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I know the picture is a bit of a bait and switch. We were lucky enough to see the royal barge go by. It was pulled by a tug, even though there were plenty of rowers aboard. It was also surrounded by other Thai Navy vessels. There had been a procession a few weeks earlier for the coronation of the new king. More pictures later.
We found this spot on booking.com and thought it looked interesting. And in fact it was. Sabai Sabai has four rooms to let and a room for the owner/captain. We were on the second deck, and it was not an en suite, so that left a bit to be desired. During the day, the boat traffic on the river caused a fair bit of churn, so it reminded us a bit of the Esprit. She is moored blocks from the Royal Palace, and provides a unique perspective on life on the Chao Phraya River.
Monks going to work in the morning.
We entered the boat through a market that sells talismans.
On board, the decor was “shanty lavish.” The owner was an iconoclatic, Joe Rogan listening, German, former CEO, with a huge revolution fist tattooed on his back.
At night, there were dozens of “dinner and sunset” cruises heading up and down the river. Some had live bands. Some were nearly empty. All were gaudy.
Now, as promised, more Royal Barge pictures.
