20 Nov
Vancouver Tours Blog

Bangkok Budget Hotels – A Guide For Thrifty Travelers

Bangkok offers visitors from all over the world a huge selection of hotel choices with room rates for everyone's pocket books. Of course the most popular category of accommodations are budget hotels. However, there are so many different types of budget hotels in Bangkok that selecting the right one is essential for a more enjoyable vacation.

Affordable hotels in Bangkok are scattered everywhere but there are a few key areas that you should look into when planning your sightseeing itinerary. First you should get your hands on a map of the BTS Sky Train or MRT underground train system. Road traffic in the streets of Bangkok is notorious for bumper to bumper traffic jams, so getting stuck in a taxi for hours is unacceptable as there's just much to see in the city. By taking advantage of the quick and efficient train systems you will be one step ahead in planning a great tour itinerary.

Many budget hotels within the city have are in the range of THB 850 ($ 25US) to THB 1700 ($ 50US). A few hostel type accommodations such as Lub d Bangkok (not a spelling error, that's the actual hotel name) have rooms with 4 sets of bunk beds and others are like Bedroom Boutique Hotel with modern stylish private rooms. Both of these hotels are located within the hub activities of Bangkok as well as near a BTS Sky Train to zip you around town easily.

Then there are the budget hotels near Bangkok's red light districts that are always popular. Such as the THB 1200 ($ 35US) per night Woraburi Sukhumvit Hotel and Resort which is about a 10 minute walk to Nana Entertainment Plaza (NEP), a small 3 store building stacked with go go bars. And if 10 minutes is still too far away then check out the Majestic Suites which will only set you back THB 1295 ($ 38US) per night but it's only around the street corner from NEP.

If you're a serious shopaholic then Samran Place Hotel THB 1000 ($ 30US) might be right for you. Located between the shopping heaven of Pratunam and Siam districts you can spend the money you saved on hotels on clothes and electronics to your hearts content. There's also a BTS Sky Train station just right out the hotel's door that will take you around to other shopping parades in other parts of Bangkok easily.

There are many affordable hotels in central Bangkok so there's no need to look for a hotel at the edge of the city. Many budget hotels in Bangkok are very popular so you should book your hotels a few months in advance. And it's always a good idea to keep multiple hotel choices in the back of your mind in case your first choice does not have rooms available.

Source by Edwin M Clark

20 Jan
Vancouver Tours Blog

Bangkok BTS Sky Train – The Best Way To Get Around Bangkok

Sightseeing and shopping in Bangkok is easy. Especially if you use one of the best mass transit system in Bangkok called the BTS (Bangkok Transit System) Sky Train. It's cheap, efficient and can get you quickly to most parts of interest in central Bangkok. But most importantly the Sky Trains are air-conditioned, which will be much appreciated during an often hot and hazy day in Bangkok.

The Sky Trains run from 6am to 12am daily. Although the official closing time is 12am the stations usually will not allow passengers into the stations starting around 11:30 pm. So make sure you plan accordingly. Riding the trains is very simple since signs, maps and station stops are annotated in English between Thai. And all the station booth attendants are able to communicate in English too.

The Sky Train has only 2 lines and run on elevated train tracks above Bangkok's often congested roads:

  • Sukhumvit – This line will take you to popular shopping malls in Bangkok.
  • Silom – This line will take you to Bangkok's commercial business district and to a station where you can catch the Express River Boats for the quickest trip to Grand Palace and Wat Pho Temple.
  • As of writing the BTS trains systems are not too extensive, though it can take you to some of Bangkok's most popular points of interest such as:
  • Central World
  • Gaysorn
  • Emporium
  • Siam Paragon
  • MBK
  • Jim Thompson House
  • Bangkok Art Culture Center

Both BTS train lines are also able to get visitors to the city's popular nightlife districts as well:

  • Patpong – Take the Silom line to BTS Sala Daeng station
  • Nana – Take the Sukhumvit line to BTS Nana station
  • Soi Cowboy – Take the Sukhumvit line to BTS Asok Station

There are different types of fares that can be purchased, such as single journey to multi-pass. If you know you will be using the BTS trains a lot to get around it is best to buy a mult-pass fare. Multi-pass fares are stored with the amount you've deposited and deducted like a debit card. This way you will avoid ticket lines during the often hectic rush hours in some of the most well used stations.

Finally if you really want to make the best of your vacation in Bangkok it is best to stay in a hotel near a BTS station. There are many hotels that are cheap and affordable to expensive luxury hotels near them.

Taking the Sky Train is simply the best way to get around Bangkok. The city has a reputation for one of the worst traffic jams in Southeast Asia. Once you're on a Sky Train moving past vehicle traffic below then you will know why this popular mode of transport is so aptly names.

Source by Edwin M Clark