Tournesol Boutique Hotel: Comfortable Stay in Aranyaprathet, Thailand

Aranyaprathet is a small town that grew in prominence due to the land border crossing between Thailand and Cambodia that is just a couple of kilometers from this town. A lot of Thai people come here to do bargain shopping in bulk and also cross the border into Cambodia to do some gambling. It is because of this large influx of tourists that a lot of hotels have come up in this town in recent times. I got to stay at one of those hotels when I was here recently on behalf of an invite from the tourism authority of Thailand. I stayed one night at the Tournesol Boutique Hotel and the below review is based on this recent experience of mine.

1) The hotel is brand new and thus it is in prime state with everything smelling new.

2) This boutique hotel, which has a French name, has a French look n feel to it with fountains and French style architectural style.

3) The place is not five star material, but is a very comfortable business/boutique class hotel with ample parking, good levels of service, free breakfast and the usual stuff.

4) They don’t have an in-house restaurant, but they serve free breakfast. Vegetarians might not have a lot of options at the breakfast table, apart from the usual fare.

5) For a remote town, this hotel has blazing fast internet in each of its rooms.

6) The hotel doesn’t have an elevator, but it has a total of 3 floors only.

7) It is a bit away from the heart of town, which in a way is good as you are away from all the border traffic, but you would need your own transport to move around between the market, border and the restaurants.

The Tournesol Boutique hotel is good for those people looking to spend a night or two and then move on to the next destination. It offers a comfortable pit stop between Bangkok and Siem Reap.

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Thailand’s Ban Klong Luek Border Market: Great Border Shopping Experience

The Thai-Cambodia land border at Aranyaprathet is possibly the most popular land border crossing between these two countries. It is a preferred route for backpackers, budget travelers and for those who wish to experience parts of Thailand away from the tourist trail. While, Aranyaprathet, the border city on the Thai side, is an intriguing city in its own right, a lot of tourists give this city a miss and head straight into Cambodia. I too did the same thing the last time I did the overland crossing into Cambodia. But, this time, thanks to the tourist authority of Thailand, I got to explore a bit more of Aranyaprathet and understand its importance as a shopping border town.


While this town rose in importance as a popular land border crossing, its path to fame is its shopping arena and border market. A lot of people from the rest of Thailand come here every morning and more so during the weekends to buy goods in bulk. Popular items of sale are clothes, shoes, bags, household goods, daily usables, food and more. The market is massive and can test the stamina and strength of even the most die hard shopper. While most of the shops sell the same kinds of goods and for the local Thai people, some of them stock on souvenirs for the tourists. Since goods are procured from Cambodia at a wholesale price and due to the heavy competition, the price of the goods works out to be very less and you get a great bargain if you buy in bulk.


Even if you are not buying anything, this border market offers a great insight into a Thai countryside living. The color, the smells and the vibrant atmosphere in this border market will appeal to all kinds of tourists and especially those ones who like to click a lot of pictures. The one thing that you need to watch out here is for the pick pockets. Apart from that, this border market has enough variety in it to keep you enthralled for a full day and the next day you can enter Cambodia.

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