Guesthouses / Hotels near Don Mueang Airport

[inasia]

I'm planning a very short trip to Bangkok. Just long enough to get some sleep before jumping on another flight.

Is it easy to find Guesthouses/Hotels off the airport promenade road? Just walk in off the street? Nothing fancy, just need a bed for a while.

I'd rather not mess around with Taxis and Tuk-Tuks, so prefer to stay nearby.

Is it better to turn left or right, from the front of the airport?

[SantiSuk]

I'll stick my neck out (as TV members love cutting stuck-out necks off and that way you might get some positive info).

I had a few hours to kill at DM a couple of months back. I walked that road outside DM - the one with commercial stuff on obviously, not the main through-highway. Went probably one km in each direction. I was not specifically looking for accommodation, but I was generally looking for stuff that might be of use to me and other falang in the vicin of the airport.

I do not recall seeing any accommodation, other than the Amari of course which I see is in the region of 2,500 baht a night. Checked out booking.com (more to protect me from an obvious oversight than a desire to research stuff for you!) and there is nothing within a km ish. This hostel is listed as being 0.7km and "a short train ride" from the airport:

http://www.booking.com/hotel/th/dmk-hostel-donmueang-airport.en-gb.html?aid=318615;label=Low_CPA_English_EN_ALL-GBIECAUS_12118496425-Doo6NFouozF92CgDKdJFsQS73336437025%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg;sid=a8826928f0606e26553ec429fd76b029;dcid=4;checkin=2015-12-08;checkout=2015-12-09;dist=0;group_adults=2;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;srfid=77f63aee128270fc61d760bb89e74da4ce1d1ec3X1;type=total;ucfs=1&

Not cheap for a hostel at 650 baht

Maybe you are better off getting a public bus to Victory Monument area. I believe you can get there for 30/40 baht. Probably about 30 mins unless in rush hour.

Cue anyone else with better info or confirmation of bus connection to Victory Monument and recommendations in that area.

[seems like the normally ubiquitous resort and small mansion hotel owners are being particularly off-the-ball here. Business opportunity to develop something going begging? More and more people have a need for overnight in DM area and the Swampy model of dedicated minibus delivery to a value hotel within 10 mins of terminal works well there]

[SantiSuk]

PS. If anyone has time on their hand and needs somewhere up(ish)-market to eat, I looked in on the Amari and found a lunchtime and evening buffet in the restaurant. The lunchtime one that was being served at around 600 baht looked pretty impressive in range and quality. Not cheap obviously but a good time killer and quality falang and thai food. Good hunks of meat and lots of seafood. I wasn't hungry enough to try but the maitrresse d' let me have a look around for future purposes! It was also well-customered, which is usually a good sign!

For cheaper eating than the airport terminals there are the usual curry-over-rice places on the way to the Amari, when you hit that side road beyond the main through highway. Look for the signs to the Amari walk-way (also to the side road, the highway (for taxis on the fly) and station. That exit is a relatively small door in the middle of the departures (and probably other floors) in the middle of the west wall of the main terminal, but it is quite obviously signed to the Amari. There's a 711 and a reasonably nice Wat to look around about 10 minutes walk form the terminal to the northern side of the Amari on the side road

Edited November 11, 2015 by SantiSuk

[JB300]

Highly recommend the Amari hotel, not cheap but the rooms are really nice, the beers cold & it has a direct walkway to the Airport Terminal.

NB I may have a rose tinted view as I stayed there after having to leave Bangkok 10 days into a 30 day trip due to a cough/chest infection that I couldn't shift & caused me to have next to no sleep for 4 or 5 days so had one of the best nights sleep I've ever had in a hotel there.

Edited November 11, 2015 by JB300

[inasia]

Checked out booking.com (more to protect me from an obvious oversight than a desire to research stuff for you!) and there is nothing within a km ish. This hostel is listed as being 0.7km and "a short train ride" from the airport:

http://www.booking.com/hotel/th/dmk-hostel-donmueang-airport.en-gb.html?aid=318615;label=Low_CPA_English_EN_ALL-GBIECAUS_12118496425-Doo6NFouozF92CgDKdJFsQS73336437025%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg;sid=a8826928f0606e26553ec429fd76b029;dcid=4;checkin=2015-12-08;checkout=2015-12-09;dist=0;group_adults=2;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;srfid=77f63aee128270fc61d760bb89e74da4ce1d1ec3X1;type=total;ucfs=1&

Not cheap for a hostel at 650 baht

I actually tried to book that one a week ago. But I don't have any credit cards that DON'T have security, and booking.com's payment system is archaic and it doesn't take me to the payment validation page. So, I lost the booking because I couldn't pay for it - despite having valid Visa cards.

I went around in circles for a while with the hostel asking me to send another card number (They are trying to key it in at their end) - very insecure. If they could do that, what's to stop them buying whatever they like

So, I've decided not to use booking.com again.