The Thonburi khlongs by longtail

Across the river from the old city, the canals of Thonburi are where Bangkok began. A longtail turns off the Chao Phraya into Khlong Bangkok Yai or Khlong Bangkok Noi, and the city changes scale: wooden houses on stilts line the water, with potted plants on the landings, washing on the rails and small temples whose steps run down into the canal. Late in the day people are home — someone cooking on a porch, children in the water.

For a couple the boat is the set: sitting close in the bow, the canal narrowing behind you, the wake catching the light. Under the eaves the light stays soft even when the river is bright, which makes the canals the answer to the hours when everywhere else is too harsh, and the longtail can bring you back to the old-city bank in time for the sunset at Wat Arun. An hour on the canals is plenty for a session, and children usually rate the boat above any temple.

The piers on the old-city side are public and working: commuters come first, and the edge stays clear while a boat docks. Along the canals these are people's homes — the boat keeps moving, and nobody photographs into a window or a doorway. Longtails are loud and fast on the open river, so hats and loose scarves stay in a bag until you are back on the pier; ask about life jackets for children.