Nonthaburi travel guide
The express boat's last stop, Ayutthaya-era temples and durian country
Nonthaburi is a big suburb on Bangkok's northern edge. Its riverside end, around Nonthaburi pier and Wat Khema, makes a half-day trip by orange-flag express boat or the MRT Purple Line, with durian and other fruit at the pier stalls in season. Go November to February, or April to June for fruit. Prices are low, and many nationalities enter Thailand visa-free.
Nonthaburi is the first city up the Chao Phraya from Bangkok, joined so tightly to the capital that only the road signs mark the boundary. It is a working suburb rather than a sightseeing city, but the river end around Nonthaburi pier, the northern terminus of the orange-flag express boat, makes an easy half-day escape from central Bangkok.
Temples are the reason to linger. Wat Khema, on the east bank in Suan Yai, goes back to the early Ayutthaya period and keeps Buddha relics in its large chedi, a short taxi or motorbike-taxi ride from the pier. On the opposite bank, Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat is a royal temple worth the short river crossing. The province's orchards are prized for their durian, and fruit stalls near the pier show off the harvest in season.
Getting here is simple. The MRT Purple Line has run from Tao Poon since 2016 and the Pink Line opened in 2024, while BMTA buses such as 30, 63 and 203 come up from Bangkok. Do not try to walk between sights, though: the multilane roads are built for cars. Hotels are few, so most visitors sleep in Bangkok.
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Top things to do in Nonthaburi
Riverside temples, a busy pier and fruit stalls at the top of the express boat line.
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Best time to visit Nonthaburi
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Drier and less humid, pleasant on the river.
Hot until May, then heavy afternoon rain through October.
Ride the express boat outside weekday rush hours, when commuters pack the decks.
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Getting there
Express boat, MRT or bus
Nonthaburi is part of the Bangkok transport network, so there is nothing to book. The river is the most enjoyable way in: orange-flag Chao Phraya Express Boats run the whole way up from central Bangkok and terminate at Nonthaburi pier, near the old town and the temples. The MRT is faster for anyone staying near the Blue Line, and dozens of BMTA bus routes cross the boundary.
- Chao Phraya Express Boat
- Orange-flag boats end at Nonthaburi pier, the closest stop to Wat Khema and the riverside temples
- MRT Purple Line
- Starts at Tao Poon, where it meets the Blue Line; Yaek Tiwanon is the first stop in Nonthaburi, then the line follows Rattanathibet Road across the river to Khlong Bang Phai
- MRT Pink Line
- Opened in 2024, serving the northern side of the city
- BMTA buses
- Routes including 30, 63, 97 and 203 terminate at Nonthaburi pier; newer signs add a zone-coded number beside the old one
- Don Mueang Airport
- The nearer of Bangkok's two airports; a taxi is the simple option
- Bangkok buses carry a zone-coded route number with the old number in brackets, so read both before you board.
Getting around
Bus, boat and taxi
Nonthaburi was laid out for cars. Its main roads are wide, hot and short on crossings, and distances between the pier, the temples and the MRT stations are longer than they look on a map. Ride between them, and keep walking for the riverside lanes around the pier.
- Motorbike taxis
- Wait near Nonthaburi pier for the short hop to Wat Khema
- Songthaews
- Numbered local pickup routes start from the pier area and fan out across the city
- Cross-river ferry
- From the pier area to the west bank and Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat
- Taxis and app cars
- Easy to find around the pier and MRT stations, and the simplest way back to central Bangkok after dark
- MRT Purple Line
- Handy for moving between the north and south of the city along Rattanathibet Road
- If you came up by boat, check the time of the last express boat back; afterwards, the MRT is the fallback.
Know before you go
What makes Nonthaburi worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The express boat ride up from Bangkok, watching the city thin into gardens and temples.
- Wat Khema, an early Ayutthaya-period temple with relics in its great chedi.
- Durian stalls near the pier, when the province's orchards are in season.
Good to know
- Walking between sights does not work; the main roads are wide and pedestrian-unfriendly.
- Accommodation is limited, so treat it as a trip from Bangkok.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Nonthaburi, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Nonthaburi are being researched.
A day trip to Nonthaburi by Chao Phraya Express Boat
Nonthaburi makes an easy day trip from central Bangkok. Ride the orange-flag Chao Phraya Express Boat to the end of the line at Nonthaburi pier, visit Wat Khema in Suan Yai, cross by ferry to Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat, then return by boat or the MRT Purple Line.
Board an orange-flag Chao Phraya Express Boat in central Bangkok in the morning, once the commuter rush has passed, and ride it to the end of the line at Nonthaburi pier. Sit on the open side: over the trip the banks change from hotel towers and condominiums to wooden houses on stilts, temple landings and patches of garden.
From the pier, take a taxi or motorbike taxi to Wat Khema in Suan Yai. Founded in the early Ayutthaya period and restored under Rama II and King Mongkut, it keeps Buddha relics and an old image from its founding in the large chedi, along with the Tamnak Daeng building and Phra Thinang Monthian hall in the grounds. Give it an hour.
Head back to the pier and take the ferry across the river to Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat, a royal temple on the west bank. Return for a wander past the fruit stalls by the pier, then take the express boat back downriver in the afternoon, or ride the MRT Purple Line to Tao Poon and change to the Blue Line. Flying out the same evening? Don Mueang is the closer of Bangkok's two airports and a straightforward taxi ride from the pier.
Nonthaburi durian season and the fruit stalls by the pier
Nonthaburi is famous for fruit, above all its durian, among the most prized and most expensive in Thailand. Fruit stalls around Nonthaburi pier sell what is in season, with durian peaking roughly from April to June alongside mangosteen, rambutan and mango. For riverside fish and prawns, locals head to neighbouring Pak Kret.
Nonthaburi's food fame rests on fruit. For centuries the land along this stretch of the Chao Phraya has been orchard country, its fertile soil and plentiful water the reason the settlement grew in the first place, and the province's durian is among the most prized and most expensive in Thailand. Most orchards have given way to housing, but the name still sells fruit.
The easiest place to see it is around Nonthaburi pier, where fruit stalls set out what is in season. Durian peaks in the hot months before the rains, roughly April to June, alongside mangosteen, rambutan and mango. Ask the seller to choose and open a durian for you, and eat it on the spot; many hotels and taxis will not let you take one inside.
Beyond fruit, the pier area has the usual Bangkok-style street food: noodle stalls, grilled pork skewers and rice dishes. For a proper riverside lunch of freshwater fish and prawns, the restaurants a few kilometres north in neighbouring Pak Kret are the local choice.
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How we research our Nonthaburi travel guide
Chao Phraya Express Boat and MRT Purple Line connections, and the durian season, are checked against the official Nonthaburi website. Entry rules come from the Royal Thai Embassy notice and the Thailand Digital Arrival Card portal.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of NonthaburiRoyal Thai Embassy noticeThailand Digital Arrival Card
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Nonthaburi.
Getting there
Take the orange-flag Chao Phraya Express Boat to its last stop at Nonthaburi pier, or the MRT Purple Line from Tao Poon.
Many do, including routes 30, 63, 97 and 203. Newer signs also show a zone-coded number, so check both before boarding.
General
As a half-day trip, yes. The express boat ride, Wat Khema and the riverside temples make a calm break from central Bangkok.
November to February is the most comfortable. From May to October expect heavy afternoon rain.
It is a short taxi or motorbike-taxi ride, and drivers wait near the pier.
From Tao Poon, where it meets the Blue Line, it enters Nonthaburi at Yaek Tiwanon, crosses the river along Rattanathibet Road and ends at Khlong Bang Phai.
Usually not. Hotels are few and mostly aimed at local events, so most visitors come for half a day from Bangkok.
Only around the pier. The main roads are wide multilane routes with few crossings, so take a taxi, a motorbike taxi or the ferry between sights.
Yes. Ko Kret lies just north in Pak Kret, a short taxi ride from Nonthaburi pier, so a morning at Wat Khema and an afternoon cycling the island fit into one day.
Nonthaburi was laid out for cars. Its main roads are wide, hot and short on crossings, and distances between the pier, the temples and the MRT stations are longer than they look on a map. Ride between them, and keep walking for the riverside lanes around the pier.
Nonthaburi is best known for:
- The express boat ride up from Bangkok, watching the city thin into gardens and temples
- Wat Khema, an early Ayutthaya-period temple with relics in its great chedi
- Durian stalls near the pier, when the province's orchards are in season
Timing & weather
Roughly April to June, in the hot months before the rains. Fruit stalls near Nonthaburi pier sell it alongside mangosteen and rambutan.
The best time to visit Nonthaburi is Nov to Feb. Cooler, drier days for the boat ride and temple walks.
- Best overall: November - February (Drier and less humid, pleasant on the river)
- Hot and wet: March - October (Hot until May, then heavy afternoon rain through October)
Visa & documents
From 15 September 2026, Thailand replaced its 60-day visa exemption with a 30-day exemption for tourism, covering about 60 countries; a one-time extension of up to 30 days may be possible at an immigration office. Some nationalities can get a visa on arrival, and others need an e-Visa before travel. All foreign visitors must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before arrival.
Health & safety
Visitors to Thailand rarely run into serious trouble. Road accidents, especially on scooters, cause the most harm, followed by scams and strong sea currents in the monsoon. Ignore anyone who says the Grand Palace is closed, and swim only where no red flag flies.
