maps ↗ | The island’s main beach: the sea, the sand and lunch. |
| 3:20 PM passed | Google Maps ↗ | Back on board for the ride to Pattaya, just as the weather turned. |
| 3:24 PM: caught in a storm in our small boat on the way back — about the difficult sections | ||
| 3:45 PM – 4:15 PM | Google Maps ↗ | On the way back the weather changed completely: heavy rain and big waves threw our small boat around. A great experience, and a terrifying one — we were very glad to reach the beach. |
| 4:25 PM – 4:32 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The big PATTAYA CITY letters on the hillside above the bay. Not in our photos: placed from memory, so the time is approximate. |
| 4:34 PM – 4:43 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The view over Pattaya Bay from the top of Pratumnak Hill. Not in our photos: placed from memory, so the time is approximate. |
| 4:51 PM – 5:06 PM | Google Maps ↗ | The golden Big Buddha on Pratumnak Hill, between Pattaya and Jomtien. |
| 5:12 PM – 5:35 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The night market by Pattaya Park tower, just below the Big Buddha. Not in our photos: placed from memory, so the time is approximate. |
| 5:55 PM – 6:10 PM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The dolphin show on Sukhumvit Road, on the way out of Pattaya towards Bangkok. Not in our photos: placed from memory, so the time is approximate. |
| 7:53 PM – 9:46 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Check-in at Bangkok’s tallest hotel, 222 Ratchaprarop Road, and the city lights from the top floors — our photos were taken up to 290 m high. |
| 10:48 PM – 11:12 PM | Google Maps ↗ | A late night out at Rama 9, by Central Rama 9 — the Jodd Fairs night market area. |
| 9 May 11:35 PM → 10 May 7:50 AM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | The last night: a Deluxe room in the Sky Zone, breakfast included. |
Day 5 · Wed 10 – Thu 11 May
Pratunam → Suvarnabhumi Airport → Hyderabad
≈2,495 km2,423 by air · 72 by road
| Time | Place | About this stop |
|---|---|---|
| 7:50 AM – 5:47 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Breakfast and the observation deck high up in the Baiyoke Sky, check-out, and the Pratunam markets around the hotel until the evening. Then the Airport Rail Link to Suvarnabhumi. |
| 7:41 PM – 10:10 PM | Google Maps ↗ | Thai Airways TG 329 at 10:10 PM. |
| 12:10 AM | Google Maps ↗ | Thai Airways TG 329, 10:10 PM → 12:10 AM IST. |
| 1:35 AM approx. | Google Maps ↗ | Home after midnight. |
Photos from the trip
All our photos and videos from the trip — the map above was drawn from their locations. Travellers and family sign in with their Google account to open the full album.
Open the photo album ↗A river boat through old Bangkok, the turquoise water of Phi Phi, tigers and an underwater tunnel in Pattaya, Coral Island and the city lights from the Baiyoke Sky — our first family trip abroad together.