When people are planning a trip to Bangkok they usually stay in the same areas. Backpackers choose Banglamphu where they can party all night long on the infamous Khao San Road, people with a little more to spend head over to Sukhumvit with its trendy clubs, restaurants, and fancy hotels. Lastly, business travellers opt for the financial district Silom, with even more fancy restaurants and even bigger hotels. But Bangkok’s got more up its sleeve. If you are looking for chill vibes, hip eateries and easy connections to all the highlights the city has got to offer it is worth considering staying in Ari, the hippest ‘up-and-coming’ neighbourhood in Bangkok.
– Practical Information –
In & Out
Whether you arrive in Bangkok by aeroplane, train or bus – getting to Ari is a breeze. From the international airport (Suvarnabhumi) you can take the Airport Rail Link (blue line) that leaves from the bottom floor in the airport to Praya Thai station (45 baht). There you can switch to the BTS Skytrain that takes you to Ari BTS Station in 6 minutes (26 baht). If you travel by bus you most likely arrive at Mo Chit Station which has its own BTS station within walking distance. Mo Chit BTS station is directly connected to Ari BTS Station and only 2 stops away. If you arrive by train from Chiang Mai you can get off at Sam Sen Railway station, the last stop before it rolls into Hua Lamphong, Bangkok’s main railway station. From Sam Sen station it is either a 20-minute walk (one straight walk on the Rama 6 Soi 30 road) or a 50 baht taxi-ride.
Getting around
Ari is well connected to all major highlights by BTS Skytrain. To get to the old centre (Khao San Road, Wat Pho, Grand Palace, Wat Arun etc.) take the BTS to Ratchathewi (30 baht), and from there the Canal taxi (15 baht) to your specific destination (it stops at many of the highlights). To get to the famous Chatuchak weekend market, take the BTS to Mo Chit BTS station (2 stops) – the market is located right at the station. If you are looking for a more direct approach you can also take a taxi (use the GRAB app to get a fair price without bargaining!) or a tuk-tuk to where-ever you wanna go.
Budget
Ari has both cheap and expensive options. There are plenty of cheap street food stalls and little markets but you can also find some of the finer restaurants in town here. The same is true for accommodation. Staying in Ari is possible on any budget but take into account that Bangkok, in general, is a bit more expensive than other Thai destinations.
– Exploring Ari –
Street food stalls on Soi Ari 1
Whether you are revisiting Bangkok and want to explore some different parts of the city or visiting for the first time, Ari is an interesting place to be. In the last 5 years, the neighbourhood boomed and bloomed due to an ever-increasing influx of expats and upper-middle class Thai people. The neighbourhood is clean, suburban and dotted with hip eateries and bars.
Walk around for a few hours in Ari and experience the perfect mix of trendy places and authentic Thai city life. Next, to the Ari BTS station, a full-fletched shopping mall is situated which hosts both local boutique shops as retailers of many international brands.
– Recommendations –
Massage
Recommended to me by an expat that has been living in Ari for over a year and it didn’t disappoint. At the north end of Phibun Watthana 5 alley, there’s a small parlour called NateeTong that offers great 1-hour massages for 180 baht. It mainly serves locals and is very professional. They give you a stamp-card that gives you a free massage after 10 visits, but as a traveller, this is probably not something you are going to benefit from. Opens daily from 09:00 until 22:00.
Food & Drinks
If you are looking for good Thai street food – walk around Soi Ari 1, and Soi Ari 2 after 4 PM and you’ll find plenty to choose from. If you are on a bigger budget, check out the food gallery located in a side street of Soi Ari 1, for haute-cuisine street food (offering Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Western dishes). Best burger in Ari can be found at Paper Plane Burgers. They have a small shop in the food gallery but the main venue is located in front of The Yard Hostel. Check out Fat Bird for great coffee, and if you are really looking for fine-dining Cafe Lao has a Michelin Bib-Gourmand certification (recognizing haute-cuisine with excellent value for money).
Accommodation
We found out that Booking.com will consistently give you the best rates on hotels. To make finding the perfect spot a little easier we made a selection for Bangkok. Click the link below to find the best places to stay in Bangkok.
