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Now that it’s just 61 days until the next vacation in Thailand it’s time to start thinking about hotels. Really not much of a problem for us though. We are looking to keep a fairly tight budget this trip so we know we want to stay at a reasonable hotel, yet we still want some level of amenities and cleanliness. Luckily we found a place that satisfies on both levels last time we were in Bangkok.
SD Avenue is a bit out of the way, so if you want to be in the center of the business/tourist areas around Silom/Sukhumvit then keep looking. SD Avenue Hotel is in the Pinklao area of Bangkok which is across the Chao Phraya river from Khao San Road. This is actually kind of nice, because the hotel is not as expensive as comparable hotels from Khao San area and yet we are just 15-20 minutes from Khao San by taxi. And for those times we want to hit Silom or Sukhumvit we are 45-60 minutes away using the ferries and Skytrain.
The SD Avenue Hotel is not one of the more well known places to stay, but in a city with hundreds of hotels that’s no surprise. What SD Avenue is though is a really good place to stay for the money. Just 1800 baht a night and you get a fairly big room, it’s clean and the water pressure is good. There’s also a nice big pool on-site and they have a dining room although I wouldn’t really recommend it, you can get much better food nearby. Central Pinklao is just a few blocks away if you want a regular restaurant or Western food and there is a good outdoor restaurant 2 blocks away outside the 7-Eleven where I had some really good kao moo dang last time we stayed there.
I’ve stayed at other hotels in Bangkok, and some have better location, many have better food (not really a concern in Bangkok), most were more expensive and none had bigger rooms. If you aren’t too concerned about being a little out of the tourist/business areas then I think you’ll be very pleased with SD Avenue Hotel. Those who like to spend time at Khao San Road, but want to have a more quiet hotel to retreat to will also appreciate the SD Avenue hotel.
If anyone else has stayed here or at similar hotels in Bangkok (in the $50 a night range) let’s hear about it.
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Hi Steve,
Other than Royal Benja in Sukhumvit Soi 5, which is where I bunked 80% of the time. I would normally stay in Royal River View (opposite of the Chao Phraya) near Prinklao bridge. Also quite near to Khao San, cost 1600bht and its has very large room, well equiped, good service and have a fantastic balcony view facing the river for a cool beers in the evening.
I prefer Royal Benja as its near the Asoke and Nana BTS and close proximity to all the bars entertainment, food and shopping. Oh ya, walking distane to Benja, there is my favourite train restaurant (Rosabieng)at Soi 11. Really good food!
Hi K.S.,
I’ve also stayed in the Royal River View and it’s similar to the S.D. Avenue for size of rooms and amenities as well as proximity to Khao San. The balconies are great though aren’t they? I think last time I looked the Royal was a bit more expensive though. The S.D. also has the benfit of being within walking distance to Central Pinklao which is nice if you need to pick something up quick.
Haven’t stayed near Sukhumvit yet, usually stay in Pinklao area or off Silom at the Swiss Lodge. A bit more expensive, but nice for the same reason as the Benja, it’s close to the BTS (Sala Daeng). Convent Road is also quite nice with some really good restaurants and bars, both Thai and western. Avoid the Mexican restaurant there though, not good at all. Why is there no place for good Mexican food in Bkk?
Why in the world would anyone voluntarily choose to come to Thailand during Songrkan, what with all the squirt-gun and flour-paste nonsense? Songkran is a great time to *avoid* Thailand, IMHO, heh.
That being said, if you’re determined to visit Bangkok during this period, I’d strongly recommend the Centrepoint service apartments on Sukhumvit Soi 10 (); all the conveniences of a decent hotel, with a better pricetag, especially if booked online.
Personally I love Songkran in Thailand and all the squirt gun and flour paste nonsense…All very much sanook IMHO. I know it’s not for everyone, but if you don’t mind getting wet then I think you’ll have a great time. Anyway, it’s like 100 degrees in April so you dry off pretty darn fast.
I’ll look into the Centrepoint serviced apartments…anything with a better pricetag is good for me :>)