Neighbourhood guide
Ari, Bangkok
Ari is where you go to see how Bangkok lives when it isn't hosting visitors. It is not a sightseeing destination — that is the point.
Updated
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How we research
In this guide ↓
Best for
- Repeat visitors
- Digital nomads
- Café and food lovers
- Weekend Chatuchak trips
Less suited to
- First-timers on a short trip
- Big-name sightseeing
- Late-night partying
Getting there
- Ari · BTS Sukhumvit Line
- Nightlife
- some
- First-time visitors
- Not ideal
- Families
- Good
- Hotel budgets
- budget, mid-range
What is Ari like?
Ari is a leafy, residential neighbourhood a few BTS stops north of Siam, surrounded by government offices and quiet sois. It's known for independent cafés, casual restaurants and street food serving the people who live and work here rather than visitors. There are no major sights — which is exactly its appeal. Ari is where you go to see a Bangkok that isn't performing for tourists.
Who is it best for?
Ari suits repeat visitors, people staying for weeks rather than days, remote workers and anyone who loves café culture. It's less suitable for a short first trip, when you'll want to be closer to the Old Town and the river.
Where is it, and how do you get there?
- BTS Ari on the Sukhumvit Line — about 10 minutes from Siam.
- Chatuchak is two stops north (BTS Mo Chit), making Ari a natural partner for a weekend market day.
Best things to do
- Café-hop. Ari has one of Bangkok's best concentrations of independent cafés, along Phahon Yothin Soi 7 and the lanes around it.
- Eat local. Street food and simple restaurants serve office workers at lunch and residents in the evening.
- Combine with Chatuchak. Go to the weekend market at opening, then come to Ari to escape the heat in the afternoon. See the best markets in Bangkok.
- Visit Or Tor Kor Market, directly opposite Chatuchak (MRT Kamphaeng Phet), for premium fruit and prepared food.
Where to eat
Ari's strength is everyday eating: noodle shops, rice-and-curry stalls, small Thai restaurants and bakeries. Explore Phahon Yothin Soi 7 (often called Soi Ari) and the smaller lanes off it. Things change quickly here; walk around and follow the crowds.
A suggested Ari afternoon
- Lunch in one of the noodle or curry shops along Phahon Yothin Soi 7.
- Coffee at an independent café on the smaller lanes off Soi Ari.
- Walk the quieter residential sois between Ari and Sanam Pao.
- Dinner at a local Thai restaurant, or head back to the centre on the BTS.
This pairs well with a morning at Chatuchak at the weekend, or with Or Tor Kor on any day of the week.
Nightlife
Ari has a handful of relaxed bars and restaurants that stay open into the evening, but it's not a nightlife area. For a bigger night out, Sukhumvit is about 20 minutes away by BTS.
Shopping
Small independent shops and boutiques; Chatuchak at the weekend.
Staying in Ari
Advantages
- A real neighbourhood, with local prices
- Quiet and green
- On the BTS, 10 minutes from Siam
- Close to Chatuchak
Disadvantages
- 40 minutes or more to the Old Town
- Fewer hotels; more serviced apartments and small guesthouses
- Little to do in the evening
When to visit
Weekend mornings at Chatuchak, then Ari for lunch and cafés. Weekday lunchtimes for the local street-food scene.
Nearby
Chatuchak and the weekend market are two stops north; Siam is 10 minutes south. Ari fits into day 3 of our 3-day itinerary.
where to next?
- Best Markets in BangkokMarkets are where Bangkok is most itself. The trick is matching the market to the day: some only open at weekends, others only come alive after dark.
- Where to Stay in BangkokLocation matters more in Bangkok than in most cities, because traffic punishes the wrong choice. Start with how you want to spend your evenings and how close you need to be to the BTS or MRT.
- Bangkok 3-Day ItineraryThree days is enough for Bangkok's essentials if you group sights by area and use the river and the MRT rather than taxis. Here is the plan, slot by slot.