Bang Krachao: Bangkok’s Green Lung

If you’ve spent a decent amount of time in Bangkok but you’ve never been to Bang Krachao, you should add it to your list right now!! Bang Krachao, or Bang Kachao, is also known as the Green Lung of Bangkok. Not only does it look like a lung from above, it is also one of the greenest places you can go in the city! So green in fact that Time magazine named it ‘the best urban oasis of Asia’!

Bang Krachao is a manmade island surrounded by the Chao Phraya River. It’s located in the southeast of Bangkok city. Not only is Bang Krachao easy to get to, it’s probably the most peaceful place in Bangkok, and also the best place to ride a bicycle! Keep reading to find out everything you need to know before you plan your day trip (or overnight stay!) on this amazing island!

How to get to Bang Krachao

This is honestly one of the best things about Bang Krachao! It is SO easy to get to! There are 3 different piers that you can use to take a small boat across the river Bang Krachao. Even though the boat ride is less than 5 minutes, you feel like you are hours away from the city! Also if you hate boats for some reason or just really don’t want to take one, it’s possible to drive to Bang Krachao.

Boat from Klong Toei:

The most popular way to get to Bang Krachao is to take a small boat from the Klong Toei Pier. You can take the MRT to Klong Toei station and either walk a half hour to the pier or take a quick 10 minute taxi/grab/tuktuk to the pier. On google maps it is called Wat Klong Toei Nok Pier. The small boats are constantly crossing the river so you shouldn’t have to wait more than 15 minutes. This is the pier that we used and we paid 10 baht each to cross. This is the closest pier to the Sri Nakhon Park.

Boat from Bang Na:

While this pier isn’t as popular as the one from Klong Toei, you might prefer it if you are staying further down the BTS line on the east side of Bangkok. It is also the closest pier to the Bangkok Tree House Hotel and the floating market on Bang Krachao. On google maps this pier is called Wat Bang Na Nok. To get to it, take the BTS to Bang Na station. From there it is either a half hour walk to the pier or a 10 minute taxi/grab/tuktuk ride. Boats from here are supposed to be slightly cheaper at 6 baht each way, however both options are less than $0.50usd.

Boat from Chong Nonsi:

There is also a small pier in Chong Nonsi that you can use to cross over to the Green Lung. This pier is the farthest away from public transportation. The price also seems to fluctuate between 20-50 baht per person. Unless you are staying in Chong Nonsi, I would advise you to use one of the other two piers!

Driving to Bang Krachao:

You can also reach Bang Krachao by car. However, you have to drive around to the west side of Bang Krachao which is quite far. I wouldn’t advise taking a taxi this way as it will be much more expensive than the boat crossing! It could be cool if you have a car and also want to check out the Bhumibol Bridge area (as that is where you have to cross)!

Transportation on Bang Krachao

So now that you know how to get to Bang Krachao, how will you get around once you arrive? I’d say the most popular way to get around Bang Krachao is on a bicycle, although it’s not the only option.

Bicycle Transit

You can rent bicycles at either pier when you arrive on Bang Krachao, as well as various other places around the island! Renting a bike on Bang Krachao is also very cheap. We rented our bikes when we arrived on the island from the Klong Toei pier. It was either 30 baht per hour or 80 baht for the day. They also wanted to keep an ID as a deposit, but my American drivers license was sufficient. While biking on Bang Krachao is so much fun, keep in mind that it can get very hot especially during the middle of the day and biking from one end of the island to the other is actually pretty far! There are also many cars on the main roads, as well as some super small little paths you can bike along (that drop off into the water!). For those reasons, I’m not sure how kid friendly it would be for biking…although a good option would be to bike in the Sri Nakhon Park.

Motorcycle Transit

You can also rent motorcycles on Bang Krachao. This would definitely be faster to get around the island and to be able to reach all over the island easily. I wouldn’t have felt safe driving a motorcycle on many of the little paths, however we saw lots of locals doing this! We asked about renting a motorcycle at the bike shop at the pier, however they said they didn’t have motorcycles for rent. They told us to check at the bike rental by the Sri Nakhon Park.

Taxi/Grab/Motorcycle Taxi

I’m not sure how readily available taxis and grabs are on Bang Krachao, although we did see multiple taxis on the island.

It is much more common to see motorcycle taxis on Bang Krachao. You know they’re motorcycle taxis because they have on the normal orange vests with a number on the back. You shouldn’t have a problem flagging them down if you need a ride. It should only cost around 20 baht to take a motorcycle taxi to another location on the island, however make sure you ask the price first!

What to do on Bang Krachao

There are quite a few things to do on Bang Krachao, but personally my favorite is just biking around the little paths and seeing what I come across! There are many little local restaurants or places to grab a drink and soak up the peacefulness. Some other places to check out are:

Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park and Botanical Garden

The Sri Nakhon Park the true heart of the Green Lung! It is also very close to the pier where you arrive from Klong Toei! It’s very easy to bike to or even walk to. This is an amazing public park that is free to enter! It’s also a great place to bike as there are no cars allowed in the park. There is a nice bike path as well as many wooden boardwalks that you can explore.

The park is complete with a huge lake, wooden bridges, a mangrove forest, and even a bird watching tower! While the tower is really neat, it is surrounded by trees which block any nice views you might be expecting. Although it’s still worth a climb up it!

This is a great place to start your day, experience how tranquil Bang Krachao is, and get used to biking around. The park is open from 5am-7pm.

Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market

The Bang Krachao Floating Market is one of the most popular things to see on Bang Krachao! However, it is only open on the weekends from early morning until the afternoon.

It’s important to note that this isn’t the normal floating market you might be picturing with merchants selling things directly off boats. The floating aspect of this market is that it is built around many different canals.

Even though it’s not your typical floating market, it’s still a really neat market to check out! There are many little alleys lined with stalls selling anything from clothes to souvenirs to lots and lots of food! We had a lot of fun exploring the market and we even grabbed a cheap, local lunch here!

Siamese Fighting Fish Gallery

I’m adding this to the list not as a recommendation (we haven’t been), but so you know what it is once you arrive to Bang Krachao and see signs for it! Siamese Fighting Fish is another name for Betta fish – the colorful fish that are often kept as pets when you’re a child.

The Siamese Fighting Fish Gallery does not actually allow the fish to fight! It is a gallery where you can see many different colorful fish and learn a little about their history, as Betta fish go back hundreds of years in Thai history.

Temples on Bang Krachao

It isn’t Thailand if it doesn’t have temples! Luckily there are quite a few temples on Bang Krachao! Our favorite temple that we saw on Bang Krachao was Wat Bang Nam Phueng Nai. Not only is this temple amazing to look at, it’s also easy to combine with a stop by the floating market as they are right next to each other!

Bangkok Tree House

The Bangkok Tree House is a really popular, stylish hotel right on the banks of the Chao Phraya. It’s eco-friendly which adds to green appeal of Bang Krachao. While it’s better to book this in advance if you want to stay overnight, you can also stop by to eat at their restaurant and admire the unique architecture!

Can You Stay Overnight on Bang Krachao?

Wondering if you can stay overnight on Bang Krachao? It is definitely possible! It also makes for the perfect peaceful weekend getaway from Bangkok without the hassle of traveling far!

As mentioned above, the Bangkok Tree House is by far the most popular place to stay on Bang Krachao. It also has an amazing instagram worthy design which adds to its appeal. However, it is not the only option!

There are multiple little homestay type places that you can stay in as well. They have more of a local feel – and also a better price! Some of the more popular ones on Bang Krachao are Baanklangsoun Bangkorbour, Lilliput Riverside Bangkachao, and Baansuanklaikrung Bangkachao.

Tours to Bang Krachao

There are also some tours you can do that will show you Bang Krachao with a local! Check these out if you want more information while you explore:

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There are plenty of other Thailand videos! Check them out here!

If you love Bang Krachao, you also need to look into Ko Kret! It’s another little island in Bangkok, but north of the city.

If you want some ideas of weekend trips to do from Bangkok, check out our posts on Erawan Falls and Hua Hin!