Cheap Hotels in Bangkok

Cheap hotels in Bangkok are not difficult to come by, though their quality varies widely. As a general rule, you get what you pay for, so if your 100 baht ($3.50 USD) room comes with a mattress as rock hard as Serena Williams’ biceps, well, you might not get anywhere by complaining to management.

That being said, it is possible to find quality budget accommodation in Bangkok, though you’d do best to stay in the $15-20 dollar range if you can swing it. We consider “budget” to be anything under 1000 baht, or $35 USD.

Plenty of cheap hotels are located on and near Khao San Road – so many that we wrote an entire post on it here. In general, Khao San Road attracts a large budget-minded crowd with its famously cheap digs. Prices are rising in the area as boutique hotels are opening to cater to the “flashpacker” market, but if you book ahead you shouldn’t have any problems finding a cheap bed. Check out our post or use our booking widget below to search for cheap hotels near Khao San Road.

Other areas around Bangkok that are favorite budget spots are off Skytrain stop National Stadium, as well as Chinatown (which is close to Hualampong train station) and Sukhumvit. Following are a couple of our recommendations.

Woraburi Sukhumvit Hotel

Situated in central Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 4, the Woraburi sits at the higher end of the budget spectrum. But with a higher price tag comes plenty of amenities: a swimming pool (and poolside bar), room service, wi-fi, and a concierge. Rooms are brightly yet simply decorated, with clean lines and either tile or faux-wood floors. Many rooms have flat-screen TVs (which makes up for the fact that many of the rooms also look right out to a brick wall), and all have private bathrooms.

Baan Hualampong

A five-minute walk from the train station, Baan Hualampong is not only conveniently located but also warm and friendly. The Thai proprietor lived in the US for many years and is very welcoming and friendly; when I stayed there, he met me at the train station to make sure I could find the hotel okay, and later walked me to his favorite street stall for dinner — and he had no idea that I was a travel writer. Rooms are fairly basic but fastidiously cleaned, many come with private baths, and a few with air-con. A single room is 290 baht, or $10 USD.

Tip: Plenty of more options abound, but even so, we recommend booking your first night or two in Bangkok ahead of time. This will save you the pain of searching for a room after a long international flight, plus hotels can fill up during peak season in December and January.

[Photo credit: extractor2000, Flickr]