Thought we could make a thread about what you can do and find in Ari and the area around. When I say the area around I guess we can limit it to the BTS stations next to Ari BTS, so betweem Saphan Khwai and Sanam Pao. It will be really handy if everyone could contribute so we get a thread with allot of good info on what you can do and find in the area. I have been searching through this and other forums about Ari and it would be handy to have all the info in one place. So I hope you share your secrets to us all, that be shopping, great food, training centers, tailers, massage and so on.

Ari has become a very popular area, and I guess both people living here and people considering to move here would benefit from this threat. Personally I dont know so much just yet, but I can list a few. When listing, please clearly state what it is, and where you can locate it. Maybe list it something like the following:

What:

BTS:

Soi:

Other comment:

So I'll start. Some info is from other forums.

What: Lao Lao Chinese/Thai seafood restaurant.

BTS: Ari

Soi: About 100 metres past Soi 7, heading out on Phaholyothin on the north side of the road. The sign (Lao Lao) is in Thai, but you can't miss the grill in front filled with all manner of seafood.

Other comment: They have been in business for more than 30 years and are rather famous among Bangkokians.

What: Isaan BBQ chicken/som tum restaurant

BTS: Ari

Soi: Located inside the second soi you come to in Soi Ari on your left. It's set in an old house.

Other comment: Has some of the best Thai style BBQ chicken in Bangkok.

What: La Villa

BTS: Ari

Soi: Just of the BTS, cant miss it.

Other comment: At this center you can find Adidas, Starbucks, Boots, Villa market, restaurants and more.

What: Banks

BTS: Ari

Soi: Along Phahonyothin rd, next to Ari BTS there are several banks.

Other comment:

What: Street food

BTS: Ari

Soi: 7 and around

Other comment: Just walk around Soi 7 and you will find plenty of delicious food.

Well thats a start, so lets hope people will contribute to get some good info about Ari and the areas around. Surely there are many people on this forum that has lived here for some time and know much more.

What: Great burgers at Grill and Gravy (steakhouse)

BTS: Ari

Where: La Villa second floor

Other comment: According to some people on this forum, this place have some great burgers.

What: Big C

BTS: Saphan Khwai

Soi: On the main rd, just about 100m before the BTS station.

Other comment: Supermarket, Swendson ice cream, Black Canyon Coffee, KFC, food court and more.

I do not live in Ari, but visit there often. Sweets Cafe, along Soi 1. Beautiful setting, expensive coffee, and small water ponds with fish, so relaxing I almost fell asleep, except for the caffeine.

Nothing to see here people, move along. Aree is a crap place to visit, let alone live..

What: Great burgers at Grill and Gravy (steakhouse)

BTS: Ari

Where: La Villa second floor

Other comment: According to some people on this forum, this place have some great burgers.

This place closed a couple of years ago, unless it's re-opened again.

I'd recommend:

What: "Suan Kularb" Thai & Chinese restaurant

BTS: Ari or Sanam Pao

Where: Soi Ari Sampan between Ari Sampan 2 and Ari Sampan 3

Other comment: Great Thai food and weekend lunch-time dim sum.

Some good restaurants:

-Thai street side seafood restaurant, next to Phayathai 2 hospital

-HOBs (House of Beers), nice bar/restaurant with good draught beer and food, end of Phahonyothin Soi 5

-HOBs Away, same beer but different menu to the above, At La Ville

-Pla Dip, very nice Japanese Thai fusion food + Pizza and good beer, near HOBs on soi 5.

-Basilico, Italian chain restaurant, half way along Soi Ari

-Baan Mae Yui, nice little Thai food place with great deserts, Ari Samphan 1

-Yuu, Japanese grill, at La Ville

-Thai Isaan lunch restaurant, only open during the day and not on weekends, next to Honda garage just before Sanam Pao BTS station.

-Aree Aley, nice open Thai restaurant with wine and cocktails, on the corner of Ari Samphan 4

-Salt, not been but supposed to be good, Soi Ari

Nothing to see here people, move along. Aree is a crap place to visit, let alone live..

No, it's quite nice actually...

Ari is quiet and well-connected. I've always thought its a good choice of location. Sapahan Kwai is a little over-crowded though, and both its main junctions, the Phadiprat and the thanon kampaeng phet are busy by bangkok's standards.

What: Fantastic BBQ chicken

BTS: Ari

Soi: Small road connecting Soi Ari 1 and Ari 2. If you enter Soi Ari 2 from Soi Ari (which is Soi 7), you will get it on your left hand side just 20 m into Soi Ari 2. Its just a street food stand, with 10-12 tables. Its the first place you get to if you enter the road connecting Soi Ari 1 and 2, if you come from Soi Ari 2.

Other comment: By far the best chicken I have tried in Bangkok.

aree always been a great place to live, tree lined sois, a village like atmosphere amongst the residents

the area begins really between soi 3 and soi 11 phayonthin, you can argue the sois are not aree sois, but they all part of the same area, with many great places to eat drink, it doesnt have any large nightclubs, but it has over the last few years had a few pub reataurants down soi 5 phayonthin.

basically its an area of wealthy thais who work in the government, police force and army and banks with a few tv stations, because thats whats near aree, army bases, house of parliament, etc

its a great location to get around bangkok, yes the bts, but also by car its easy to get to the river, dusit, rathcada, khao san, ladprao etc, then you have the higway entrance just off rama 6 the back way to soi 5 phayonthin.

anyway who thinks this area is crap is a moron

aree always been a great place to live, tree lined sois, a village like atmosphere amongst the residents

anyway who thinks this area is crap is a moron

Agree completely. There's even a decent place to jog in the Public Relations compound at the end of Soi Aree. I lived in the area in the early 80's and have been back since 2006. Only complaint is those two huge condos that have gone up on soi aree have wiped out a couple of my favorite restaurants. But I see some others have sprung up which I have yet to try.

And for good khaw man gai try the place just under the BTS station, across from Villa. They're recommended by channel 3!

Best tom yam kung (or tom yam talay) in Bangkok can be found on the small seafood street stall on the corner of Soi Ari and Soi Ari 1. Not really conducive to eating at the place itself due to the quite crowded street and narrow pavement so it's best to order it to take away.

There is a great seafood place on the left after you exit soi ari, a bit pricey and street parking.

Nothing to see here people, move along. Aree is a crap place to visit, let alone live..

Could not agree more. I was thrilled to get out. It's the closest I've felt to living in a faceless American suburb since moving to Bangkok. It's got everything you need to live a cardboard existence, strip malls, giant chain stores, two (TWO) Villa Supermarkets within 500m of one another and at least one McDonald's - and it's completely landlocked by concrete. Jogging there is a nightmare, unless you think jogging around the same military camp every day is fun. Oh, and if you're planning on living in Ari and being out after 9PM ever I hope you don't have a problem with armies of rats.

That said, I'll contribute a bit and avoid all the obvious HiSo stuff that everyone knows about:

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Phaholyothin Soi 6

During the day, turn into the soi (next to the Toyota dealer) and continue down to the T junction just past the 7-11. There's a lady on the corner who actually smokes/barbecues her gai yang and it is fantastic. It's just a streetside operation, but it's my favorite gai yang. Tell her Khun Hualamphong sent you.

Phaholyothin Soi 6

For lunch, turn into the soi (next to the Toyota dealer) and continue down about halfway and you'll find a house on the right with plastic tables and tablecloths set up in the carport. There's a menu sandwichboard outside and the chef is a really tall guy who speaks fluent English. The food here is affordable and awesome, but it's a lunch only deal, so go between about 10:00 and 13:00.

Alley Next To IRS

During the day, from Phaholyothin BTS, walk toward the Shell station and take a right into alley next to the IRS (the one full of food stalls). At the far end of the alley, next to the spirit house, is a fantastic khao soi place - just awesome.

Just Outside Alley Next To IRS

At night, just outside of the alley by the spirit house, is a soup cart that sells some killer tom yam noodles.

There's also an amazing Chinese barbecue pork place in the food court in the multistory building opposite the alley, but that's hard to describe how to get to. If you can find it, though, it's worth the effort. They barbecue all their meat themselves and you can get either sliced pork or ribs (among other things). It's not that bright food coloring red like all the fake joints, this is real connosieur smoked meat and it's great.

Several people mentioned Liao Liao (I've got a discount card I went there so often). It is good and it's one of the only places open late in the sleepy, boring Ari area where most things close at 20:00 and almost everything else closes at 22:00 (take a right and head for Phradipat otherwise). However, be careful about becoming too friendly with the staff as there are a couple of men there who will sit there and talk your ear off for 45 straight minutes every time you show up once you become friendly. Hard lesson to learn for those of us whose instinct is just to be friendly to everyone, but sometimes you just want to eat dinner and don't want to hang out with your waiter all night. You may not have that option at Liao Liao and if you plan to go several nights a week it becomes a problem. But don't worry, there's always the 24 hour McDonald's! (rolleyes)

The is suppose to be a place that serves pad Thai and they use papaya instead of noodles. Where is it? It is suppose to be near the soi ari bts stop

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The is suppose to be a place that serves pad Thai and they use papaya instead of noodles. Where is it? It is suppose to be near the soi ari bts stop

Yeah, the phad thai malagor place is in a little food alley just down from the BTS. Exit the BTS headed North on the Villa side, so toward Toyota and keep walking. Pass Kasikorn and before you get to the second Villa market (I think) you'll see a little alley on the right with a bunch of fruit drink and coffee kiosks. Go down there and on the right you'll find a sit-down place with a red sign out front and little wooden tables. I forget the name. It's owned by a someone somehow socially related to the royal family and gets a fair amount of press coverage. That said, it's not that good. The best phad thai malagor is on Charananitwong at the restaurant at the Bangkok River Marina condo. It's absolutely fantastic and the owner (Nat) and his wife are amazing hosts. She's the genius behind their cooking and she does some great signature dishes. I've taken a number of discerning Thai friends there and word has spread among all of them about how good her phad thai malagor is (because it's a relatively unusual dish).

Nothing to see here people, move along. Aree is a crap place to visit, let alone live..

No, it's quite nice actually...

Yes it is, I guess sarcasm doesn't come across well, or , there are too many who just don't get it.

Nothing to see here people, move along. Aree is a crap place to visit, let alone live..

No, it's quite nice actually...

Yes it is, I guess sarcasm doesn't come across well, or , there are too many who just don't get it.

oops! I thought it was a bit out of character for you...

Nothing to see here people, move along. Aree is a crap place to visit, let alone live..

No, it's quite nice actually...

Yes it is, I guess sarcasm doesn't come across well, or , there are too many who just don't get it.

oops! I thought it was a bit out of character for you...

Just didn't want these blow-in ruining the place.....I've always liked the vibe, food and yes, the fact that it does close down at a reasonable hour.

Seems they took me seriously, which I guess I kinda wanted.

Nothing to see here people, move along. Aree is a crap place to visit, let alone live..

No, it's quite nice actually...

Yes it is, I guess sarcasm doesn't come across well, or , there are too many who just don't get it.

Maybe he hasn't been to south park. I am more interested in Ari now even when i also didn't go to south park.