BANGKOK - In an age when travellers are spoilt for choice with a plethora of online discounts and ready upgrades, it can be hard to justify paying for luxury.

Why pay more, for example, for a leisurely jaunt down a river on a former old-school rice barge, when you could probably get a discounted suite on a feature-packed, activity-filled modern cruise ship?

There is, however, an answer and it is simply this: exclusivity.

Imagine having most of the boat to yourself, with no more than eight passengers on board. No queuing for meals. No families to contend with for the best deck chair or best spot on the sundeck.

Instead, you get a private chef who makes every meal an occasion. A butler on call to attend to your every whim. Leisurely cocktails every evening.

And, the best thing of all, the complete absence of worldly distractions, so you can do absolutely nothing but sit on the deck and watch the world slip gently by.

On the Loy River Song, that is exactly what you can expect for an eye-watering 185,000 baht (S$7,300) for a three-day, two-night cruise down the Chao Phraya River.

A bit too steep? Try the two-day, one-night option at under 90,000 baht.

The cruise is operated by Loy Pela Voyages, which is under the international Minor Hotels chain.

"It's not cheap," admits our host, Mr Etienne de Villiers, the cluster director of public relations (international) at Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, which is also under Minor Hotels.

Launched in August 2020, Loy Pela's cruises are likely to draw the well-heeled or those prepared to splash out for something special.

Yet, Mr de Villiers has seen extended families and groups of friends charter the boat for a special night out - or two - over the past two years, especially in the middle of Covid-19.

"It's safe and private," he says. "There are many cruises up and down the river, but this is the most luxurious overnight cruise."

Any scepticism about his words is quelled within minutes of stepping aboard as a cold lemongrass-scented towel and slushy mango juice are pressed enthusiastically into my hands by cheerful butlers. This will become a welcome routine every time we return to the boat after each stop.

Forget the water slides, pools, multiple restaurants and nightly shows of the cruise liners. On the 32m-long Loy River Song, there is nothing but the luxury of simplicity.

A capacious sitting and dining area greets us, lit up by daylight filtering through full-length windows all round.

An open deck up front sports a few armchairs, discreetly spaced apart. Down below, four en-suite staterooms comfortable enough to spend time in, though there is little reason to.

Surrounded by polished wooden surfaces and silk furnishings, we feel ourselves travelling back to a time when a real getaway meant extracting oneself completely from the routines of daily life and indulging in the art of doing nothing.

It befits the name "Pela", which means time in Thai. "We'll be travelling back in time to Ayutthaya," says Mr de Villiers.

True enough, as the Loy River Song slips from the Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort dock and begins puttering northwards to the ancient capital, we can feel the hustle and bustle of the Thai capital slowly fade away.

Skyscrapers, hotels and malls loom before us, then recede into the distance, to be replaced by posh suburban riverside homes, then factories, then greenery and rustic homes.

Time seems to pass extra slowly on board as we spend most of our time lounging on the sofa or the deck, watching sand-laden barges putter past and trying to spot catfish nibbling on the field of water hyacinths bobbing in the water.

"It's a new way of exploring Bangkok and its surrounds," declares a fellow passenger, as if writing a headline.

Of course, no holiday would be complete without good food and this is where Loy Pela's river cruise truly comes into its own. With food curated by award-winning chefs from Anantara's stable, every meal on the Loy River Song becomes a highlight.

"Wonder what's for dinner," my wife whispers to me as we tuck into yet another round of canapes served on the front deck at sunset, along with an icy mai tai.

Over the next two days, we find ourselves asking each other the same question repeatedly, hoping to be surprised yet again.

And we are. Tom yum-accented pomelo salad with grilled river prawns. Delicately sauteed squid in a creamy coconut soup. Tender braised beef short rib, with green curry risotto.

All Michelin-worthy, Thai-influenced dishes, artfully plated and paired with the smoothest wines against a backdrop of jazz music playing softly in the background. We do not know whether to feast our eyes on the food or to watch the river scenes slowly sliding past.

What we do know is that both of us are embarrassingly under-dressed. Our fellow passengers arrive at dinner in smart casual, but we are in T-shirts and shorts. Oops. We quickly realise this is the kind of cruise you would want to dress up for, but thankfully, our fellow guests laugh it off.

The highlight of the cruise is meant to be Ayutthaya, which we reach on Day 2. There, we step off to visit the eclectic Bang Pa-in royal summer palace, speed through a canal on a longtail boat and explore several ancient temple ruins.

The sights are intriguing enough, but I cannot help seeing them as distractions from the main attraction, which is, of course, the comforts of the boat and the next meal awaiting us - and, not forgetting the obligatory cold towel and freshly squeezed fruit slushies.

It is almost sad to feel the boat turning around at Ayutthaya and make its way back to Bangkok. A celebratory - and truly decadent - brunch, however, offers some compensatory comfort.

Lobsters, oysters, caviar, cold cuts and an assortment of cakes and tarts are brought to the table as the hotels and malls appear in the distance, and we raise our glasses to the end of a beautiful cruise.

About the cruise

Loy Pela Voyages has two boats running cruises on Bangkok's Chao Phraya River. The Loy River Song, a custom-built boat, has four cabins. The Loy River Dream, a restored rice barge, has two.

Several itineraries are available, revolving around themes such as food and history.

The three-day, two-night, all-inclusive A Journey Through Time cruise starts at 185,000 baht a cabin, which sleeps two. The two-day, one-night version, A Taste Of History With A River Journey To Remember, starts at 89,000 baht. A four-day, three-night option is also available on request.

All food and day tours are included.

The cruises start at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, which also makes a great stopover (rooms from $144 a night).

At the moment, the cruises are available on a charter basis. A cruise can be booked whenever the boats are available. Loy Pela Voyages, however, is looking at running them on a fixed schedule soon.

For more information, go to this website.

• Leslie Koh is a former Straits Times journalist.
• His trip was hosted by Loy Pela Voyages and Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas.