Triple Room in Bangkok

Q: We will be in Bangkok for three nights in October and we are looking for clean basic accommodation for three people. We would prefer to stay in an area where there are other backpackers and young travellers. What can you suggest? - Alan Louw

A: The most famous backpacker zone in Bangkok is in the Khao San Road area, which is packed with small guesthouses and hotels. Here you will meet backpackers from around the globe and Thais wanting to socialize with them. Famous for its tiny windowless rooms, it has become more gentrified these days. You can still find a rickety room for 300 baht (R70), but these days you are more likely to check into a room with a decent bed and a window for double that, even if you still have to share facilities. If you are willing to spare a little more, you can now find hotels with the ultimate luxury for this area, a swimming pool. The best choices would be Buddy Lodge (ww.buddylodge.com) and Hotel du Moc (www.hoteldemoc.com), which costs from R400 per night. For other accommodation, most people do not book in advance; they arrive and stroll the area looking for a room, meeting other visitors as they do so. If you prefer not to drag along your luggage through the humid streets and alleys, you can check out the www.khaosanroad.com website. To compare prices on the more upmarket hotels, check www.bangkok.com and www.booking.com. An alternative area to Khao San Road (KSR) are the streets around the Sathorn Road. Although the area is nothing like KSR, guesthouses and restaurants have sprung up in this area to cater for people visiting the many embassies in the area. Very few of the guesthouses here take bookings, so it is best to walk around when you arrive. If you want to book in advance, you can try the more upmarket Malaysia Hotel, where you will pay around 700 baht for a room, with the bonus of a swimming pool. A bonus of the Sathorn area is that it is very close to the more pricey Silom area, the thriving nightlife centre of Bangkok. (7/8/11)