Lodging is typically the number one thing you will do after booking your flight to Thailand. So, in this guide I will help you understand the different types of lodging you can expect to find in Thailand, that way you can get the most out of your visit to The land of smiles.
Hostels, Guest Houses and Home-stays.
- Hostels. Most of you know what a hostel is all about. Typically hostels are places that are set up like dormitories where several people stay and share rooms and facilities. Although hostels are popular in Thailand with backpackers and travelers that wanted to co-mingle with fellow travelers, guest houses seem to be taking on that role more and more.
Hostels are usually about the same price or higher than the lowest priced Guest houses, (around THB 150-THB 300 or $4.75-$9.50 a night).
Resources: Hostels.com, HostelWorld.com and Tyha.org.
- Guest Houses are mini hotels or converted houses that will usually have a small restaurant and WiFi in the rooms. The cheaper (THB 150-THB 200 or $4.75-$6.35) guest houses might only have a bowl with a water jar for showering and a squat toilet.
But a medium priced room (THB 250-THB 600 or $8.00-$19.00) will have a double bed and an en-suite. If you want in-room air conditioning with a TV and refrigerator, you can expect to pay around (THB 600-THB 1500 or $19-$47) for the night.
Resources: Booking.com, Airbnb.com. Although there are many guest houses on the travel sites, many more have their own web sites. Furthermore, you could just be adventurous and stumble upon them as you are walking through the streets of most Thai cities.
- Home-stays are what they sound like. You stay in a spare bedroom of someone’s home, (usually a local and their family). These types of accommodations are great if you want to get in touch with the locals and really learn about Thai culture. Home-stays are cheap, at around THB 150 or $4.75 a night per person. That price will usually include eating dinner with the family.
In the more rural areas you might get the chance to experience some local activities. Working in the rice farms or tapping rubber trees are common as well as fishing. An amazing experience for a mere 5 bucks. As an added bonus, the money and your help stays within the village.
Resources:
Although you can find other forms of accommodations in this category, ( Bungalows and B&B’s) as examples, the same general rules and prices apply. Also, the term “bungalow” is used in some higher priced resorts and are typically located near or on the beaches of Thailand. So, I will cover “bungalows” in the resorts category.
Hotels, Hotels and More Hotels.
There are mainly three kinds of “hotels” in Thailand, so lets cover them here.
- Budget hotels are just that. Kind of like what we in the states call motels. No restaurant, 2 or 3 stories and usually within walking distance to public transportation. Generally they will have a large bed, a bathroom and air conditioning or a fan for around THB 200-THB 650 or $6.35-$20.50. Typically, you will find these budget hotels in most cities, big and small.
Consequently you can find budget hotels on all the hotel booking sites like Booking.com. But keep in mind, there are still many that are still booking over the phone and not online.
- Mid-priced hotels are the more touristy type of hotels and will cost you around THB 650-THB 2000 or $20.50-$63.00. You can expect to find these in most cities that have a large tourism community. You can expect an onsite pool, restaurant/bar, with air conditioning, TV and mini-bar and a small refrigerator in the room.
Within this price range, you should find most if not all on travel booking sites.
- Luxury and Boutique style hotels are more pricey. Ranging from THB 2000-THB 36000 or $63-$1,141 a night. I know that this seems like a huge price gap, but there are so many differences in luxury, location and inclusions for these hotels.
However, these hotels will have a minimum of amenities. Such as, pools, spas, restaurants / bars, fitness facilities, parking, etc., etc., etc.. More than likely you will have everything you want with these hotels. Well, with the exception of your own kitchen, yard and private pool.
- Boutique hotels are usually a smaller and more personal version of luxury hotels. Therefore, boutiques are designed more for honeymoon style getaways. Some of these boutique suites will even have a small private plunge pool on the balcony or terrace.
You shouldn’t have a problem finding just about every hotel in Thailand on travel booking sites like Booking.com and Expedia.com.
Condos and Apartments.
In this category of lodging, it is likely you will be dealing with owners or property managers for all your needs. So check in and check out, house rules, payment and amenities will go through whomever is in charge of the particular property.
- Condos and Apartments are considered the same thing in Thailand. Therefore, you will see one advertisement say condo and another will say apartment. Another might say condo hotel, “a building with apartments that is run like a hotel” (this is not the same and “should” be considered a hotel). You will notice that they are the same layout and similar building style. Don’t fret over this, just look at the pics and amenities and decide from there.
However, if you decide on this type of lodging, make sure you know what the price includes. It is up to you to ask beforehand if you will have to pay for the water and or electricity you use. Most managers/owners will read the meter when you check in and again when you check out to determine the amount.
Some of these bookings will also require a small deposit when you take possession of the keys. Make sure you ask about deposits! The last thing you need is to show up at the property and not have enough cash for the deposit.
Most if not all condos/apartments can also be found on the travel booking sites. Prices average anywhere from THB 700-THB 4,000 or $23-$130.
Resorts.
First of all, resorts can be a mixed bag. Resorts can consist of hotel style rooms, condos/apartments, or even detached villas and bungalows. Some resorts offer all of these in one property complex. As a result, it is up to you to decide what you want out of a resort.
- Hotel style resorts can offer an array of high end amenities and are designed for people, (usually couples) who want to be catered to while on vacation. The hotel style rooms are luxurious but will probably lack the kitchen that condo style resorts offer. These high end hotel resorts can really hit the wallet.
For an example, on Beach Road, Pattaya a king grand one bedroom suite with ocean view, access to the Executive Lounge for breakfast and refreshments all day as well as cocktails at night, will set you back THB 36,000 or $1,141 a night. I found another similar at THB 19,000 or $600 a night. So, keep in mind that there are exceptions. You can still find luxury for less.
- Condo or apartment resorts will generally feature studio apartments on up to 3 bedroom apartments. These resorts often cater to families, but not always. If a resort only has studio and one bedroom accommodations, it is less likely to have lots of children. But don’t count on that as the only factor if you are looking for an adult only resort. If it is not stated online, you will need to contact the resort and ask them who they primarily cater to .
Apartment resorts will generally have kitchens or at the very least, kitchenettes for you to cook meals when you are not out and about. This feature is also great if you have kids, as you don’t have to leave the resort for lunch when you come back from the pool.
The cost for these resorts will vary, such as a 1 br 1 bath apartment in a family style resort will start at around THB 1,580 or $58 a night. A 2 br comes in at around THB 4,100 or $132 per night.
- Bungalow/Villa resorts are more oriented to couples because they are usually studio or one bedroom stand alone suites. These are also great for honeymoons and even weddings. Often, these resorts will be located on the beach or at least have beach access. In my experience, bungalows are more on the rustic side and villas tend to be more modern.
Either way you go, you will probably be more than happy with this type of resort. Bungalows and villas are meant to make you kick back, relax and enjoy whatever the resort has to offer. Like free breakfast buffets, swimming pools facing the beach, ocean views from the restaurants and much, much more.
Just like hotels and apartments, you can find these resorts on all the booking sites. Prices are starting around THB 6,300 or $200 and up depending on the quality of the resort.
Houses and Villas.
This category is a must if you want all the privacy and all the amenities of being at home away from home. This kind of lodging is similar to condos/apartments in that a house and villa are essentially the same thing and you will be dealing with the owner or property manager for check-in and check-out. You will more than likely be paying for electricity and a deposit also.
- Houses/villas with private pools are my favorite lodging when I travel to Thailand. It gives my wife and I the freedom to cook when we want and have guests over to entertain and use our private pool when we want. Not having to worry about noise is another perk with renting a villa.
Most houses/villas will have a western style kitchen with at least one bedroom and one bathroom, a living room and dining area. I have seen some for rent with as much as 10 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. So, this is your best bet for lodging if you have a large group and need a place to stay.
Another thing that I like is some of the homes are just that, homes. I have found books, CD’s and other trinkets left behind by other renters and that makes for some diversity in my stays.
Nowadays, with sites like airbnb.com and booking.com, you can find villas for rent all over Thailand. In my experience “as a starting point”, you will pay THB 3,200 or $100 per night for a 2 bedroom 2 bath villa with a pool in the Pattaya area.
Parks and Camping.
Although this is technically an activity, there are some pretty cool places to go camping in Thailand. If you are popping a tent or camping in a more permanent tent, you are still essentially lodging aren’t you? Here are some interesting things that I found.
- Thailand has around 127 national parks and 22 of them are marine parks. Most of the land parks have camping facilities with bathrooms and showers or at least washrooms. Some of the marine based parks have such facilities as well. The average entrance fees are THB 200-THB 500 or $6.40-$15.85 for foreigners. Thai’s can expect to pay THB 40-THB 100.
Most parks will have camping gear to rent, such as quality tents, sleeping bags, gas stoves and lamps. You can also buy tents and sleeping bags at a Tesco or Big C on the cheap. Tents start at around THB 1,000 or $32. Just don’t expect these tents to handle the rainy season. The rentals from the parks are better suited for this, (monsoon season is July through October).
- Island and or beach camping is actually a thing to do in Thailand. There are several Thai islands that have camping and Tarutao National Park is one of them. With its sandy beaches and forest trails, this park is made up of 51 islands in the Andaman sea. The park entrance fee is THB 200 or $6.50. You can rent a tent for around THB 250 or $8 and a campsite is THB 30 or $1.
There are many other islands to camp on in Thailand. In doing some research I found this Thai government site “http://nps.dnp.go.th” to book or ask permission. Booking.com has some campsites as well.
- Glamping is a thing and Camp Chiang Mai is a campground that was previously a rice field in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai. This type of camping is plush and mostly all inclusive, with meals and other activities included in the price. Starting at THB 1,800-THB 3,400 or $57-$107. Check these out.
Resources:
https://thecampchiangmai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/RusticCampingTH https://www.facebook.com/3199MountainCamp https://www.khwanbeachresort.com/ https://www.facebook.com/naganoibeachcamp https://www.facebook.com/campoutkorat
Monastery Stays.
Monastery stays are kind of like Home stays but there are rules that you should know before you jump in.
- Segregation. Men and women’s sleeping quarters are always segregated in a monastery. Women can not touch or talk to the monks other than the head monk (the Abbott), or the head Nun. You will stay in a bungalow by yourself or in a dorm with others and alcohol and smoking are strictly prohibited
- Activities. Moreover, you will be expected to participate in some of the activities and meditation. A typical day will include 5:00 am meditation, some cleaning, kitchen work and then a meal. Monks don’t eat dinner, so breakfast and lunch are the only meals served at a monastery. At 7:30 there is an evening meditation in the temple. Lights out early, usually around 9 pm.
The monasteries don’t charge for your stay but it is a given that you should make a donation (merit) to help the monasteries run free of charge. Typically, 10 days is the most you can stay at a monastery, although there are some exceptions, like shaving your head and committing to learning the ways of Buddhism.
http://www.watpahnanachat.org/ https://www.amaravati.org/visiting/staying-overnight/ http://www.hdamm.de/buddha/mdtctr01.htm
Overall Conclusion.
So, from Hostels to Monasteries and everything in between, you can see that you have plenty of choices for lodging in Thailand. Think about what you want to do, how long you will stay in each area and how much you want to spend.
I have tried a condo in a high rise at Naklua beach in Pattaya. It had great views and was modern but had no privacy, (it just wasn’t for me). I have tried a condo hotel at Pratumnak Hill, also in Pattaya (it was okay). I just prefer pool villas to everything else I have tried.
Here are some tips on what to look out for.
- Don’t always expect the place to look as good as the advertised pictures. Especially with the owner/property manager apartments and villas. Usually the pics are from when the place was brand new. If you show up and it is dirty or not up to par, don’t hesitate to ask the owner/manager to fix the problem. Competition is high so they will probably oblige.
- If you are only staying in say “any city” for 1 or 2 nights, it is probably better to use a guest house or hotel. You won’t be cooking and most apartments and villas will have a minimum stay (usually 3 nights). And besides, more than likely you won’t be in the hotel except for sleeping and showering.
- Although it isn’t necessary to rent a car in Thailand, If you do, make sure the lodging has a place to leave the car. I rent a car every time, because Thanya an I do lots of errands (check out my articles on eye care, dental work.) We also like to cook, so we buy groceries and bring them with us to each city that we stay in.
So go ahead and make that list for each destination you will be going to. How long are you going to be there? What are you going to do there? And why are you going there? To relax by the pool? Go out clubbing? Site seeing? All of the above? Either way you have plenty options to choose from in Thailand.
Happy Lodging in Thailand!
I will update this post with more resources as I travel and do my research.
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