Bangkok Cheap Accommodation

[Guest fountainhall]

Anyone seeking inexpensive accommodation in BKK might look around the Sribumphen area. This runs at a right angle to the 7/11 at Ngamduphlee (where Malaysia and ibis Hotels are located). About 150 meters along are three quite cheap guesthouse/hotels – and I am sure there are more. The area is now becoming more popular and several café/restaurants have opened up. The latest one I noticed this afternoon is a tiny pizzeria.

 

Penguin House

Penguin House has been open for a couple of years or so. Website rates are Bt. 850/950 daily and include electricity, water, wifi andTrue Visions TV channels. I seem to recall a post by Christian saying he had stayed there.

 

http://www.penguinho...RY-84945-1.html

 

 

O Sole Mio

This seems to have just opened (at least the restaurant on the ground floor only opened yesterday). Advertised rate is Bt. 480 incl. aircon, cable TV and wifi. Not sure about taxes and I cannot find any website yet.

 

 

The Boss’s Place

I have seen this place for at least the last year. It’s set on Soi Sawan Sawat which links Sribumphen with Rama 4. Two types of room are presently available at Bt. 850/1,000 per night, Bt. 5,200/6,000 per week and Bt. 12,000/16.00 per month. All include taxes, air con, wifi, True Visions channels and refrigerator.

 

http://www.thebosshotel.com/

 

 

Acces to Sribumphen is from Lumpini MRT Exit 1 and then a short walk along Rama 4, turn right down Ngamduphlee and then left at the Ibis Hotel. Or get a taxi/motorcycle from Sathorn into Sathorn Soi 1, turn left at the end and then right at the 7/11. It's easy to walk to Babylon from there.

 

I have not visited any myself - merely walked past. I am sure better rates can be negotiated if you just walk in.

[ChristianPFC]

Hotels in Sathorn

 

Penguin House is (was, because now I have a room) my preferred place to stay.
 

 

Extract from Trip report September 2012, Charlie House. As far as I remember, I stayed there because Penguin House was fully booked.

 

On strolls through Sathorn I came across Charlie House Sathorn (they have another guesthouse in Pinklao), which is not listed on agoda, but they have a website: http://www.charliehousethailand.com The prices are very competitive: 450 Baht for single occupancy and 540 Baht for double occupancy. They show me two rooms, one has a window, but two single beds, the other has no window but a double bed. For obvious reasons, a double bed is more important than a window. For the benefit of my readers, here a short report:

 

View from the bathroom to the bed (contrary to other’s [1] hotel reports, my pictures have my stuff in them):

 

 

View from the bed to the bathroom:

 

 

And that’s all! But I don’t need any more. The floor has a carpet, which I consider unsuitable for hotels as it is difficult to clean. The room was small, but sufficient for me. When I came back late at night, the main door was closed and I had to ring for the receptionist (to get up from sleep) to open a side door to let me in. A joiner fee of 200 Baht is charged (so it would be cheaper to check in single but with double occupancy). The location (Soi Saphan Khu) is very close to the bus stop on Rama 4 road near Lumpini Tower. Their advertisement „The five-star guesthouse in Bangkok“ is far fetched, to put it mildly.

 

 

Recently (Tuesday 25.06.2013) I came across two other places, both right around the corner from 7-11 opposite to Ibis Hotel.

 

I found a Thai boy on gayromeo whom I had seen before (over a year ago, first in DJ-Station and then in Fresh Boys). He stays in Sathorn and suggested the 7-11 near Malaysia hotel as a meeting point (I still don’t know why). We met there and were looking for a place to sit down, and there was a bench at the entrance of S1 Hostel (less than 100m south of the 7-11).

 

http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/bangkok/s1_hostel.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293916-d4341088-Reviews-S1_Hostel-Bangkok.html

 

(They have a website, but I forgot the address and couldn’t find it with google.)

We just sat there for talking, unfortunately the noise from passing traffic is trapped and the ashtray there smells.

 

The chat was not very promising, my friend didn’t look much at me and even played a bit with his mobile phone. Conversation was not fluent (i.e. there were awkward gaps; his English is good). There was no hint that he was looking for sex. On the street I probably wouldn’t have had a second look at him, but from gayromeo pictures I know that he has exactly that twinky body I like. Both of us were beating around the bush: “Where would you like to go now?” “Up to you.” “What would you like to do now?” “I’m not sure. And you?” “I don’t know.” But I remember a similar situation before (it’s like ping-pong, nobody wants to say that he wants sex now!). So I finally said “I would like to see you shirtless.”.

 

So there we were, both of us with good intentions, but without room! He stays with a friend in Soi 3, but the room was not available (I asked during our conversation if I can see his room). South next to 7-11 is a hotel called “Privacy Hotel”, and from passing it looked like a short time hotel. There was some staff hanging around the reception, as I know it from other short time hotels. So we went there and there was indeed quoted (in Thai and English) at the reception: short time 2 hours 280 Baht, full night 650 Baht. To my great surprise, short time is only available to heterosexual couples! My friend did the talking and I couldn’t follow it, so I can only repeat what he told me. We went back to S1 Hostel and my friend asked for short time room, but they don’t rent rooms for short time and I didn’t inquire for overnight because it looked more expensive than 650 Baht.

 

I don’t want this encounter fail due to lack of a room, so I decide to pay the full 650 Baht at Privacy Hotel. I shower first, then my friend showers and comes back from the bathroom completely dry and with warm skin (I don’t like wet and cold skin, as it is often encountered after showering) in his underwear which is a style I like and fits well. We had a very enjoyable hour and I’m glad I spent the 650 Baht for the room (but hope we can meet at my room or his room next time).

 

The room is large and clean. Same for the bathroom, only complaints are that the shower is in the bathtub (I don’t like a curved surface to stand on) and there is no holder for the shower head, you have to hold it in your hand. I don’t remember how hard the mattress was (despite spending an hour on it, but I was distracted), but the duvet looks very thin. The picture on the TV was awful. I couldn’t find the remote control for the aircon, so I switched it off at the main switch (I don’t like air flows in rooms).

 

Pictures of bathroom and bedroom:

 

 

 

On my way back, I walk past Ibis hotel, crossing paths with a boy I remember from gayromeo, and he remembers me as well, so we exchange a few words. I take taxi back to my place. When I walk past an internet café, a Thai man comes out who is a chef (I have eaten at the place where he cooks two or three times). He chats me up and wants to go with me to my room (“เอากันได้มั้ย” – “Let’s do it together.”) I decline, because I am tired, just had sex and he is type-wise a bordercase (i.e. it can’t be excluded that we get together on another occasion). But at least the first other gay identified in my area!

[Rogie]

Hotels in Sathorn

 

South next to 7-11 is a hotel called “Privacy Hotel”, and from passing it looked like a short time hotel. There was some staff hanging around the reception, as I know it from other short time hotels. So we went there and there was indeed quoted (in Thai and English) at the reception: short time 2 hours 280 Baht, full night 650 Baht. To my great surprise, short time is only available to heterosexual couples! My friend did the talking and I couldn’t follow it, so I can only repeat what he told me. We went back to S1 Hostel and my friend asked for short time room, but they don’t rent rooms for short time and I didn’t inquire for overnight because it looked more expensive than 650 Baht.

 

 

I've stayed at the Privacy place a couple of times in high season when the Malaysia was full. Decent value and quiet. They like the money 'up front', unlike the Malaysia where you can pay on check out.

 

Personally I do not like places that insist on paying as soon as you agree to take the room, but I can understand why they do it! If it's a cheapo place fair enough, but not otherwise IMO.

 

http://www.soidb.com/bangkok/hotel/tungmahamek-privacy-hotel.html

 

The S1 Hostel is the old Honey House 'done up'. . . I'd stayed there before, but it was a bit of a dump and badly needed sprucing up.

[Guest]

Editing a bit......

..........He stays in Sathorn and suggested the 7-11 near Malaysia hotel as a meeting point (I still don’t know why)........

 

..........On my way back, I walk past Ibis hotel, crossing paths with a boy I remember from gayromeo

Maybe this area is still good for cruising?

[ChristianPFC]

I don't think there is cruising in that area. There are moneyboys in front of the Malaysia, that's all. The boy I crossed paths with just came out of the Ibis.

 

The Moonhouse (good and very cheap Thai food and my favorite watermelon fruit shake) has rooms as well. They are simple and cost 450 (?) Baht per night. I stayed there once.

 

I once met a boy from Laos in his room in the Moonhouse, and he managed to talk me into sex (he was not so much my type). Half a year later, a friend from Austria stayed in that very room.

[ChristianPFC]

There is (or was?) Budget Hilton. Two years ago, I had a look. The rooms are big, but in dark colors and very old/used, so I passed. When I walked past last week, the gates were closed (they had been open all the time before) and the building looked deserted.

[Guest scottishguy]

I can not contain my curiosity any longer - in your final "bedroom" pic - please explain the wet patch in the centre of the bed.

 

Did it come with the room? Alternatively, who was responsible?

[ChristianPFC]

I was waiting for someone to ask about it. It did not come with the room.

 

It can best be described as "body fluid".

[ChristianPFC]

I recently visited friend in Lee guesthouse, looks fine.

The Blooms further away from Malaysia hotel, past Tivoli hotel.

Both are budget, The Blooms has rooms with monthly rent about 6000 Baht.

 

New place http://sribumpenplus.com/ opened a few months ago, however starting from 1000 Baht per night is luxury by my standards.