In the bustling heart of Bangkok, the Chao Phraya River and its countless waterways continue to serve as vital arteries for the capital’s daily commutes and cargo transport. In contrast to the city’s innovative, towering silver skyscrapers, Bangkok’s historical monuments such as the Temple of Dawn, The Grand Palace and Fort Phra Sumen preserve three centuries of water-laced heritage that stand along the riverbanks.

One riverboat that traversed these waterways has been reimagined into Apsara Cruise Bar & Restaurant. The boat once journeyed the Chao Phraya River as a rice barge from the ancient Ayutthaya era, before Bangkok became the capital, transporting rice, sugar and other trade goods between large ships and riverside warehouses.

The ambitious remaking was accomplished by Thailand-based Studio Locomotive and preserves the riverboat’s historic, wooden cargo hull for the below deck motorization. The boat contains a full commercial kitchen, guest restrooms and a new bamboo canopy. The vessel has been totally modified for the all-season restaurant service that recently began. The new configuration comprises three decks, with a total usable area of 2,400 square feet, including 969 square feet of indoor dining.

Evocative elements of Thai fine arts and architecture, such as wall murals reinterpreting Buddhist legends, auspicious Prajamyam floral motifs believed to offer protection and good fortune, and historical color palettes from glazed terracotta roof tiles on Thai temples are reflected through new work on contemporary materials, including mirror, mosaic tiles and wooden beads.

Sharing the main dining deck is a beverage bar and wheelhouse, disguised within a decorative, green-tinted glass booth, and featuring glass wall murals portraying the stories of the Rice Goddess and other mythical deities associated with agricultural abundance, redefined in modern narratives by collage illustrator Nakrob Moonmanas.

Aspara Cruise Bar & Restaurant is run by Banyan Tree Hotel Bangkok.