Guesthouse Name: Big Orange Localstay@Siam
Address: 374 Petchaburi 12/2, Rachathewi, Siam, Bangkok, Thailand.
I stayed at Big Orange Localstay@Siam in Bangkok. I booked it for its price and location near Rachathewi BTS, which is also walkable to Siam Square. The rate was 540 Thai Baht ($17.27 USD). This is one of my preferred areas to stay in Bangkok. I stayed near here on my last visit to Bangkok.
The homestay/guesthouse is in an alley off an alley, so I figured it might be difficult to find. I booked it knowing that I will arrive there around midday. If I was arriving at night I would never book such a place.
The numbers in the alley weren’t clearly marked, and they changed order as well.
The only hint that I was in the general vicinity of the accommodation was this orange sign with Chinese writing above the door. I knocked on the door to no avail. Fortunately for me a local resident walked by and he knew what the situation was and he went to find someone. The room contact was in a shop on the main street, which I would have never found.
After paying for the room in the shop I was lead to my room. Apparently I booked a room in a windowless box, which I do not recall that detail. I usually make a point of not staying in a room without a window, so I was stuck here.
The room was air conditioned and had a fridge. The bed was ok, but the sheets slipped off overnight. There was free wifi in the room and I had no problem connecting. It was a pretty grim room though without a window. The other rooms with a window would at least be tolerable.
The bathroom was a partitioned box in the corner of the room. It was ok, but weird to know that the bathroom steam will go into the main room as well.
The best thing about the place was its location on Petchaburi 12. This street is filled with lots of cheap eats, and there are some good cafes in the area. It’s very much a local Bangkok experience while being near the biggest shopping area in the city.
Overall though this was not a good place to stay. If you are going to stay in crappy room in a windowless box you may as well stay in the Khao San Road area at a third of the price. Even at this price you can find much better places to stay. I booked this without thinking about checking Airbnb first. I have stayed near here before in a new studio apartment for $18 a night, with a view of the city.
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