In a venture to stay central but have a small haven of peace and tranquillity, I stumbled across Khaosan Baan Thai on Hostelworld. Advertised as a cosy and clean Thai house only a 10 minute walk north of Khao San Rd, I was delighted to find that it is truly what you get. Down a small lane, which can be quite dark at night, it definitely felt like a safe area and the staff also assured that the neighbourhood was safe at all times.
Many of the main hostels in this part of Bangkok are 450tbh per person for eight-bed mixed dorms or higher. Khaosan Baan Thai is a cheaper option and has a family home vibe. More of a guesthouse than hostel, but caters for dorm goers and private room travellers.
I didn’t step off the bus until after 9pm and ran errands in preparation for my journey to Myanmar in a couple of days’ time. With my father visiting me on my travels, we opted for a twin bed private room as he was not up to lowering his travel habits to a dormitory. Entering the room, I was surprised to find such a large twin bed room (with two singles and a bunk bed to accommodate 4) at 350thb each person I was ecstatic.
Another added bonus of Khaosan Baan Thai is that breakfast is included. Something all us budget travellers love to take advantage of. Never holding high hopes for included breakfasts, I received my second big surprise: sitting down in the open outdoor seating area, very quickly a great English breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage, toast etc. with free tea and coffee. One staff member though said that the orange juice in the self serve fridge was free with breakfast, but later requested to be paid for the juice as he had made an error.
The cosy house also provided a tourist agent section where you can make bookings for tours or for further travel. However if you are heading to Don Meung Airport don’t take their shuttle bus as it is cheaper to split a taxi between two or more people. As with all Thai taxis, note that it is much cheaper to flag one down on the main road rather than order one to pick you up from your accommodation. Khaosan Baan Thai is down a quiet lane off a main road where taxis are readily available.
The private rooms all share private bathrooms which are located in the corner of small back courtyard. These bathrooms are and home to swarms of mosquitos at night – so watch out. The facilities themselves were always well maintained and very clean.
All opinions are subjective to the writers personal travel experience. The writer travelled at her own expense.