Showerthought: I always thought hostels were the cheapest option until I looked at guesthouses in Thailand

I was dead set on booking hostels for my trip to Chiang Mai next month, but then I stumbled on a blog post from some guy who broke down costs per night. Turns out private guesthouse rooms in the old city run about $8-$12 a night, which is literally the same as a dorm bed in a hostel. The catch is you have to book direct or use Agoda, not Booking.com. Has anyone else noticed guesthouses being cheaper than dorms in Southeast Asia?

3 comments

3 Comments

james_butler13d ago

Just showed up in Bangkok once with no bookings and ended up sleeping in a bus station.

ninam862mo ago

Found guesthouses way cheaper booking day of in person too.

noahw532mo ago

Haha "cheaper booking day of" - that's just code for "I love living on the edge of a panic attack lol." Nothing like showing up to a new city with no plan and hoping for the best.