ARUN Riverside Bangkok
ARUN Riverside Bangkok is a well-rated 4-star hotel in Rattanakosin (Old City), Bangkok, popular with guests who want comfort and a strong location near Wat Suthat and the Giant Swing.
The surrounding Rattanakosin (Old City) district is one of the most convenient parts of Bangkok to stay in, with restaurants, cafés and transport links close by.
Because pricing is set live by the hotel and its suppliers, the figure shown here is a recent snapshot; check the current rate for your exact dates before booking.
Key facts
What’s included
Around Rattanakosin (Old City)
Where to stay in Bangkok: which area suits which traveller
Rattanakosin (the Old City) is where the temples are — Wat Pho, Wat Arun across the Chao Phraya, and the Grand Palace all sit within a 15-minute walk of each other, and guesthouses along Maha Rat Road run $25-45 a night. Khao San and Banglamphu next door are the backpacker strip with dorm beds from $8 and small hotels around $30, while Sukhumvit (from Nana at BTS Asok out to Ekkamai and Thonglor) is the international zone where a four-star runs $90-160. Silom and Sathorn are the business core, quieter after 7pm on weekends, with river-view towers at $120-250.
Siam, Pratunam and Ratchathewi cluster around the shopping malls and the BTS interchange at Siam station — practical for a first visit and priced at $60-130 for a decent mid-range. Chinatown (Yaowarat) suits food-focused stays with boutique hotels at $70-120, Ari and Thonglor are the neighbourhood picks for repeat visitors, and Thonburi across the river trades convenience for river-view resorts at $150-300. Skip Samut Prakan and Nonthaburi unless you have a specific reason — the commute in eats an hour each way.
Best time to visit Bangkok, month by month
November to February is the cool-dry season, 22-32°C, and it is when hotel prices peak — expect 30-50% above low-season rates, and book Christmas and New Year at least two months out. March warms up fast, April is brutal at 36-40°C but includes Songkran (13-15 April), when Khao San and Silom flood with water fights and rates jump for those three nights before collapsing for the rest of the month.
May to October is the rainy season, with the heaviest downpours in September and October — short, hard, usually late afternoon, and rarely a full washout. This is when Sukhumvit four-stars drop to $70-90 and river hotels quietly discount 40%. Chinese New Year (late January or February) and the Vegetarian Festival in Chinatown (September or October, nine days) both push Yaowarat rates up sharply for the week.
Getting around Bangkok: BTS, MRT, boats and when a taxi is faster
You do not need a car in Bangkok, and renting one is a bad idea. The BTS Skytrain (Sukhumvit and Silom lines) and the MRT Blue Line cover most of what a visitor wants — a single ride is $0.50-1.80, and the interchange at Siam and Asok/Sukhumvit puts Silom, Sukhumvit and the malls within 20 minutes of each other. The Chao Phraya Express Boat runs from Sathorn pier up to Phra Athit near Khao San for about $0.50, which is the sensible way to reach Wat Pho and Wat Arun.
The Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi to Phaya Thai takes 26 minutes and costs $1.30; a metered taxi to Sukhumvit is $10-14 plus tolls, longer if you hit the evening jam on Sukhumvit Road. Don Mueang, the low-cost airport, is 45-90 minutes by taxi to town depending on traffic — the A1 bus to Mo Chit BTS is $0.90. Grab is reliable, tuk-tuks are for short hops and you must agree the fare first.
