When we have friends coming to Bangkok, and we want to do something special, we take them for a dinner cruise on the river. There are a dozen such boats that offer the service but we can't vouch for them all. We can tell readers, however, about two river dinner cruises that are top of the line. One is Maeyanang, run by The Oriental Hotel, and the other Horizon, run by the Shangri-La Hotel.

Two years ago The Oriental Hotel inaugurated its latest dinner cruise boat -- Maeyanang. When we asked Susie Hansirisawasdi, the Public Relations Director at The Oriental Hotel, for information about the boat and it services, she said the best way to find out was to take a cruise and she invited us for a dinner cruise. How could we refuse? Susie said we could bring another couple so we invited our son Paul and his date. We met in the lobby of The Oriental, listened to the music quartette for a few minutes -- great way to relax -- and Susie then led us to the garden facing the river for cocktails along with other guests making the cruise.

The Maeyanang makes a splendid show when it appears at dockside, a beautifully converted rice barge from the Lana period of northern Thailand. It was constructed from golden teakwood, polished to a sheen, with all the fittings and trim, including the dinning tables, also crafted from teak. The vessel is 16 meters long with a seating capacity for 32 dinner guests. What makes Maeyanang truly different from modern boats is the design. The many pieces of hand-carved sculptures, especially the legendary Nagas, are works of Thai art. To the skillfully branded gold plates on the ceiling, the Maeyanang is so rich in Thai heritage it is proof that traditional crafts are still alive.

Maeyanang is open sided with dining tables arranged along the railings. In the center of this dining area is one large table where the food is displayed. The food is under a cover but the aroma is there, tantalizing, almost wanting you to take aside the cover and peek. Or better yet, sneak a bite or two. The captain sits in an open area toward the bow of the boat.

If you had but one word to describe it, it would have to be romantic. And that's precisely what it is, romantic. It was so romantic we feared our son might propose to his date that night.

And how could the River of Kings not be romantic aboard a beautiful rice barge slowly gliding, almost silently, up a magic river while along the banks are silhouettes of golden temples, church steeples, minarets of mosques, walled fortresses, light houses, and so much more -- all alight with the glow of a billion lights. And what magnificent riverside landmarks such as Wat Arun, The Grand Palace, and Bang Khun Prom Palace. And there is the rhythm of the river, sleek cruise boats, longtail boats, ferries and the occasional tug pulling a string of barges tied together, one after the other, like elephants in line holding tails in a circus.

Maeyanang, being a rather small boat, leaves the main river course and cruises along a few of the klongs, giving passengers an added pleasure. The helmsman, with a powerful spotlight, highlights some of the sites like the splendid Royal Rice Barges that are stored in their sheds.

And then there is the food, the very best Thai food, buffet style, catered by the chefs of The Oriental. The display is vast and complete.

The voyage, of two and a half hours, is all too short. Fortunately our son Paul didn't propose.

It would not be fair to readers to report on just one dinner cruise, so, on another day, I chose another vessel, one that is on equal par with Maeyanang. This was Horizon, run by the Shangri-la Hotel down river from The Oriental.

Horizon is a dual-purpose vessel. Once a day it cruises up the Chao Phraya River to Ayutthaya. Passengers have the choice to cruise upriver aboard Horizon and return by bus or take the bus to Ayutthaya and return down river aboard Horizon. In both cases a scrumptious lunch is served aboard.

It's quite impossible to compare the two vessels, like it would be to compare oranges to apples. Maeyanang is a rice barge of the classic design fitting to the mood of The Oriental. They go hand in hand. Horizon, the name taken from James Hilton's book Lost Horizon, is, on the other hand, a modern, air-conditioned vessel that fits the Shangri-la. Nevertheless, it too offers a romantic cruise.

For this trip aboard Horizon we were joined by our oldest son, Tom, and his wife, Mylien. We were given a table for four in the open air on the foredeck. We have to say here that Tom is a workaholic. With his two brothers they have their own online advertising company with 70 employees and, like most successful businessmen, Tom takes little time to relax. Aboard Horizon it was different. Maybe it was the breeze, the magic of the lights along the river, the food and drinks; whatever, at one moment I thought he was going to break down in tears. "I never knew anything could be so beautiful," he said. He couldn't stop thanking us.

Indeed, it is rewarding to take family, friends or a girl friend, on a dinner cruise on the river, for, like our son, they will never stop thanking you. But it isn't mother and dad in this case who deserve the thanks. It's the Maeyanang and the Horizon that should be given the credit and the laurels. And, of course, the Chao Phraya River too. There's not another river like it in the world.