With thousands to choose from, it is no doubt a strenuous and daunting task to uncover the best budget hotels in Bangkok. I will therefore whittle down my own favourites taken from nearly ten years of travel to Bangkok. Bangkok is well-known for affordable luxuries and our budget hotel picks, which range from 800 Baht to 2,000 Baht (during low season), may be seen as a little bit on the luxury side. With Bangkok hotels we always look for unique urban experiences, skimming past the bland, to share the more unique, boutique and design hotels. While criteria does include location, comfort and cleanliness, the final list focuses on value for money and the overall hotel experience. Here are our top picks for the Best Budget Hotels in Bangkok. For our Top 10 High End Boutique hotels check here.
1. S33 Compact Hotel (Sukhumvit)
S33 is a smaller and more affordable option from the better known ‘S Group’ , a slick luxury boutique outfit found in the popular Sukhumvit area. S33 comes compact, cosy and convenient and each guest room retains the signature décor of clean-cut lines, rich dark woods and white linens. S33 is located near the main Sukhumvit Road (Sukhumvit 33) which is on one of Bangkok’s more desirable locations with top restaurants, bars and spas, all on the doorstep. A short walk finds Phrom Phrong Skytrain Station and the convenient rail networks. Nearby attractions include the Emporium luxury mall and Benjasiri Park. Also nearby is the pricier option of S15 hotel.
BTS: Phrom Pong – Prices Start: 1,100 Baht – Booking.com | Agoda.com
2. Imm Fusion (Lower Sukhumvit)
The unique blend of styles at this themed design hotel make Imm Fusion a popular spot for modeling and wedding photography (snapping cameras on a regular basis). With its artistic common area, colourful architecture and perfect-to-lounge-at swimming pool Imm Fusion makes a top pick for longer stays in Bangkok (only 2 of our 10 come with pools, Tenface the other). If I did have to quibble, the guestroom comforts don’t quite match the beautiful surroundings but they’re still far from uncomfortable and well worth the price tag. Imm Fusion is the cheapest of our Sukhumvit area hotels and with a location smack next to the Skytrain Station (On Nut). Just a few stops along finds the central shopping and entertainment areas of Sukhumvit.
BTS: On Nut – Prices Start: 900 Baht – Booking.com | Agoda.com
3. Le Fenix Sukhumvit Hotel (Sukhumvit)
This futuristic designed hotel is set in the heart of Sukhumvit’s most visited entertainment street (Sukhumvit 11) and is just steps away from some of the city’s trendiest nightclubs and bars. Alone, the hotel’s rooftop bar ‘Nest’ is a hot spot for Bangkok’s middle-class cool crowds and it is often the first port of call for many of Bangkok’s weekend party-goers. Le Fenix is conveniently located on the far end of Sukhumvit 11 with, not only nightlife, but top-notch restaurants, spas and the Nana Skytrain (BTS) station all within short distance.
BTS: Nana – Prices Start: 1,300 – Booking.com | Agoda.com
4. Tenface Hotel (Upper Sukhumvit)
With Budget Hotels in Bangkok this is a personal favourite, but also one of the most expensive. Tenface Hotel is an urban and edgy hotel experience with a concept and design inspired by the mythical Thai fable of Tosakan (Ramakien) a ten-faced giant who see’s the world different to others. For me it is the ideal urban hotel and makes perfect for independent travellers with free sim cards, skytrain passes and advice on off-beat attractions and events from the hotel’s ‘entertainment guru’. Tenface is located between Sukhumvit’s entertainment district and Siam’s central shopping area. A short walk or complimentary tuk-tuk finds the nearby Chit Lom Skytrain station (BTS).
BTS: Ploen Chit – Prices Start: 1,800 – Booking.com | Agoda.com
5. Lub D Siam Square Hostel (Siam)
Lub D is the flashpacker option which offers five different room types from dorms to deluxe doubles. It is also one of the few affordable accommodations in the central Siam area (it’s pricey there). The hostel follows the trend-setting success of the original Silom Lub D Hostel (also worth checking out) only with a more central location next to the convenient National Stadium skytrain station. The surrounding area, Siam Square, is famous for entertainment, eats, cafes and shopping, and the nearby attractions include the famous MBK shopping mall and the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre.
BTS: National Stadium – Prices Start: 400 Baht – Booking.com | Agoda.com
6. Luxx Hotel (Silom)
Hidden from many, but familiar with the more discerning. This cosy boutique hotel offers a comfortable, minimalist experience in the popular Silom area of Bangkok. Each suite is designed with wooden floors, warm lighting, slick slate accents and the Luxx signature wooden bathtub. All rooms come with glass wall views over the Zen-inspired pebble garden. Luxx Hotel is located between the Silom and Sathorn areas of Bangkok and is within short walking distance of the Chong Nonsi skytrain Station. A similar option is the Luxx XL (extra large) in the central Siam area of Langsuan.
BTS: Chong Nonsi – Prices Start: 1,400 Baht – Booking.com | Agoda.com
7. The Heritage Baan (Silom)
The Heritage Baan Silom offers a unique and eclectic experience with architecture and décor from Bangkok’s 1950 Neo-Colonial style. With elegant foyers, a Thai fusion restaurant and slick cocktail bar, this stylish boutique hotel offers a break from the bland at a budget price. The Heritage Baan Silom is located on the quiet side of Silom Road not far from the Chao Phraya River. A quick taxi ride finds the bustle of Silom’s famous night market and a short walk finds Surasak Skytrain (BTS) Station. Heritage Baan is the cheapest option of our Best Budget Hotels in Bangkok.
BTS: Surasak – Prices Start: 600 Baht – Booking.com | Agoda.com
8. Baan Pra Nond B&B (Silom / Riverside)
Baan Pra Nond Bed & Breakfast offers the simple charms of Bangkok living with a unique 70-year-old Thai Colonial house, former home to a Supreme Court Justice of Thailand. The family run B&B offers a quaint, private, and homely atmosphere not found anywhere else in the city. Located just outside the central Silom area it is not far from the Chao Phraya River and a short taxi ride will bring you to either Sathorn Pier or the Surasak Skytrain (BTS) station. The best boutique and heritage option of our list.
BTS: Surasak – Prices Start: 2,000 Baht – Booking.com | Agoda.com
9. Shanghai Mansion (Chinatown)
An escape, not only from Bangkok, but from Thailand, and the 21st century. At Shanghai Mansion you’re whisked back to the romance of old Shanghai with suites draped in canopies; lanterns, mustards and clarets. This vintage, boutique hotel is found snug in the centre of Yaowarat Road, the main street of the central Chinatown hubbub. This gives an ideal vantage point for exploring Bangkok’s Old City and the famous temples within. A short taxi (or long walk) finds the Hua Lamphong Subway (MRT) and rail networks. Otherwise taxis and tuk-tuks are your best option for travel in this area. To replicate a similar experience, without staying at Shanghai Mansion, try their swinging onsite ‘Cotton Jazz’ bar.
MRT: Hua Lamphong – Prices Start: 1,500 Baht – Booking.com | Agoda.com
10. The Mini R (Ratchada)
The Mini Ratchada Hotel is contemporary and cool with compact guestrooms, luxury bedding and funky blue lighting. To be honest there’s not really much of immediate interest in the Mini R location, in one direction a strip of towering soapy massage parlours and in the opposite the large Esplanade Mall. However, the central Sukhumvit area is not far and can be found with a short taxi ride (70bt) or three stops on the convenient Subway line (MRT) from the nearby station (Thailand Cultural Centre).
MRT: Thailand Cultural Centre – Prices Start: 1,100 Baht – Booking.com | Agoda.com
I usually visit Bangkok in two or three months. I like the nightlife of Bangkok but recently, I visited Cubbon park in Bangkok. It was an amazing experience and I was not able to get out of it. I want to go back their again.