GenX72

Without a doubt, it looked like a death trap.

Bangkok’s water taxis are basically large buses on the river, and in typical Southeast Asian fashion, driven like one. With few seats and maybe even fewer life preservers, these floating long boats don’t really stop when they drop off and pick up passengers. They basically approach the dock at high speed, coast on neutral, quietly slam onto the pier (cushioned by an array of used tires), offload old passengers and board the new within 10 seconds, then take off at high speed to the next stop.

Perhaps this is what Plato meant of a “ship of fools”, where deranged people go blindly onboard oblivious of the nightmare they may be facing. Any sane Health and Safety officer would see the overcrowding, the lack of sturdy hand rails, no handicap access, zero safety instructions, and of course, the questionable health benefits of the rather unsanitary Chao Phraya river in case we must make a hasty exit in the middle of the journey.

Yet, like a fool, I hopped onboard.

On the boat is a hodge podge of society: students on the way to school, office workers trying to beat Bangkok’s world renown traffic jams, Buddhist monks travelling on behalf of their temples, and of course, tourists such as myself grinning like a maniac as we brave the waves together from pier to pier.

It was full, standing room only but not as packed as a Tokyo commuter train during rush hour where people are crushed like sardines. Nor are the pilots like the drivers of Jakarta’s notorious orange “Metro Mini” buses that know no limits, fear no bounds nor follow any traffic regulations (they sometimes drive without a license!)

The water taxi is a great way to see Bangkok, giving a unique perspective compared to traveling with the City of Angel’s other transportation offerings. You can see Bangkok’s riverside palaces, traditional Thai houses and floating markets, things that even Google’s Streetview hasn’t captured yet!

Before I knew it, my destination, Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, was the next stop. I quickly hopped off the boat before it took off again with a roar. The water taxi may be in a rush, yet somehow I enjoyed the trip at a much leisurely pace. I guess Einstein was right, as we approach the speed of light, time does slow down!