Sathorn Pier and Taksin Bridge Area

From the Sathorn Pier you can board the Skytrain to any destination. You can also easily walk to the following places and sights:

Wat Suan Plu: Wat Suan Plu is a small temple located on the side street which leads to one of the bigger tourist hotels -- the Shangri-La.
Wat Yannawa: An interesting temple with a bot shaped like Chinese junk. From the pier, make your way to the main road (Charoen Krung) and turn right. The temple is less than five minutes' walk.
Shangri-La: One of the largest riverside hotels. Its location on the river and next to a Skytrain station makes it a really great base for exploring Bankok.
Peninsula Hotel: Located on the opposite bank of teh river from the Oriental. Take a free boat operated by the hotel from the dock next to the River Express pier.
Anantara Resort (formerly Marriott Riverside): Actually, this is some distance further downriver, but like the Peninsula the hotel operates a free shuttle boat between the pier and the hotel.

The Bangkok Transit System Skytrain can take you to Bangkok's main shopping district, in addition to the Jim Thompson House museum and Suan Pakkard Palace.