Most backpackers opt for hostels for the sake of price, sacrificing their needs in an attempt to save their budget. In my experience this isn't necessary. This list gives a detailed account of the places I have stayed in as a traveller with a partner, showing you that private rooms are still within reach and, more often than not, more affordable than your average hostel. Alongside a detailed account of each accommodation is a rating of each place to show you if it's worth a visit or not. I hope this list gives you an idea of what to look for in an accommodation in Thailand and expose to you that you needn't buy into the myth that hostels are the only way to travel cheaply as the only hostel on this list is one of the most costly accommodations.
Bangkok’s Samsen Sam Place is a quiet guesthouse with a brilliant location. The double room (which cost just £10 a night), being a large space with a private bathroom and comfy enough bed, alongside the quiet communal spaces to sit and chill, makes Samsen Sam Place a relaxing and private stay for those trying to avoid a sleep deprived week on Khao San Road. That isn’t to say Samsen Sam Place is out in the sticks. Being a 20 minute walk from the Grand Palace and 10 from Khao San Road, the guesthouse is far enough away from hotspots to be peaceful but still easy to reach these hotspots from. The only downside to Samsen Sam Place was our own mistake of thinking a fan would be enough to defend us from Bangkok’s heat. Regardless of whether you book into this guesthouse or not, an air-conditioned room for your first week in a country 20 degrees hotter than your own is 100% needed.
With PTSD from the stay in Bangkok rattling through our heads, the main pull of Neighbors Hostel was its aircon. Costing just £10.80 a night, Neighbors’ double room gave just enough space for a bed and half a foot of room either side. Neighbours is a well kept hostel providing cheap use of washing machines (50p a wash), a clean and modern shared bathroom, and is above a cafe which does great, if not overpriced, Western style breakfasts. On the main street of Phuket Old Town, the hostel is a minute walk from the Sunday night market, the main attraction of Phuket Old Town. A stay in Phuket Old Town shouldn’t be any more than 2 nights so Neighbors hostel is a great option for a short stay.
Pensiri House is a hotel with an amazing price attached for the luxury provided. £15 gets a night in a huge double room with a decent private bathroom, queen bed and a fridge (a greater luxury than it sounds for people trying to skimp by buying alcohol from shops rather than at bars). A special mention is also needed for the reception woman who works crazy hours and is non-stop on hand to help. The hotel is a simple two minute walk from the beach, but it is at this beach that the allure of the hotel falls down. Despite all its efforts to make itself the best hotel it can be, Pensiri House can do nothing about the location that it is in. With a littered beach and a couple of mediocre restaurants and bars, Sirinat National Park is definitely an area of Thailand to avoid, making Pensiri House null and void when it comes to recommending places to stay in Phuket.
Bamboo Huts Resort in Khao Sok National Park is a collection of stand alone huts ranging in price and facilities. We opted for the air-conditioned hut ,which was a fraction more expensive than it’s fan room counterpart at £11.50 a night for two. We opted for this due to our previous experience with Thailand’s hot climate, but being in a cooler jungle aircon wasn’t necessary. Our hut, on stilts, backed by trees and with a large balcony/porch at the front, gave treehouse vibes from the exterior. The interior was roomy with a double bed, covered by the provided mosquito net, and decked with a small fridge. The private bathroom being an attached open air wet room had lots of visitors ranging from lizards to a wolf spider on the back of the toilet, but this is to be expected when you are staying in a jungle older than the Amazon rainforest. The receptionist was extremely helpful, talking us through the excursions that she ended up booking for us (I would highly recommend the half day jungle trek and full day lake tour, see here for more details in my blog about Khao Sok) making our time in Khao Sok one of the best experiences we’ve had on our travels.
Blanco Hideout Railay was our first dorm experience in Thailand and cost £12.50 a night for two beds. After booking we were made aware of the reputation of Blanco hostels by a mate who stayed in Blanco Phi Phi. Preparing ourselves for a single hour's sleep across our 4 night stay and dreading how many shots would be forced down us, we entered apprehensively to say the least. Maybe on account of the wet season we arrived to the complete opposite of the hooligan atmosphere we had built up in our minds. With a pool and bar that overlooks the stunning scenery of Railay East and its floating pier, Blanco Hideout Railay sports an inviting and calming atmosphere that matches the hippie aura of Railay itself. Unlike a normal hostel, each dorm is its own detached treehouse bungalow with added balcony. Of course, as a chain hostel, Blanco Hideout Railay did have events on every night, a huge positive if your a solo traveller looking for a community feel, however if you aren’t a big drinker these events aren’t a necessity if you desire to meet people, as with plenty of places to sit and chill making friends is made easy. On a final note I must mention the stairs. If you do end up staying here, do not tackle the huge climb to the hostel with your bags. There is a trolley that if you wait for, will take your bags up for you.
Phi Phi Dream Guest House is a five minute walk from Phi Phi’s strip, situated on a hill below viewpoint 1 and 2. Neither too far from the strip that going out is a pain nor too close that the noise of people and music is a pain, Phi Phi Dream Guest House feels hidden without actually being so. The guest house itself is very bare bones but coming in at just under £10 a night for a double room with private bathroom, this is to be expected. The staff were extremely friendly, however, our room wasn’t seen to once in the five nights we were there. Being English, it was annoying that toilet paper was charged for, however, being only 5 Baht (11p) this wasn’t much of an issue. The reason for its fairly low rating of 60% is mainly a consequence of my rooms lack of windows and dingy feel alongside the absent room services, but if you simply need a base and want a quieter time on a somewhat party island, Phi Phi Dream Guest House is definitely an accommodation to consider.
The final guesthouse before our flight to Kuala Lumpur, JP Hometel initially was simply a means to an end. A bare bones room with a simple private bathroom, the guest house is altogether okay. With a great location in the heart of Krabi town and only a half an hour drive from Krabi’s airport, its transport links mean JP Hometel is a great place for a layover. This is bolstered by the sheer amount of transport you can book through reception, however the hostel doesn’t have a printer, an annoyance for someone who prefers a paper boarding pass and doesn’t have the luxury of an apple wallet. Let down by the lack of things to do in Krabi, JP Hometel is a travel facilitator rather than an exceptional holiday residence.