#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Thailands Travellers Tales >  >  > Thailand Hotels, Resorts and Guest Houses >  >  Sawasdee Bangkok Inn = Hellhole

## njdesi

I was heading to Kanchanburi and needed a place to stay near the Western Bus Terminal. I thought I would save a few bucks and book an $11 (US) hotel on precisionreservation.com. Bad move. 

Here is a review from one Mr. Tan Siok Hui:

"The hotel is quite clean, better than expectation, worth for the money we paid. Very good location that we can start our bargain activity when we walk out of the hotel. Easy to flag a meter-taxi. I will consider to stay in this hotel again."

Obviously, this is a fokwit backpacker or a friend of the place who neglects to mention one major flaw with the room. You remember the movie "Spinal Tap", where Stonehedge was only two feet tall and the dancing midgets knocked it over? Well, the rooms at the Sawasdee were built to comfortably accommodate only dancing midgets. Anyone else would feel cramped. The rooms are so small that I don't think these pics do it justice. 









 And here is the bed. The blanket felt like worn out sandpaper.



For those interested in the sciences, the staff have kindly removed the light cover so that you examine loose wires and the latest in Thai lightbulb technology. The rest of us will try to sleep hoping that the thing doesn't collapse on our bed.

And now for the hotel description:

To discover most of Bangkok with ease, guests can use Sawasdee Bangkok Inn Hotel as their home base. Every room is equipped with the home comforts you would expect from a hotel of this class *(class equals backpacker hellhole)*. Each guestroom has telephone, television, television (cable) *(One movie channel, one sports channel, and a bunch of useless Thai channels)*, mini bar *(bullshit, no fridge. Just a pack of shrimp snacks and some peanuts*) and air conditioning. To suit all guests' convenience, this elegant hotel in Bangkok features 24 hour room service, laundry service, car rental, bar, tour desk and restaurant. Visitors to Bangkok will see that the hotel is the right choice with its convenient location and complete service and facilities. 

Maybe for a backpacker who is used to sleeping in a 150 baht fan room, a room with A/C and cable TV is the lap of luxury. For normal human beings, avoid this dump. You have been warned.

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## MeMock

Crikey for 400 baht what did you expect?

I am assuming you were in banlumpoo? If so which one was it as there are three in the area.

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## njdesi

^ 
Not much, but no fire hazards, a decent blanket, and being able to open the door without it hitting the bed would have been nice.

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## Rigger

I paid 750bht once in soi one forget the name of the joint but it sucked big time. I prefur to pay a bit more and stay some where a bit nicer 2,000bht is a good starting price. but I have notice the differents between a 4,000bht hotel and a 2,000bht is nothing at all.

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## MeMock

I am assuming you were in banlumpoo? If so which one was it as there are three in the area.

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## njdesi

Err, it is called the Sawasdee Bangkok Inn. I believe the others are called Banglumpu Inn and just Sawasdee Inn.

Here is the street address:
126/2 Khaosan Rd.
Banglumpu 
Bangkok,Thailand

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## Rigger

Then one with the swimming pool out the front as you walk in i think it was pink

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## MeMock

Desi, is that the one where you walk off actual khoa san road down a small alley way about 50 metres?

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## stroller

The Sawasdee is good value - aircon room with private bath for 400bt - must be the lowest in BKK, and you could do far worse in the area. It's clean and quiet. The major downside is that it is very small, but if you only use it to sleep for one night, so what?

You're obviously not used to staying in budget accomodation in Asia. What danger is there from a ceiling lamp without cover? Afraid you're gonna put your fingers in while you sleep?
Boy, I wanna see your reports if you ever travel around the Philippines or Laos, for example.

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## ChiangMai noon

Actually ndjesi was the author of probably the best travel log on this board detailing his Cambodia trip.
I think I'll bump it.

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## RandomChances

> I have notice the differents between a 4,000bht hotel and a 2,000bht is nothing at all.


 I think you will find it's 2000 baht

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## njdesi

> The Sawasdee is good value - aircon room with private bath for 400bt - must be the lowest in BKK, and you could do far worse in the area. It's clean and quiet. The major downside is that it is very small, but if you only use it to sleep for one night, so what?
> 
> You're obviously not used to staying in budget accomodation in Asia. What danger is there from a ceiling lamp without cover? Afraid you're gonna put your fingers in while you sleep?
> Boy, I wanna see your reports if you ever travel around the Philippines or Laos, for example.


I have backpacked through Laos and India and stayed in far worse places. But now, I am too old to romanticize roughing it anymore. Also, I work as an auditor and hate to give compliments. My job is to find fault with everything.  :Smile:

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## Chalk face

Years ago I stayed in a Sawasdee hotel near Ekkami BTS station. It was a 'short time' rat hole and we checked out at about 6 am to go and get some sleep.  Worst deal for the price I have ever experienced.

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## dirtydog

> Worst deal for the price I have ever experienced.


what she was no good  :Smile:

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## Spin

> My job is to find fault with everything.


That should n't be too difficult in Thailand!  :Very Happy:

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## Marmite the Dog

I stayed at one of the Sawadee hotels in Payttaya once. Full of drunk twats fighting. Never again.

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## Fabian

So I guess all Sawasdee hotels are to be avoided?

Speaking of that, there is a Sawasdee hotel in Khon Kaen as well which is only good for parking.

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## njdesi

> So I guess all Sawasdee hotels are to be avoided?


The Woraburi Sukhumvit Hotel,which is part of the sawasdee group of hotels, isn't bad for a low end hotel (rooms range from Bt850 to 2,500).

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## NickA

^I'll second the Woraburi is OK although a little on the grubby side.

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## RandomChances

^ thirded

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## Fabian

Hell, you auditors are really cheapskates. Pay 2,000 a night and get a nice hotel.

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## njdesi

^
There is no challenge in doing that. Trying to a find those rare hotels that are a great value for your baht is more fun.

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## northerner

i seem to remember that some of the rooms in the banglumpoo sawasdee have no windows, so the staff have thoughtfully painted a window, with a view of blue sky and trees, onto the wall. which may be more appealing that the actual view in banglumpoo.

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## dantilley

Sawasdee Smile Inn round the back of the temple on Soi Rambutri is good value, a room like the one pictured is only 290 Baht last I was there and if you spend 500 Baht or so you get a decent, proper sized hotel room with mini bar, big TV and a few other bells & whistles.

Has a alightly odd restaurant manager though who alwyas gives your change back in as many different denomination coins as possible to try and engineer a tip. And if you give him the correct change, he'll try and get you to buy him a beer!

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## extras

seems it's not just me. i, too, stayed at one of those sawadee hotels in pattaya once.

not impressed.

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## mad_dog

There are about 7 Sawat Dee places on Khao San and Soi Rambutri. I stay at them when I'm doing an odd visa run or something. Cheap and clean. Probably better, cheaper, places to stay on a night stop over but they aint too bad. By the way Buses to Kanchaburi leave from the Southern Bus Terminal. I don't think there is a Western bus terminal.

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## geoff

I stayed at a Sawasdee hotel once, in Pattaya.  The room was so small, that you could switch the light off, and you were in bed before it went dark. :sexy:

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## donmeurett

You get what you pay for.

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## November Rain

Aaaarrrgghh! I just greened Stroller for a post more than a year old! I never looked at the dates & assumed it was a current thread! :bunny3:

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## Frankenstein

> ^
> There is no challenge in doing that. Trying to a find those rare hotels that are a great value for your baht is more fun.


You don't find any such bargains in central Bangkok for 400 baht. 400 baht is a very fair price for that kind of standard and location. 

If you're experienced travelling in Asia you should know that reviews and write-ups are to be taken with a shovel of salt unless they're in a strictly controlled travel guide. And even then expect some mistakes. There is little or no accountability for bullshit.

Finally, I have stayed at the Sawasdee Smile Inn in Banglampoo, it was about 5 years ago if memory serves me right. At the time it was an ok run-of-the-mill type of place. Nothing special, but clean enough to crash for one or two nights.

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## DrAndy

> ^
> There is no challenge in doing that. Trying to a find those rare hotels that are a great value for your baht is more fun.


 
Agreed, but then you also have to take the rough with the smooth

I cannot find anywhere I would want to stay in Bkk for less than B600. That is near MBK with good connections etc, but smallish rooms and a bit run-down. If you do find somewhere, let us know please!

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## Sir Burr

Would that be the Reno Hotel?

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## stroller

> I cannot find anywhere I would want to stay in Bkk for less than B600.


There are a few places on Suk Soi4 in this price bracket.

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## Ban Saray

Soi 3 also has one on the hospital side.

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## Moss

The Sawasdee in south Pattaya is truly memorable, considering the Arika is a stones throw away.

Now that is a poor hotel.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

M

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## Mister Fixit

The Sawasdee hotel group are well known for providing 'budget' (= crap) cheap hotels, mainly for Thais who think they have stayed in some luxury place (which, when you look at where most of them live, is probably correct).

And I think you mean the _Southern_ bus terminal, which, helpfully, is on the west of Bangkok!    :Smile:

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## kingwilly

nice thread bump.




> (which, when you look at where most of them live, is probably correct)


nice generalization. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Tchiowa

> And here is the bed. The blanket felt like worn out sandpaper.



Ohh Man ! Once I went slumming in Khao San Road and stayed in that exact same room.

There were some water issues that night in the hotel and I ended up wiping my ass with that blanket.   :Wink:

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## El Gibbon

Having read a couple of threads/posts concerning reasonable cost hotels in Bangers I submit the following. 

Pelican Guest house (I think that's the correct name) is an excellent deal for those wanting to stay in the soi 22, Washington Square area. Nice and clean, reasonable size, TV, and amenities for 950 (last time there about a year ago). Excellent restaurant, bar, lounge on the ground floor. Very attentive staff that make the pleasant surroundings very enjoyable.

Located on soi Honey off soi 22, (Honey House Guest house, Honey Massage) adjacent to Larry's Dive. In the back on the left side, down the walkway.

Well run joint, lots of sports etc on the telly, shuffleboard and darts. Run by a Scandaholligan oil guy. In fact they sponsor one of the local hockey teams.

Nice deal for the price, much better than some I've paid twice as much for.

E. G.

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## peterpan

Its called d'pelican inn, next door to Tina (wank job) bar, owned by Thailands most avaricious bar owner.

D'Pelican Inn - Bangkok, Thailand

Excellent place but no car parking

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## Marmite the Dog

> next door to Tina (wank job) bar


I thought Tina's was more than a wank bar...

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## peterpan

Actually havn't been there for years, the owner padded the bill a couple of times, enough for me despite the manual dexterity of the girls, besides it used to be a hangout for all those queer flight bags at Qaintass.

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## smeden

it look ok for some days sigthseeing in bangkog

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## Mister Fixit

> nice thread bump.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by Mister Fixit
> 
> ...


And there was me thinking most Thais live in the lap of luxury ...  :Confused:

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## Happyman

How about this for a deal then ? For the princley sum of 2 US$ a night - including breakfast - you can get a grass hut - a bench bed with a sacking blanket/sheet- a basin of water - a spade and directions to the toilet- ( the surrounding bushes- watch where you step !) 
Breakfast is rice boiled in palm oil with "bush meat" and a mealie pancake !

( Oh Shit ! - seemed to drift off into an alternative thread  that dosn't exist yet !) 

West Africa - same same in some places in LOS perhaps? :Smile:

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## Fabian

Happyman, maybe in Isaan?

(I know I am going to be in trouble...



...because of the humour lacking isaan expat brigade.)

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## peterpan

^ Wot ! A Yeraman accusing others of lacking in humour. :Smile:

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