Here’s what you need to know to find good deals and great hotels in Thailand.
1. The peak season for travel to Thailand is December, January, and February.
There’s also a secondary high season in July and August. For these months and for most destinations it would be a good idea to book for a least a few days before arriving at a new place. (Especially if you’ll be arriving late at night.)
2. Outside of these peak months, you’ll get great deals by looking for hotels after you arrive.
Put your bags down at a cafe and walk around the town or along the beach popping in to every hotel you see (and the resorts too). You’ll be amazed at what kind of deals you can get when booking in person. Yes, hotel prices will fall for online bookings as well, but likely not as much as in person rates, when a different hotel is just a few steps away. If peace of mind requires you to have at least one night booked, then do that and look around on your first morning after arrival.
3. The best months for a combination of good weather and good deals are November, March, and April.
During these months you can expect mainly sunny weather but fewer tourists. By April the temperatures will definitely be getting hot (especially in Bangkok) but if you’re simply looking for good beach weather it’s still pretty close to perfect.
3. When booking online Hotelscombined.com is the best site to find deals.
I use them everywhere but they’ve really got a great selection of listings for Thailand. They’ve got an easy to use booking system and get raves from most travelers. The most popular pages for Thailand are probably these:
4. If you’re planning to camp check ahead with the National Park Office
Camping is getting more popular in Thailand and it’s a good idea to make reservations in the high season or during any Thai holiday.
My Favorite Websites
I get lots of questions about booking hotels. These are my favorite sites.HotelsCombined.com – The absolute best for finding hotel deals and discounts.
Agoda.com – A great resource for hotels in Asia.
Where would you recommend in Chiang Mai? A swimming pool is a must. We’ll be flying to Chiang Mai from Hong Kong via Bangkok and I imagine will be hot, sweaty, and ready to relax. Our budget is around $150 to $200. Our daughter is 4 years old. Thank you.
Hi Anni. The Chedi is great and seems to be what you’re looking for. Its official rate is probably over your stated budget – but use this link to hotelscombined and I bet you’ll find your dates for well below $200. Good luck.
Looking for a nice (boutiquish) place in Patong. We’re a little worried that Patong might be too touristy and wild for us so something a little removed and quiet would be nice. We’re a couple with no kids. We’ll be there for 5 to 7 nights. Budget isn’t a big concern, just want something nice. ideas?
Sounds like the Baan Yin Dee Boutique Resort would be the place. Probably not the best for kids – as it’s up the hill from the beach and has a calm quiet vibe – but perfect in your case. I hope that helps.
Hi David, Need your help with hotels in Thailand. It’s my first holiday there with my wife and my 4 year old girl, this May (May 1-7 2012).
It’ll help if you could recommend:
a) A budget hotel for a night in a central location (for sight seeing) in Bangkok
b) A boutique or 4*/5* resort in Krabi for 4 nights-5 days. We could do two different hotels in two different parts of Krabi two night each. Would that be possible ? We would like to be in hotels that are quiet with easy access to the restaurants and cafes.
Many thanks.
The Viengtai Hotel in Bangkok is great. Cheap, nice pool, great location. I suppose I wouldn’t call it quiet, but without paying for a 5 star hotel it’s hard to get quiet in Bangkok.
In Krabi The Sunrise Tropical Resort is one of my favorites. It’s in Railay (not sure if you had a specific destination in mind but Railay is awesome). One thing to note: In Railay there are 2 beaches that are a 3 minute walk from each other. The Sunrise is located at the not-so-great beach that isn’t fit for swimming. On the plus side it makes it much cheaper (for a really nice place) than the hotels on the “nice beach”. It’s also much quieter. It’s a very short walk down a sort-of golf-cart path to the other beach.
If you had to have the beach right at your door then the Railay Bay Resort & Spa is very nice.
Good luck.
Thank you David.