Chao Phraya commuters to enjoy comfort of AC boats from May

They will be the first air-conditioned boats plying the river.
The new service will help commuter to link with major trainline BTS, the company said. BTS commuters can use its Rabbit Card to pay and access Chao Phraya Riva Express at stopover piers.
The boat company is one of the subsidiaries of Supatra Group, operator of passenger boats on the Chao Phraya in Bangkok for a 100 years.
The launch is aimed at providing better transportation facilities and more convenience for people in Bangkok.
Atirat Ratanasate, deputy minister of transport, who presided over the opening ceremony on Monday, said the Ministry of Transport had pledged to develop water transportation infrastructure as part of ministry's five-year strategy between 2017 and 2021.
The plan is aimed to extend water transport facilities and make it environmentally friendly as well as link all transport modes to become a seamless loop. The launch of the new air-conditioned boats will help strengthen strategy "from boat to train", which will increase mass transport efficiency.
Supapan Pichaironarongsongkram, chairperson of Chao Phraya Express Boat Co, said the Supatra Group, founded by Khunying Supatra Singholaka, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
The four new boats called Catamaran come with a large twin body designed by the world famous designer firm Schwetz Design in Australia and assembled in Thailand.
Each boat is light weight thanks to its aluminium body, 23.9-metres long and seven metre wide. It can accommodate up to 200 passengers.
Using two diesel engines with total power of 350 horsepower, the design comes with new technology that will produce lower waves, reduce wobble and be less noisy. With these technologies, the boat can demonstrate the same speed as a BTS train with international safety standards.
Each boat also features GPS (Global Positioning System), LED screen, and broadcasting system.
The air-conditioned Riva Express boat will commence operations from May 18. A ride will cost Bt50 for the entire route. During the introduction period, the company will offer a special deal of only Bt30 per person for the entire route. Service hours will be Monday to Friday.
The morning service hours will be 6.20am to 8.30am for the Nonthaburi–Sathon route. The boat will be departing from piers every 20 minutes and will stop at 8 piers.
From 9.45am to 4.15pm, the boats will be mainly operate on the Sathon-Bang Po route that connects with trains. The seven stations on this route are: Sathon (BTS Taksin station), IconSiam, Ratchawong, Rachnee (MRT Saman Chai station), Prannok, Thewes and Bang Po (MRT Bang Po station.
In the evening, the boat will serve from 5.30pm to 7.30pm on the Sathon- Nonthaburi route, and stop at 8 piers.
Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, the company is experiencing some negative impact as the number of tourists has declined. Therefore, major targeted markets are local people such as school and university student and general employees, as they still need to travel to school or to work by boat.
To comply with the government's guidance on the Covid-19 epidemic, all four boats have been cleaned up and are well sanitised. A hand gel is also provided on the boats.