Is it safe to sleep at a sauna?

[Guest ryoyo]

Hi,

 

I am going to Bangkok and my flight arrives very late on Thursday (around 23:30).

 

I don't want to spend a meaningless night at hotel, so I am thinking of going to a sauna to sleep there after midnight

 

Does Men factory or Mania seem safe to sleep there? 

 

Advice or suggestion please.

[Alexx]

Last time I went to Men Factory, it would have been safe. Not sure how much luggage you have though, if it doesn't fit into your locker I'm not sure if you'd find a safe place there to store it for the night.

 

That's an interesting idea, by the way. After a night out in Silom, I planned to sleep at Men Factory for a couple of hours to take the BTS back home in the morning. I did accomplish my mission (stay until closing time, take the BTS), but I didn't get any sleep thanks to two other patrons (not that I'm complaining, mind you!).

[pong]

What do you mean by ''safe''? Robbery?

ONly a very few sauna's do open late=after 2.00 Most say on weekend nites then: till last customer goes out. But by 6.00 thats mostly it. Still too early to check in for the new day.

BKK has at least 40 male sauna's, but none is very close to Swampy airport. IF packs too big-leave at reception (but thats mpostly for shopping things done)

[NIrishGuy]

See this is why the staff in saunas end up having to come round switching on lights and a banging on doors and generally being a nuisance,  sometimes even having policies of having to clear complete areas of some saunas for up to 10 minutes every two hours etc - and all because some people decide to use their sauna cubicles as hotel rooms to get themselves a cheap nights sleep as they are too miserable to book even a cheap hotel room for themselves !  :-( 

 

There's a very good reason why saunas are for fun and hotels are for sleeping and we could do worse than remember that rather than taking up cubicles and ruining other peoples fun , who it should be remembered  have also paid their entrance fee just like you and expect to be able to actually use the facilities there too.

[Alexx]

NIrishGuy, that's an eloquent rant, but have you ever actually been to one of these saunas that are open till sunrise? Been there in the wee hours, I mean? I can tell you that Men Factory was almost empty the whole time I was there, at least 90% of the cubicles were therefor empty as well. And as I mentioned, I did find two hot guys to have fun with - the same might happen to the OP as well, he might not actually get any sleep.

[Guest ryoyo]

I just worry about the robbery and if the staffs care for.

 

Alex's comment also reminded me of the size of locker. I really have to check it out.

 

Personally, I do know some backpackers sometimes use the cubicles to sleep because of many reasons, late and not want to go home, tired, don't want to pay for hotel (just like me???).

[NIrishGuy]

@ alex - firstly thank you for the compliment on the quality of my "rant" - or as I prefer to call it my opinion and to answer your question, yes I have, many times in many countries but hey perhaps Thailand is unique - but doubt it.

 

The other thing I can never quite understand is are people REALLY that skint ( or tight) that they choose / prefer to sleep on some dodgy, perhaps cum covered / barely wiped faux leather mattress, in a tiny usually roasting warm, non air conditioned cubicle, with no blanket or even basic sheet or covering etc, with god knows what having been going on there 10 minutes before you arrived as opposed to staying in a proper clean(ish) bed in even the likes of a hostel and all for what - to save a few hundred baht - I mean really there's saving money and then there's just being pure CHEAP, if you can't afford that few hundred baht I would really be questioning your choice of spending the several hundred pounds it probably cost you to travel to Thailand in the first place.

[Guest abang1961]

TS,

l would like to suggest that you get yourself a decent cheap room, say less than THB 1000, for the first night.

It would be better to unwind in a proper bed after a flight.

 

Places like Malaysia Hotel in Sathon has basic room going around that price.

It would be much safer and really, do you want to worry about your belongings in a deserted sauna?

[vinapu]

I second Malaysia Hotel suggestion, this  is not a  dump but decent , clean while basic / tv and fidge in the room still /  and outdated , hotel, room will be 800-900. Another basic option in the area is Niagara  hotel in Silom , soi 6 , short walk for Chong Nonsi BTS., price roughly the same.   

[colmx]

If you are that skint - you can get a bed in the S1 Hostel on Sathorn for 280B:

http://www.agoda.com/s1-hostel/hotel/bangkok-th.html

 

This is not much more than the cost of entry to the sauna... so may be a better bet...

 

Seems like the S1 used to be the Honey house - a place that i have stayed many times in my younger days...

It is located approx half way between Babylon and the Pinnacle 

[Guest abang1961]

Yeah S! is merely a minute walk away from Malaysia Hotel.

It has been dolled-up and it looks pretty decent for a couple of hours.

 

There are several hostels offering beds in a dormitory for about THB 250/300.

Check hostelworld if needed.

 

From the airport, you may take the airport (above ground) train to Makassan and transfer to a local MRT (underground) to Lumpini.  Look out for Soi Numduphlee (walk against traffic) and turn left at the first junction.  You would spot a CIMB Bank at that junction. A walk into the busy alley would lead you to the rooms.

 

Enjoy yourself.

[vinapu]

Last train to Makkasan is around midnight so if plane lands at 11.30 p.m. train is not an option as highly unlikely 1/2 hrs will be enough to clear immigration, claim luggage and find way to the train / easy /

[Guest ryoyo]

thanks all for your advices!

 

Reading abang1961's comment, I thought over again and decided to stay at a hostel and start to enjoy the trip the next day.

[baobao]

thanks all for your advices!

 

Reading abang1961's comment, I thought over again and decided to stay at a hostel and start to enjoy the trip the next day.

 

I'm glad you re-thought the idea and decided to stay in something a little nicer than a sauna cubicle. There's a lot of validity in what NIrishGuy said in post #7 above that many who have visited a sauna would agree with - regarding cleanliness and overall safety, I mean - and it just makes sense to stay somewhere a notch above, at the very least.

 

Travelling on a shoestring isn't anything to look down on, but my days of backpacking and hostel life are decades behind me. I needed a couple of Advil after just thinking about your original plans.  Be safe (and that includes being aware of your surroundings) and have a blast.  There's so much to see and explore. Post about some of your experiences, if you can... hat's a good way to say "thank you" for helpful travel advice. 

[ChristianPFC]

I couldn't sleep in a sauna cubicle, without proper mattress and duvet. But a friend does stay overnight in saunas.

 

For Babylon and Chakran I know for sure, they close around 10 pm (maybe later on weekends?), but for other saunas this thought never occurred to me. I know in Farose 2 Ramkhamhaeng, drunks (from free alcohol) sleep everywhere on the premises after midnight (because they simply passed out, not to save money for hotel), my concern would be getting raped without condom while passed out (does not apply to me - I don't drink -, or to you - you would lock yourself into a cubicle).

 

As others have said, dormitory can be cheaper than transport to sauna, entry, transport to your hotel.