DavidHill

I'm off for a holiday to Thailand next week and need to sort out some accomodation for my stay in Bangkok. Will be there about 3/4 days before i fly to Koh Samui for the remaider of my holiday.

Looking for somewhere near the main shopping centre, doesnt need to be fancy, just nice and clean and near to shops.

So if anyone has been and could give me any advice, then i would appreciate it.

David

yoza

http://www.hottraveltips.com/country/thailand/bangkok/

I know where I would be staying, but that may not be your cup of tea.

super slider

you could try the Oriental. it cost me £180 for 1 night a few years ago or you could try my favourite backbacker place, the River View Guest House, at £8 a night. it is about 10 minutes walk from the Oriental, its clean and with great views of the Choa Prya river. Do not know any inbetween, sorry. Just had to try what was once the best hotel in the world, it still has bags of character, has lots of individuality, unlike the Sheratons of this world (going on the 1 night i spent in the Boston one) and still is fantastic, but i could only afford 1 night. The next 4 nights i went to the River View
Michael

DaveMiddleton

Normally, I like to stay in one of the good hotels along the river. However, one time on business, my agent was staying in a smallish hotel on Sukhumvit caleed Swiss Park ( I think). It was totally adequate and yet was very cheap ( seem to remember about £25 per night).

Sith

my m8 was in Bangkok late last year and stayed at the following hotel/motel:

http://www.sawasdee-hotels.com/new/h...e_khaosan.html

The hotel is very cheap (230 baht a night (£3 a night) for a very clean double room,fridge, proper air-con,cable tv and your own bathroom/shower/toilet). The staff their are very helpful and aren't out to rip you off like some other places. It also has a small 6 PC Internet cafe too. The bar their sells great food as well drink very cheaply, and u can eat or drink their 24hours a day. Has a great atmosphere too. The airport bus drop off & pickup point is right in front of it too, so make's life bloody easy when ur lugging ur bags around...don't worry it's not like a bus depot over here. Only 1 bus at a time and their bloody quiet too !! :-)

By the way it's safe as houses there as the Police station is round the corner. Nobody dares try anything and the police are really helpfull if you need anything.

He says it's just off the Kho San Road and is ideally placed right next to the Kho San Road, where u can buy food & stuff dirt cheap !! It's a 5min walk to the Grand Palace and is only 15mins by Tuk Tuk or cab to Downtown where all the shops are. He says its not recommended to stay in the hotels in Downtown as their bloody expensive and they really rip u off !!

For £3 it sounds cheap and nasty but isn't. Also don't forget PatPong Night Market every night. Friday and Saturdays are best. You can get everyhing dirt cheap. electrical, cd's dvd's, watches, clothes, hand bags. Eg, DVD's 50-75p each.
Don't forget to go to the strip clubs there. You won't view a ping pong ball in the same way!!!!!

STi-Frenchie

Stayed in the Pathumwan Princess hotel about this time last year. Hotel flanks on to a HUGE (7-floor) shopping centre and is a classy place to stay and is right in the heart of the shopping district. I was there on business, can't remember the rates - not expensive by any means (about $100/day IIRC) but the accommodation is first class. Highly recommended.

Pathumwan Princess Hotel

DavidHill

Thanks for the advice people, will check out those sites

asifR1

i stayed at the motien riverside.....

really good quality service, and staying on the riverside is alot more stress, noise, fume and noise free.

plus the montien has a sister hotel right next to patpong market, so free shuttle bus all day to and from to city!!!!

Brendan Hughes

We stayed in the Le Meridien President, which was OK - like a 5-star hotel that was quite tired and had lost its ranking. About 50 dollars/night IIRC. It's next to the Le Meridien Something Else, which has sprung up and taken over the 5-star luxury. On the way back we stayed in the Bayoke Sky, the tallest in Bangkok, with stunning views - BUT not really a great location for shopping TBH.

When looking at a hotel's location, see if it's within 5 mins walk of a skytrain station. Much more than that and you'll have to rely on taxis etc which ain't great (though now there's the metro). Bangkok is a biiiiiiig city and one big traffic jam. Walking along streets in that heat, humidity and pollution is no great fun.

I also found that booking a hotel through a local travel agent was WAY cheaper than walking into the reception and booking it, as you'd always get silly (30-50%) discounts from the travel agent. In true irony, this even happened with the travel agents which had a desk in the lobby of the hotel itself!! So if you're going to walk into a big hotel and ask for a room, head for the travel agent's desk instead of the reception.

Was unimpressed with Patpong - crap for tourists. Find the MBK shopping centre (it's by a skytrain station, I've forgotten which - a stadium I think), go up to the 5th floor, avoid the football field-size floor full of kiosks selling every spare part for any mobile phone that ever existed, and at one end you'll see Kitsch 2000, which sells fantastic DVDs for 4 bucks each. These are for Thais, not for tourists, and the quality is excellent. I have about 30.

Enjoy!

KiwiGTI

For value and probably one of the best locations in Bangkok you can't beat the Asia Hotel. (Usually 1300 Baht a night, £19) and probably the equivalent of a 4-5 star hotel in England.

http://www.asiahotel.co.th/asia_bangkok.html

It has it's own Skytrain station and so you can get anywhere really quickly (that huge shopping centre in a previous post is called MBK and is one stop away.) Patpong night market is only a couple of stops away, Panthip Plaza (electronics and pirate DVDs, CDs, Computer software) is just around the corner from the hotel along with Siam Square, World Trade Centre, Pratunam market etc. Sukhumwit is easily accessible too which also has night entertainment areas about 3-4 stops from the hotel (Nana Plaza) + loads more shops.

Wouldn't stay at Khao San Rd, it's a bit out of the way and tends to get full of tossers (holier than though Lonely Planet backpacker types) It is handy for the main temple and palace but is a long way from anything else and especially the shopping, public transport and night entertainment areas

Gordo

Royal Orchid Sheraton - fantastic - well positioned (by the river - higher floors have terrrific views) and convenient for most of the main sights. Not too badly priced - about £75 for a double room 2 years ago - 5 star hotel.

Have fun!
Gordo

STi-Frenchie

The MBK is the shopping centre which is bolted on to the Pathumwan Princess Hotel (see above).

Brendan Hughes

Aha! From your link:

The Pathumwan Princess Hotel is adjacent to the famous MBK centre. Best loved shopping mall in Thailand! Also in close proximity are Siam Square, Siam Centre, and World Trade Centre. The hotel and the shopping complex are linked to the National Stadium "Sky train" station.

STi-Frenchie

Also very close to the Hard Rock Cafe as well The Siam Centre and WTC is awesome as well. Got me some very nice silk shirts in a tailor's shop at most reasonable prices. I'll go back there one of these days !