Yellow Tram Tour in Bangkok

I think the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have been doing a pretty good job of promoting tourism in Bangkok. Some of their tourist brochures which you can pick up in the tourist office are quite informative. They also provide some free tours which are worth doing. I saw an advertisement in the Bangkok Post for the "Yellow Tram Tour" around Rattanakosin which sounded like a great deal. Particularly as it was free. The advert said "When you take the Yellow Loop Tramline around the capital, you will experience 225 years of history and culture including Buddhist temples, magnificent palaces, important monuments, fortresses, shrines, fresh markets, and architectural masterpieces that reflects the faiths, beliefs and lifestyles of the Thai people."

Yellow Tram Tour in Bangkok

I found the booth at Sanam Luang where you catch the tram. This is near the entrance to the Grand Palace. Even though it is free, you still need to queue up for a ticket. There are a total of 12 stops around this area and you will need to show this ticket in order to get back on. The Yellow Loop Tramline operates from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekend. The trips are about 30 minute intervals. The stops along the way include the following:

Sanam Luang, Bangkok Tourism Division (Phra Pinklao Bridge), Santichai Phrakarn Park (Phrasumeru Fort), Khao San Road (BangLumphu), Chao Pho Sua Shrine (Tiger God), Wat Suthat (Giant Swing), Democracy Monument, Saranrom Park, Pak Klong Talad (Flower market), Tian Pier (Wat Pho), Chang Pier (Grand Palace) and Phra Chan Pier (amulet market).

A non-stop tour lasts about 30 minutes. Most of the tourists on the tram were Thai though there were about five foreigners including myself. The ticket booth didn't have a brochure so no-one knew where the tour was going. Nor did any of the foreigners understand what they were looking at as the tour guide only spoke in Thai. I didn't mind that much as I was enjoying the fresh air in the open tram and taking pictures of the buildings and pedestrians that we passed. However, I got the feeling that the tram driver was in a rush to use the loo. Every time we passed one of the stops the tour guide said you can get out here to explore the area. Some of the Thai people started to get up but we just whizzed by without even slowing down. After this happened a few times they just gave up. They finally managed to escape when we had to stop at a traffic light.

I quite enjoyed the free tour though the seat was a bit uncomfortable and we were crammed in tight. It is a nice introduction to the area though it would have been a lot better if we were given a brochure showing our route. There are a few places along the way that I would like to go back and visit.