Posted: 1/10/2019 | January 10th, 2019
1/10/2019 | January 10th, 2019
Bangkok is a wonderful city full of history, gorgeous temples, and excitement. It’s an excellent place for travelers, as there is a lot to do and see here. It is one of my favorite cities in the entire world, and I can never get enough of it! Stick me in a Thai market surrounded by food stalls and I’m a happy man!
Bangkok is the hub for travel in Southeast Asia, and chances are you’re likely to pass through it on your travels around the region.
The city has thousands of guesthouses and hostels. There are so many that it can take hours to narrow down your choices when looking online.
Luckily, as I’ve been visiting since 2005, I’ve stayed all over town and know the best hostels and guesthouses in Bangkok. Rather than waste hours searching online or reading tons of reviews, I’ve created this list so you can save time and just stay at an awesome place without having to worry if you made the right decision!
Just stay at one of these places on your next visit!
The 12 Best Hostels in Bangkok
1. Bella Bella House
This multistory guesthouse is centrally located, close to the river and Khao San Road, and attracts a calmer crowd. The rooms are super basic (they only have beds in them), but they’re cheap, clean, and quiet. For rooms with shared bathrooms, you only have cold-water showers; the air-conditioned private rooms have hot showers. The beds are pretty comfy, but the pillows are hard as a rock. The staff is friendly and helpful. There are tons of rooms, so walk-ins aren’t normally an issue.
This multistory guesthouse is centrally located, close to the river and Khao San Road, and attracts a calmer crowd. The rooms are super basic (they only have beds in them), but they’re cheap, clean, and quiet. For rooms with shared bathrooms, you only have cold-water showers; the air-conditioned private rooms have hot showers. The beds are pretty comfy, but the pillows are hard as a rock. The staff is friendly and helpful. There are tons of rooms, so walk-ins aren’t normally an issue.
Single rooms from 220 THB/$7 USD (fan, shared bathroom), double rooms from 320 THB/$9.75 USD (fan, shared bathroom)
2. Lub d Bangkok Silom
Lub d Silom is a very popular spot for backpackers looking to stay somewhere other than Khao San Road. The hostel is kept in good condition, the rooms are spacious and have electronic key locks, the staff speaks fluent English, and there are plenty of group activities. It’s a more European-style hostel than traditional Asian guesthouse.
Lub d Silom is a very popular spot for backpackers looking to stay somewhere other than Khao San Road. The hostel is kept in good condition, the rooms are spacious and have electronic key locks, the staff speaks fluent English, and there are plenty of group activities. It’s a more European-style hostel than traditional Asian guesthouse.
Beds from 305 THB/$9.30 USD (discounts for booking ahead and longer stays)
—-> Book your stay at Lub d Bangkok Silom
3. Golden Mountain Hostel
About a mile away from crazy
About a mile away from crazy Khao San Road and near the famous Golden Mountain Temple is this small, family-run hostel. It’s one of the newest and nicest hostels in the city. The dorm beds are actually cubbies built into the wall for added privacy, and each room sleeps eight people. The décor is super beautiful and well thought out. The mattresses are soft, the pillows and comforters are cozy, and the bathrooms are beautiful and clean (two showers, toilets, and sinks for each eight-person room!). This is a great hostel if you want some peace and quiet. It’s one of the best in Bangkok.
Beds from 350 THB/$10.60 USD
—-> Book your stay at Golden Mountain Hostel!
4. Khaosan Immjai Hostel
This hostel has air-conditioned dorm rooms and a lovely staff and is a good choice for solo travelers looking to meet other people and get fairly cheap beds. It’s only a 10-minute walk to Khao San Road, so you’re close enough to the action without being kept up all night by it. The staff is friendly, the beds are cheap, and the place is kept clean. There’s also a women-only floor. Overall, it’s a solid guesthouse. You can’t go wrong.
This hostel has air-conditioned dorm rooms and a lovely staff and is a good choice for solo travelers looking to meet other people and get fairly cheap beds. It’s only a 10-minute walk to Khao San Road, so you’re close enough to the action without being kept up all night by it. The staff is friendly, the beds are cheap, and the place is kept clean. There’s also a women-only floor. Overall, it’s a solid guesthouse. You can’t go wrong.
Beds from 350 THB/$10.60 USD
—-> Book your stay at Khaosan Immjai Hostel!
5. HQ Hostel
Another European-style hostel, HQ has amazing beds with reading lamps, electrical outlets, and digital lockboxes. The facilities are clean and modern. The staff is incredibly helpful, and there’s also exercise equipment to work off all those Chang beers! Located in Silom, it’s also one of the best hostels in the city, even if it’s slightly more expensive than the rest.
Another European-style hostel, HQ has amazing beds with reading lamps, electrical outlets, and digital lockboxes. The facilities are clean and modern. The staff is incredibly helpful, and there’s also exercise equipment to work off all those Chang beers! Located in Silom, it’s also one of the best hostels in the city, even if it’s slightly more expensive than the rest.
Beds from 360 THB/$11 USD (discounts for groups and longer stays)
—-> Book your stay at HQ Hostel!
6. Mad Monkey Hostel
Another backpacker institution near Khao San Road, this is probably the best hostel in Bangkok if you want to party. It has a restaurant, pool, and tour desk with some of the cheapest and most competitive prices in town. Additionally, you’ll get comfy beds, a cozy blanket, and your own outlets and lamps! All the rooms have air-conditioning. Even though it’s slightly more expensive than other places in the area, you’re making up for it with one of the best social scenes! If you’re looking to meet backpackers, it’s easy to do here!
Another backpacker institution near Khao San Road, this is probably the best hostel in Bangkok if you want to party. It has a restaurant, pool, and tour desk with some of the cheapest and most competitive prices in town. Additionally, you’ll get comfy beds, a cozy blanket, and your own outlets and lamps! All the rooms have air-conditioning. Even though it’s slightly more expensive than other places in the area, you’re making up for it with one of the best social scenes! If you’re looking to meet backpackers, it’s easy to do here!
Beds from 410 THB/$12.45 USD, rooms from 1,000 THB/$30.40 USD (book through their own website for the cheapest rates)
—-> Book your stay at Mad Monkey Hostel!
7. Green House Hostel
This large hostel is a backpacker institution, with large rooms, tour services, a bar, a pool table, and a decent restaurant. It’s the best overall hostel in Bangkok! As an added bonus, you can negotiate your room price if you walk in. The rooms are really basic (as you can see from the photo of my room above), and while the beds are hard, the pillows are pretty soft. There’s a nice desk, and the bathrooms are cleaned every day — they are simple but the water pressure is great! Tip: Avoid rooms in the front of the building, as the noise from the streets blasts up and you won’t get any sleep.
This large hostel is a backpacker institution, with large rooms, tour services, a bar, a pool table, and a decent restaurant. It’s the best overall hostel in Bangkok! As an added bonus, you can negotiate your room price if you walk in. The rooms are really basic (as you can see from the photo of my room above), and while the beds are hard, the pillows are pretty soft. There’s a nice desk, and the bathrooms are cleaned every day — they are simple but the water pressure is great!Avoid rooms in the front of the building, as the noise from the streets blasts up and you won’t get any sleep.
Beds from 410 THB/$12.45 USD, double rooms from 620 THB/$18.86 USD. There’s a 3% credit card fee, so pay in cash.
—-> Book your stay at Green House Hostel!
8. @Hua Lamphong Hostel
This hostel is pretty straightforward, with six-bed mixed-gender dorms, huge lockers, and en suite bathrooms. It’s slightly more expensive than others in the area, but the private rooms are hotel quality. This is the best hostel for travelers taking the train, as Bangkok’s train station is right across the street.
This hostel is pretty straightforward, with six-bed mixed-gender dorms, huge lockers, and en suite bathrooms. It’s slightly more expensive than others in the area, but the private rooms are hotel quality. This is the best hostel for travelers taking the train, as Bangkok’s train station is right across the street.
Beds from 420 THB/$12.75 USD
—-> Book your stay at @Hua Lamphong Hostel!
9. New Siam Guesthouse III
This place isn’t great. The beds are kind of hard, and the rooms a bit dull under the fluorescent lights, so why is it on a list of the best hostels in Bangkok? Because it offers some of the cheapest private rooms in the Khoa San/Rambuttri area. The rooms come with water, a desk, A/C, and hot water. Most of the rooms in the area with those kinds of amenities cost over 1,000 baht! If you’re looking to save money on a private room, you should stay here!
This place isn’t great. The beds are kind of hard, and the rooms a bit dull under the fluorescent lights, so why is it on a list of the best hostels in Bangkok? Because it offers some of the cheapest private rooms in the Khoa San/Rambuttri area. The rooms come with water, a desk, A/C, and hot water. Most of the rooms in the area with those kinds of amenities cost over 1,000 baht! If you’re looking to save money on a private room, you should stay here!
Double rooms from 840 THB/25.55 USD.
—-> Book your stay at New Siam Guesthouse III!
10. D&D Inn
D&D Inn is an institution on Khao San Road (it’s been around for decades) and perfect for those with last-minute travel plans. There are always rooms available, and reception is open 24 hours. There’s a bar and a pool on the rooftop that gets packed with travelers. They also upgraded the facilities and rooms in recent years. The rooms are cleaned often, some have fridges and hairdryers, the water pressure is great, the beds are soft, and there are a lot of beautiful wood finishings around.
D&D Inn is an institution on Khao San Road (it’s been around for decades) and perfect for those with last-minute travel plans. There are always rooms available, and reception is open 24 hours. There’s a bar and a pool on the rooftop that gets packed with travelers. They also upgraded the facilities and rooms in recent years. The rooms are cleaned often, some have fridges and hairdryers, the water pressure is great, the beds are soft, and there are a lot of beautiful wood finishings around.
Double rooms from 920 THB/$30 USD.
—-> Book your stay at D&D Inn!
11. Baan Kachitpan
This home-turned-guesthouse makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time. There are fresh flowers all over, and the light switches look like they’re from the 1920s. The owner, Jam, and her mother (who grew up in this house) live right next door. You can tell that Jam put her heart into making this guesthouse feel like a home, too. The beds are not the softest, but the water is hot, and the place is pristinely decorated and very clean. It is only a six-minute walk to Victory Monument and a 20-minute walk to the Grand Palace.
This home-turned-guesthouse makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time. There are fresh flowers all over, and the light switches look like they’re from the 1920s. The owner, Jam, and her mother (who grew up in this house) live right next door. You can tell that Jam put her heart into making this guesthouse feel like a home, too. The beds are not the softest, but the water is hot, and the place is pristinely decorated and very clean. It is only a six-minute walk to Victory Monument and a 20-minute walk to the Grand Palace.
Single rooms from 950 THB/$28.89 USD, double rooms from 1,590 THB/$48.36 USD.
—-> Book your stay at Baan Kachitpan!
12. Bangkok Tree House
Located just south of town along the river, this eco-friendly guesthouse is a wonderful place to get away from the concrete jungle of Bangkok. The floors, walls, and ceilings are all made of reclaimed wood and local bamboo, juice cartons provide the insulation, and renewable energy provides electricity. The accommodations are basic, but you get to wander one of the more pristine parts of town. Inspired by Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, it’s probably the most unique accommodation in Bangkok. They have lots of land to ride bikes on too!
Located just south of town along the river, this eco-friendly guesthouse is a wonderful place to get away from the concrete jungle of Bangkok. The floors, walls, and ceilings are all made of reclaimed wood and local bamboo, juice cartons provide the insulation, and renewable energy provides electricity. The accommodations are basic, but you get to wander one of the more pristine parts of town. Inspired by Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, it’s probably the most unique accommodation in Bangkok. They have lots of land to ride bikes on too!
Rooms from 4,590 THB/$139.60 USD (15% discount for buying online, bringing a bike, being an expat, and staying more than four nights)
—-> Book your stay at the Bangkok Tree House!
****Bangkok is a huge city with a lot of accommodation options, but if you stay in one of these amazing and unique hostels, you’re going to be centrally located, comfortable, and able to save money and meet people! Win-win!Bangkok is a huge city with a lot of accommodation options, but if you stay in one of these amazing and unique hostels, you’re going to be centrally located, comfortable, and able to save money and meet people! Win-win!
These are the hostels I return to time and time again. I hope you do too!
Get the In-Depth Budget Guide to Bangkok!
My detailed, 80-page guidebook is made for budget travelers like you! It cuts out the fluff found in other guidebooks and gets straight to the practical information you need to travel and save money while in Bangkok, a city I used to call home (so I know it really well!). You’ll find suggested itineraries, budgets, ways to save money, on- and off-the-beaten-path things to see and do, non-touristy restaurants, markets, bars, and much more! Click here to learn more and get started!
Book Your Trip to Bangkok: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Get Your Guide
Check out my detailed guide to planning a visit to Bangkok with suggested itineraries and information on places to stay, things to do, where to eat, and how to get around. Just click here to get the guide and continue planning today!
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use it all the time.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
Looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money — and I think they will help you too!
Photo credits: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13
