Bangkok still reigns as the world’s favorite destination — for the fourth year in a row, apparently, with nearly 23 million foreign visitors in 2018, according to a recently released Mastercard travel report.
Thailand’s capital city has plenty of holiday (or staycation) accommodation options, whether you’re after world-class, ultra-luxury properties, mid-range boutique hotels (some are very artsy, some have stunning views) or chic hostels with fantastically affordable rates. Most of these accommodations are located within walking distance — or just a short motorbike ride — from the city’s major attractions, too, so travelers can wander and explore the city with great convenience (and on the cheap, too, if they wish).
Among the hundreds of hostels in Bangkok, we’ve gathered some of our favorites — places that provide an ideal balance of being affordable and comfortable, well-designed and ultra-cool, for budget travelers who wish to save money on the mattress, but still stay in the city in style.
Kloem Hostel
Winner in the best interior design category at the Design Excellence Award this year, Kloem — which literally means “dreamy state” in Thai — is housed inside two conjoined wooden houses whose origins date back to the World War II era. The renovated building currently consists of separate rooms for female and male guests, as well as mixed dorms and private rooms. Other than the beds, the highlight here is also the hotel’s shared lounge that offers hammocks, giant pillows and a massive suspended net for visitors to chillax and forget the busy city life for a while.
RATES: Prices start at THB300/US$9.8 (one bed in mixed dorm) and go up to THB1,050/US$34.4 (6-bed family room); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 107/31, Soi Petchaburi 5, Phaya Thai, Bangkok (BTS Phaya Thai / Airport Rail Link: Phaya Thai Station)
Prince Theatre Heritage Stay
Any traveling cinephiles in the house? After the iconic art deco cinema Prince Rama Theatre was shut down forever in 2010, the hundred-year-old building it was housed in was recently revived and reborn as an artsy boutique hotel that offers a variety of rooms, from wood-screened pods to glorious private suites. Beyond the cozy overnight amenities, the heritage property also offers a box office-themed bar that serves movie-inspired cocktails (Love Actually, Romeo and Juliet and Rosemary’s Baby, to name a few). Next to the bar lies a projector where classic movies are occasionally screened.
RATES: Prices start at THB840/US$27 (a single bed in Family Room); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 441/1, Soi Si Wiang, Charoenkrung Rd, Bang Rak, Bangkok (BTS: Saphan Taksin)
The Printing House Poshtel
Here’s where you can watch the Golden Mountain just steps away from your comfy bed. Nestled within the old town’s Dinso Road, the Printing House Poshtel — the building is believed to have been Bangkok’s first printing house — is a prestigious loft-style property full of history. The hostel was refurbished to be modern, yet it remains some old classic features to preserve its heritage. The rooftop on the sixth floor offers a 360-degree view of the town that includes the sight of the gleaming gold stupa of the Golden Mountain.
RATES: Prices start at THB380/US$12 (one bed in 8-bed dormitory with shared bathroom); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 140, Dinso Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok (MRT Sam Yot)
Tales Khaosan
We’ve got a train-themed Thai restaurant already — so what about a train-themed cafe-slash-hostel located not too far from one of the city’s most popular party scenes? Only a few-minute walk from Khaosan Road, Tales is a five-story refurbished shophouse that features 20 bunk beds inside a unique train carriage. The building’s ground floor also serves as a cafe where backpackers can stop by and get quality coffee made from special blends.
RATES: Prices start at THB400/US$13 (one bed in mixed dorm); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 88, Chakrabongse Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok (Phra Athit Pier)
House of Phraya Jasaen
Located on the land that was given by King Rama VI to then interior minister Phraya Ja Saenya, seven shophouses on the site were transformed by the fourth generation owners into a boutique hotel that blends antique style with contemporary industrial decor. Each room has its own distinctive style, from a wacky “jail cell” (single room with raw concrete walls, metal bars, handcuffs and built-in toilet) to “funk & fun” (deluxe king room with futuristic design).
RATES: Prices range from THB650/US$21 (single room with shared bathroom) to THB2,200/US$72 (king studio with sofa bed); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 168, Soi Charoen Krung 57, Charoen Krung Rd, Sathorn, Bangkok (BTS Saphan Taksin).
Cacha Bed Heritage Hostel
How often would you have a chance to stay inside a remarkable, classic Victorian-style hotel that was originally built for the Thai royal family? Cacha Bed Heritage Hotel is filled with rustic old charms, and at the same time, modern comfort. Guests of the hotel can also wander among artworks at a gallery on the ground floor and view the old town at the top floor’s terrace.
RATES: Prices range from THB770/US$25 (single bunk bed) to THB2,390/US$78 (deluxe family room); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 56, Maha Chai Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok (MRT Sam Yot)
Hostel Urby
On Chinatown’s lesser-known street Soi Song Wat lies a hostel that offers a terrace where guests can enjoy the Bangkok breeze and see a 180-degree view of the Chao Phraya River. Given its sleek design, good-living amenities and unexpectedly affordable prices, the hostel attracts a mostly young, hip crowd looking to chill out in the charming old town. In the same building, you can wind down with drinks from Woodbrooke cafe, or trendy cocktails served at the hostel’s speakeasy-themed Barbon bar.
RATES: Prices range from THB500/US$16 (a single bed in 1o-bed mixed dorm) to THB1,450/US$47 (a private room with double bed); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: Song Wat Rd, Samphanthawong, ฺBangkok (MRT Sam Yot)
Canale Hostel Khaosan
A quick walk from the epicenter of Bangkok’s backpacker scene on Khaosan Road, this guesthouse sits opposite from the royal temple Wat Bowon and alongside a peaceful canal. The hostel is housed inside a two-story, 70-year-old, quaint wooden house that’s been renovated to receive travelers from around the world. Apart from the rustic-feel stay, guests can chill on the canalside deck to catch some relaxation time or great people-watching scenes. Nothing like the noisy Khaosan Road, indeed.
RATES: Prices start at THB315/US$10 (single bed in 8-bed dorm; female and mixed options); rates vary based on days of the week and peak season.
FIND IT: 347, 349, Phra Sumen Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok (Phra Athit Pier)
The Yard
When city life gets a bit too much to handle, you can take a break and relax in the tranquil garden of The Yard. This little oasis is situated in Bangkok’s hip Ari neighborhood, and its highlight is the backyard where guests can grab a book or a beer and lie back to enjoy the day. The “eco-hostel” uses recycled materials — old shipping containers — to build each room and offers reusable bottles to guests during their stays, which also makes it a great place to stay and socialize with like-minded travelers from around the world.
RATES: Prices range from THB550/US$18 (one bed in mixed dorm) to THB1,900/US$62 (private room with 3 beds); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 51, Soi Phahon Yothin 5, Phaya Thai, Bangkok (BTS: Ari / Sanam Pao)
Josh Hotel
Arguably the hotel in Bangkok that’s been snapped for Instagram the most, Josh Hotel in the city’s Ari neighborhood opened just last year and quickly became the talk of the town for its appealing design and pastel hues inspired by the visual style of the well-known American director Wes Anderson. The hotel offers a total of 45 rooms, an outdoor pool, an in-house speakeasy cocktail bar named The Key Room No. 72, as well as the original branch of the Samui-style restaurant Marigold.
RATES: Prices range from THB1,200/US$39 (Superior Room) to THB2,380/US$77.8 (Family Room); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 19/2 Phaholyothin Road, Soi Ari 4 (north side), Phayathai, Bangkok (BTS: Ari)
Boxpackers Hostel Pratunam
Walkable to and from the Siam area, and only a few minutes’ walk from BTS Ratchathewi, this boutique hostel with pod-style beds follows the concept “close to nature,” and uses a cost-effective heat recovery system as well as eco-friendly LED lighting. Facilities are mostly wooden, from wooden floors to wooden sliding doors and wooden bunk beds. The five room types are even named after the different kinds of wood that the beds contained in each one is built from: Cherry Wood, Bleached Maple, Grey Mountain, Cool Forest and Warm Forest.
RATES: Prices range from THB360/US$11 (one bed in 10-bed mixed dorm) to THB470/US$15 (one bed in 4-bed female dorm); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 39/3, Soi Petchburi15, Petchburi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok (BTS: Ratchathewi)
Issara by d Hostel
The industrial loft-style hostel is housed inside a four-story building located in the old town area. Here, guests can relax on the hostel rooftop and admire the beauty of the some of the city’s top must-see sights such as the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Wat Ratchabophit. The property provides four-bed and eight-bed dormitories as well as Quadruple Room with personal lockers.
RATES: Prices start at THB500/US$16 (one bed in 8-bed mixed dorm); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 125, Fuangnakhon road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok (MRT: Sam Yot)
Barn & Bed Hostel
Just a one-minute walk away from the luxury shopping mall EmQuartier and BTS Phrom Phong is this wallet-friendly, quiet, homey hostel. The barn house-style hostel combines modern decor with earthy tones and offers spacious wooden bunk beds with curtains and personal reading lights so that guests can rest in relative privacy.
RATES: Prices start at THB450/US$15 (one bed in dorm); rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 665, Soi Sukhumvit 37, Watthana, Bangkok (BTS: Phrom Phong)
Once Again Hostel
An old printing house got a second life when it got revived and transformed into a hostel in raw concrete: Once Again Hostel is a class act when it comes to offering a desirable stay and an authentic experience in Bangkok. The hostel owners work with local communities to conserve traditional ways of life, and offers guests Thai cooking classes, Thai language lessons, free walking tours and many more excursions and activities. The facilities include bike rentals, an on-site library and a “TV Room.”
RATES: Prices start at THB390/US$13; rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 22, Soi Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok (MRT Sam Yot)
Vivit Hostel Bangkok
Located just 50 meters from the Tiger God Shrine, this boutique hostel took over from “Vivit Busagar,” which was once a custom-made uniform shop that had been serving the Royal Household since 1909. The property now mixes classic and contemporary styles with a Thai touch (rattan furniture, flower-patterned curtains and vintage clocks). The place offers more than 50 beds in dormitories (female and mixed) and four double rooms; all are air-conditioned and well-furnished.
RATES: Prices start at THB440/US$14; rates vary based on weekdays/weekends and peak season dates.
FIND IT: 510, Tanao Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok (MRT Sam Yot)
Read more of Coconuts Bangkok’s Food & Lifestyle guides:
Soi Song Wat Food Guide: Where to eat & drink on this charming, historic Chinatown street
Coco Food Guide to the Wat Mangkon area: Where to eat and drink near the new MRT station
Best boutique hotels in Bangkok: Where to find cool, quirky, and charming stays in the city
7 dessert cafes in Bangkok that serve traditional sweets and Thai-inspired treats
6 spots in Bangkok to sip on sake
Shop and Sip: Retro Bangkok cafes where guests can buy the vintage decor within
