Hotels in Thailand

If you spend more than $100 a night in Thailand, you're living in luxury; $20–$40 is more average

Lodging options

Five-star hotel

from
$141

Lebua State Tower

Tourist hotel

from
$21

For You Residence

Backpacker hotel

from
$15

Sawasdee Smile Inn

Guesthouse

from
$21

Fortville Guesthouse

Top end hotels in Thailand
» More than 4,500 THB ($150)

Bangkok is the one place where even backpackers save up to splurge on staying in a five-star hotel. Why? Because you can easily get a double room in a fancy hotel for around 4,500 THB ($150) a night—like the Lebua State Tower in Bangkok's Silom district, where double rooms start at 4,230 THB ($141) online.

Even rooms at a super-chic temple of luxury like the Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok start at only 6,944 THB ($230) a night, while at the storied and elegant The Sukothai rooms are start at 8,121 THB ($270)—again, if you book online (rack rates anywhere are going to be much higher).

You can, of course, spend even more, but you would be hard-pressed to spend much more than 8,000 THB ($267) for a double room anywhere, or 15,000 THB ($500) for the fanciest of suites.

Backpacker hotels in Thailand
» 300–800 THB ($20–$27)

Not that you need to splurge. Backpacker-oriented hotels only charge 300 THB to 800 THB ($10 to $27).

You can get a reasonably clean, cramped, and utterly dull) double room in the heart of Bangkok at one of half a dozen properties in the Sawasdee backpacker hotel chain from just 450 THB ($15)—that's right: just $15. The rooms may be tiny and bland, but the public spaces usually have a nice vibe.

(My favorites: the Sawasdee Bangkok Inn, on a soi (alley) off Khao San Road, with the rooms ranged along several stories of cool, colonial-style open corridors ringing an inner courtyard scattered with tables; and the Sawasdee Smile Inn, which has a nice breakfast terrace overlooking the street.)

Tourist-class 3– and 4-star hotels in Thailand
» 800–4,500 THB ($27-$150)

In between the luxe hotels and the backpacker flophouses are loads of modern, tourist-class three-and four-star hotels charging anywhere from 800 THB to 4,500 THB ($27 to $150), with the majority in the 1,800 to 3,000 THB ($60-$100) range.

Thai guesthouses
» 350 THB–2,700 THB ($12–$90)

I generally prefer looking those places that advertise themselves as "guesthouses." That's the Thai equivalent of a B&B: something usually a bit nicer than a hostel but smaller than a hotel, often with a friendly host, and patronized by budget-minded travelers and those backpackers with slightly more generous budgets.

There are really two classes of guesthouse. Those that cost roughly 350 THB to 800 THB ($12–$27) are usually simply a nicer quality backpacker joint. Those costing 800 THB ($27) and up tend to be more bed and breakfast–like.

A guesthouse won't necessarily have all the amenities of a hotel, but you get a more authentic experience—and more will only cost around $30 to $40.