FAQ

bangkok questions

TOUR AND PREPARATION

"Preparation is key". Although exploring Bangkok with us doesn't take much prepation we have several of your potential questions covered right here. From tips to what to wear while exploring, to potential weather concerns you may have.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR ON THE TOUR?

On our tours we are guests at local and more conservative communities, including temples. Please allow us to ask you to dress more conservatively out of respect for the local community. A top that covers the shoulders and a sarong for covering the legs in a temple is always appreciated in Thai culture.

FOR YOUR OWN CONVENIENCE
We recommend you wear light, comfortable clothing with a hat to keep the sun off your head. For footwear, we recommend closed shoes or sports sandals for maximum protection and control during your tour. For your own safety, we discourage the use of ‘flip flops’ as they often compromise the ability of the rider to control his/her bicycle on the tour. The liberal use of sunscreen is also highly encouraged.

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WHAT LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN ON THE TOURS?

The vast majority of our guides are English speaking local Thais.

By design, our tours do not contain much talking. Our philosophy is to focus more on the interactive experience of cycling within the local community rather than presentations about facts, figures, or history. In that respect, language does not play a large factor in your tour experience, and it is unlikely that you will feel like you've missed out on anything by not having a native language guide.

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WHAT IS INCLUDED ON A TOUR?

All Co van Kessel tours include the following (when applicable):

Experienced English speaking local guides
Safe, well-maintained, comfortable, custom-made Co van Kessel bicycle
Bicycle helmet (not compulsory)
Drinking water enroute
Boat & ferry rides where applicable
24-hour emergency insurance

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WHAT IF IT RAINS?

We will never cancel a tour due to rain! The weather in Bangkok is unpredictable and rain can occur at any time, especially during the rainy season of July-September. Rain is also a very localized phenomenon, happening in small pockets in places while being completely dry only a few kilometers away. In our vast experience doing the tours, we know that heavy rains rarely last more than 30 minutes and our guides know very well where to take our customers for cover during the deluge. In light rain, we provide ponchos to our customers and cycle on. Often times, the rain will offer a refreshing break from the tropical heat.

IS IT TOO HOT TO RIDE A BICYCLE?

Joining one of our bicycle tours in Bangkok is a surprisingly refreshing adventure year round. The activity of cycling (as opposed to walking), will always create a breeze to help cool you down. We are also aided by the fact that Bangkok terrain is inherently very flat and we cycle at a leisurely pace. In addition, plenty of cold drinks and rest stops along the way will keep you refreshed for the journey.

DO WE VISIT THE TOURIST SITES?

We pride ourselves in being an alternative to the standard tourist experience by taking our customers "off the beaten path" to show them the REAL Bangkok. As such, our tours do not go to typical mass tourism attractions like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Jim Thompson House, etc. We go behind the scenes into the local communities to places that are typically inaccessible to the average traveler. Please do not be concerned about duplicating location visits on your own during the rest of your time in Bangkok.

CHILDREN ON THE TOUR

Our Bangkok tours are specifically designed to be do-able for all ages contrary to what you might expect. They are known to be a family friendly, cultural and fun activity. Any questions on taking the little ones with you are answered right here.

FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OF ALL AGES ARE MORE THAN
welcomE on our fun and cultural activities.

WHAT KIND OF KID BIKES DO YOU HAVE?

We have different sizes of children’s bikes as well as adult bikes with child- and baby seats on the back for our younger guests. Please note that all of our bicycles have hand-brakes where most children are used to bikes with back-pedal brakes. For more information on children on our bicycle tour please find our dedicated BLOG-post on children on our bicycle tour.

Please also have a look at photos of our current children bikes and baby- and children seats

IS THE TOUR SAFE FOR CHILDREN?

As long as your children are comfortable handling a bike, they should have no problem on our tour. We do not cycle on main road with traffic, but prefer to make use of back roads, alleyways, and footpaths where we can connect intimately with the local community.

DO YOU HAVE HELMETS FOR CHILDREN?

Yes, please ask your guide before the tour.

CAN CHILDREN JOIN THE BICYCLE TOURS?

Yes, Co van Kessel tours are a family friendly activity and we welcome children of all ages. On our bicycle tours, we provide the following assistance for our young friends

infant seat on the back for children 0-2 years old
child seat on the back for children 3-5 years old
small bikes for children 5-10 years old

We recommend the 3-hour and 5-hour tours for children under the age of 12 years. The 9-hour tour contains more advanced cycling and requires more endurance, which may be too much for young children

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BICYCLES

We are proud to have designed and developed our own bicycles, customally designed to elevate your experience. From a comfortable step-through frame and basket to the size and feel ofthe saddle.

WHAT KIND OF BIKES DO YOU HAVE?

We have designed our own custom yellow Co van Kessel city bikes to give our guests the ultimate local Bangkok experience. This means our bicycles are comfortable delivering a straight-up position to look around, open frame to easily step on/off, All of our bikes are adjustable in size and we have bikes suitable for both smaller and taller people.

Comfortable and straight-up position for a better connection with the environment
Step-through frame to facilitate easy mounting / dismounting
Hand-brakes
Basket to bring along bags, camera's etc.

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DO YOU HAVE ELECTRIC BIKES?

We do not have any tandem bikes as they will not work in the tight spaces and sharp corners of our tour route.

We do not have any electric bikes. Bangkok is extremely flat and easy to cycle, so we do not find electric bikes to be necessary.

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BANGKOK LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS

We operate our Bangkok tours from two office locations (River City and Tha Phra Chan). Here are the most frequently aked questions about our location and how to get to us.

WHERE IS THE MEETING POINT FOR THE TOURS?

Co van Kessel Bangkok tours operates all of our tours from two offices in Bangkok.

‍A) Bangkok - River City‍
‍B) Bangkok - Tha Phra Chan

Detailed directions on how to find us here >

HOW TO GET TO YOUR OFFICE FROM KHAO SAN ROAD?

River City location:

For the early morning (07:00) tour departure, taking a taxi will be the most convenient way as traffic will be relatively light before 06:30 (20-30 minutes, ~100 baht). During the rest of the day, traffic will be unpredictable, so please allow a minimum of one hour for transit.

Arriving to River City by the Chao Phraya Express Boat (http://www.chaophrayaexpressboat.com/en/home/) is a good option for the rest of the day.

Catch the southbound boat (going from right to left) with an orange flag from the Phra Arthit Pier (N13) near Khao San Road
Get off on the Si Phraya Pier (N3) right next to River City
Walk down the alleyway, take a left at the end, and walk 200m to our office near the exit ramp of the parking garage

This trip should take you around 30-40 minutes at the most and there won't be the uncertainty of hitting traffic. The cost is 15 baht per person.

Tha Phra Chan location:

You found our office a 15 minute walk from Khao San Road. Walk towards the Grand Palace, and stay on the west-side of the royal palace (Sanam Luang). Halfway the field, turn right into ''Tanon Phra Chan''. Walk straight for about 200 meters, even the the road bends left to find our office within the pier terminal of 'Phra Chan' .

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IS THERE A PARKING SPACE AT YOUR OFFICE?

Yes, River City Bangkok has a parking space. We will provide you with a stamp in order to park your car 5 hours for free.

The best indoor parking near the Tha Phra Chan office would be the Tha Maharaj parking which is a 200 meter walk away.

DO YOU PROVIDE A PICK-UP SERVICE?

No, we request that our customers arrive at the departure point at least 15-30 minutes before tour departure time. Bangkok traffic is typically light for morning departures (07:00) and quite heavy and unpredictable for afternoon departures, so please account for this in your planning.

DO YOU HAVE A PLACE TO STORE LUGGAGE?

Yes, feel free to store your backpacks and luggage in our office during or after the tour. Our office is open 06:00 - 19:00 daily.

general booking questions

bangkok questions

TOUR AND PREPARATION

CHILDREN ON THE TOUR

BICYCLES

BANGKOK LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS