Modern Bangkok hotel for 500 baht - no way?

B2 Bangkok Hotel Srinakarin (or Srinakharin) can be just that. The downside is its location. The location is not great but not that bad either.

Photo from B2 website

This hotel is a part of the B2 budget hotel chain. Just like in the other B2 branded hotels, the rooms are modern and clean and the beds and showers are great. Just don't expect a breakfast.

The hotel is located in Hua Mak district near Srinakarin Road. It's mostly a residential neighborhood. There's a 7-Eleven store within walking distance (300 meters, Soi Sahakon 2 or Soi Ramkhamhaeng 52) and some simple and cheap local restaurants on the way there.

The nearest skytrain or subway station is Hua Mak airport link about 2.5 kilometers away. If you feel adventurous, you could also walk around 2 km (and cross a walking bridge) to The Mall Bangkapi pier of the canal boat service. Be warned though - the boats can be packed full in the mornings towards central Bangkok and in the afternoons/evenings the opposite direction. The mall itself is huge and a great place for shopping and eating in chain restaurants. Distance to the lower Sukhumvit area would be around 15 km.

If you're traveling to Bangkok for the first time, I wouldn't really recommend this location for you, but if you know your way around a bit, it's quite ok.

The prices for minibar were very reasonable

I think the regular weekday rate for walk-ins or on the B2 website would be 650 baht and a bit more for Fridays and Saturdays. However, you could get some great deals on booking websites. I got a room for Sunday night on Agoda for only 508 baht (May 2018), booked on the same morning, taxes and everything included. That surely felt like a steal!

Hotel website: B2 Bangkok Srinakharin Boutique & Budget Hotel

Budget accommodation and cheap restaurants near Ao Nang, Krabi

Ao Nang Beach in Krabi is one of the busiest tourist traps in Thailand, but just one or two kilometers away you can find a completely different experience.

The next beach towards west, Noppharat Thara Beach, has a different mood. The east side is developing into a tourist resort that's not very much different from Ao Nang Beach. The west side can seem almost deserted. And the part in the middle has lovely local style restaurants with prices almost as low as anywhere else in Thailand outside tourist traps and central Bangkok. Meals start at 50 baht with a relaxing atmosphere and seaview.

Chicken with cashew nuts 60 baht and Thai iced tea 30 baht

There's kind of a circular road (road number 4203 and Khlong Hang Rd from the mosque to the beach) following Noppharat Thara Beach and going about one kilometer inland. Along the inland part of road 4203 there are some decent family run budget accommodation options and more cheap local style restaurants. There are many hotels in the price range of 700 - 800 baht near the FamilyMart I marked on the map.

Nemo2 Resort, Aireen Hotel and Loma Place are almost new. Pornthep Mansion and J Boutique Hotel across the road, renamed to Pornthep Hotel 2, are older but well maintained. I have stayed in all of these places except Loma Place, and since Loma Place has excellent reviews (and it was always full) I can recommend them all. Some photos and a map are included below.

Nemo2 Resort

Nemo2 Resort

Pornthep Hotel 2

These places are located less than one kilometer from the west side of Noppharat Thara Beach and about three kilometers from Ao Nang Beach. If you don't enjoy walking too much, you can rent a motorbike for 200 baht per day or take the local songthaew (shared taxi, a white pickup) for 20 baht per trip. If you travel with a bigger group, a tuktuk won't be too expensive.