Venice of Bangkok

Highlights

• Amulet Market
• Museum of Death
• Swan Barge Temple
• Coffin sleep ritual & floating market
• House of Haunted Dolls
• Robot Restaurant

Itinerary

1. 09:30 AM

   Starbucks Tha Maharaj

   Before your klong tour Bangkok departs, there is the possibility to have some refreshments at Starbucks at Tha Maharaj (also the meeting point). Prices start from THB 30 for food and THB 55 for drinks. Make sure you arrive in time to check out the river views.

   
2. 09:45 AM

   Check-In & Briefing

   Your guide checks you in and informs you about the tour itinerary.

   
3. 10:00 AM

   Street-side Dentists

   Get your false teeth fixed at a street-side dentist for only THB 200(!) per tooth. Spot the super glue among the equipment and marvel at the hygiene standards while having a look in their workshops.

   
4. 10:15 AM

   Amulet Market

   Explore the black magic section of a bazaar specializing in magical amulets, said to protect the wearer against – for example – AK-47 gunshots. Learn the ins and outs of the multi-billion baht trade in natural oddities, penis charms and foreign fetishes. Near the amulet market there can also be found the highest concentration of fortune tellers in Bangkok.

   
5. 10:45 AM

   Museum of Death

   Visit the Museum of Death and see the mummy of Thailand’s most notorious serial killer.

6. 12:15 PM

   Bizarre Murals

   See some bizarre 17th century temple murals.

7. 12:30 PM

   Boat Ride through Canals

   Board a private longtail boat through the remaining canals that once earned Bangkok the title of “Venice of the East” and see the everyday lives of the city’s inhabitants.

   
8. 12:45 PM

   Swan Barge Temple

   Photograph the Swan Barge Temple, shaped like a royal barge with a dragon prow and the largest of its kind in the world.

   
9. 01:45 PM

   The Coffin Sleep Ritual

   Participate in the coffin sleep ritual together with several dozens of Thais to get rid of your bad luck. It starts with a prayer session, after which participants give donations to the temple in exchange for having the ritual performed on them. A monk splashes some holy water on your head and other monks perform death rites on you while you briefly lie in a coffin. After the ritual, you will be reborn with all your bad deed buried behind you and your life span has been extended. Learn about the reason why participants turn their head west when lying in the coffin, despite common belief that you will have bad dreams when doing so.

10. 02:30 PM

    Floating Market

    Photograph yourself with the temple’s transformer statues, walk through a giant tiger head to reach the unusual temple’s basement, exit through a giant dragon head on your way to the temple’s mummified monk and, last but not least, try some of the local delicacies at the temple’s floating market.

    
11. 03:30 PM

    The House of Haunted Dolls

    Get introduced to the world of child angel dolls, said to be powered by a living soul that some believe can change people’s lives, while visiting the house of their creator. Learn how the ‘supernatural’ dolls became so popular that an airline now allows passengers to buy seats especially for them and that a restaurant – after repeated requests from customers asking waiters to serve their dolls – had to launch a special promotion especially for them. Your guide also explains you how the creator brings the dolls to life and how they differ from the infamous “golden boys”, which are being worshipped for the same reason.

12. 04:00 PM

    Evaluation & Goodbye

    Evaluate your klong tour Bangkok and say goodbye to your guide and the other travellers in the group. Your guide helps you to get back to your accommodation or any other place you would like to go from Bang Phu MRT Station.

13. 04:15 PM

    Robot Restaurant (Optional)

    Get served by robots while ordering all-you-can eat Japanese food (THB 349 for Shabu Shabu Buffet or THB 489 for Teppanyaki Buffet) from a tablet. The robot waiters travel up and down the restaurant to deliver the food to your table and occasionally they also break into some mad dancing. After the Robot Restaurant, your guide helps you get back to your accommodation or any other place you would like to go from Talat Bang Yai MRT Station.

Useful facts

Local transport we may use: Bus, Van, Songthaew, Metro, Skytrain, Train, River Express Boat, Cross River Ferry, Longtail Boat, Taxi, Tuk Tuk, Motorbike, Rickshaw, Bicycle, Walking.