In November 2023, I finally caved and booked the highly-rated activity in Bangkok, the dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River. Against many skepticism and bad reviews about how it is a tourist trap, I thought how bad can it possibly be?
But I made sure that even though I was signing myself up for something I knew was gonna be bad, I at least did more research into the different sellers of the service. I came across an article by Ticket2Attraction.com that lists and compares all the dinner cruises in Bangkok, their prices, and what makes them special. You can read the article here https://www.ticket2attraction.com/blogs/7-best-river-cruises-in-bangkok/
After I'm done window-shopping, I decided to go with The Opulence Cruise because it is the most luxurious dinner cruise out there at the moment, and of course, it comes with a pretty steep price point but nothing too crazy if you are from the west.
So I made my booking and counted my luck. The day arrived and I boarded from Asiatique pier. The traffic on that side of town is a bit intense so I can imagine people easily missing their check-ins. I advise leaving your hotel and accommodation before 4 if possible cause you would not want to be caught in rush hour.
But anyway, the dinner cruise was such a great experience, unlike anything I saw on the internet. I think it all comes down to the cruise you select. The food was great for how much I spent. I paid 1800 THB and got to enjoy a delicious buffet on a quiet luxury vessel. The views were phenomenal. We cruised by all the important landmarks of the river and it makes for a nice dinner with your loved ones.
Overall, your dinner cruise experience largely depends on which cruise you pick.