Waiting on the shuttle boat to Asiatique.

Killi watching the boats on the river.

The Asiatique experience.

By the end of the night we were a hot mess… but that’s Bangkok for you.

Panoramic shot

Last night the boys and I decided we would head to Asiatique on the river. If you have ever been to the States, it is very similar to Broadway on the Beach or Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach, SC. They have transformed the once (a long time ago) main pier used for international trade along the Chao Phraya River into a beautiful shopping and dining experience. Asiatique The Riverfront is an evening market that is open from 5-12pm and is home to 1,500 shops and 40 restaurants. In addition to the shopping and restaurants, they host the Joe Louis Puppet Theater, which is a traditional Thai puppet show, and Calypso, a cabaret lady boy show. We did not attend either of the shows this go around but I would love to see both of these performances on the next trip over.

If traveling by public transit, take the BTS to the river and you will take exit 2 out of the station. Instead of boarding the main river ferries, you will take a left and walk toward the hotel shuttle boat service. You will see a red sign for Asiatique and you will be directed by the staff on where to go next. Asiatique has a shuttle boat which leaves every 15 minutes. For us leaving from Phrom Pong BTS it took about an hour total travel time.

When arriving to Asiatique you will see a huge ferris wheel, which I am sure has a lovely view, Killi and I decided that we would ride it the next time we visit. The cost to ride the ferris wheel was 250 ($8.39USD) baht for an adult and 150 baht ($5.03USD) for a child. After a little shopping and seeing what Asiatique had to offer we stopped for some dinner at Flann O’Briens Irish Pub and had their signature cheese burger, with grilled pineapple, bacon, cheese, and fried egg. There is no cheese burger (that I have found in Bangkok) as good as the ones you can get in the US (especially Five Guys) but this one was still pretty good. So good, in fact I wolfed it down so fast later I thought I would die (insert Tum, tum, tum, tums music).

This was a fun family experience that I would recommend to any tourist or expat family. Killian really enjoyed running around and it wasn’t over crowded to where we didn’t feel safe enough to let him explore. I am sure this would also be a great date night if you were interested in seeing the shows offered! Enjoy!