The sign saying 'free vegemite with breakfast' says it all. This is a great Australian-run hostel, one of very few budget options located in downtown Sukhumvit, far from the Khao San ghetto. In contrast with its wannabe-Beverly Hills neighbourhood, Big John's has a genuine...

A wonderful haven from the chaos of Bangkok where you can stay, paint, hangout and enjoy the generous hospitality of your in-house artist and host, Charlee. The rooms are basic but the welcome is warm. It is down a small laneway in the old city of Thonburi (west of the river).

Sweet and simple, this welcoming family-run Guest House offers comfortable cheap sleeps behind a friendly outdoor restaurant. The location is excellent: tucked into the funky Pra Athit area, just minutes from both Khao San Road and the Pra Athit Pier.

Perched on the river in Chinatown, far from the backpacker ghetto, this is a fantastic choice for those who really want to see and feel Bangkok. Above the basic rooms sits a wonderful rooftop restaurant with magnificent views and a breeze worth gold in this town.

Don't be put off by the Hostelling International affiliation - this place is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a semblance of comfort at a reasonable price along the Sukhumvit strip. Even better, it's far enough along to avoid the less savoury sois (laneways) around Nana...

There are birds chirping! There are also phones ringing and hammers hammering, but still a genuine breeze blows through Joe's guesthouse, tucked as it is in a quiet alley back from Khao San Rd. Somehow it feels like it's in the countryside and not deep in urban Bangkok. Here...

In a lovely old weatherboard house above a popular little restaurant, this 'B&B' offers a homestyle atmosphere and good-value budget rooms. Situated on a soi parallel to Khao San Road, the position is enviable and the welcome is warm.

The Siam Oriental is a bland multistorey operation with 62 budget rooms of varying sizes and amenities. It's right among it in the middle of Th Khao San and has a large restaurant and a lift. It's well-run but highly impersonal.

You get a homestyle stay in this simple house of wood and exposed bricks. It's simple but tranquil, sharing the quiet soi with Thai families and a handful of other guesthouses. Rooms are airy with wood-panelled walls and hardwood floors. It's a good choice if you'd like some...

Smack in the middle of town, you can hop over to Siam Square's shopping spots. Wendy's is a cheery, good-value budget choice where you're greeted by a brightly coloured little coffee shop/reception which also provides internet, laundry and business services.

At regularly offered 'special' rates this hotel offers good value in the seething and slurping heart of Chinatown. It is situated on Yaowarat Road, the most vibrant and colourful street in the quarter.

Love-for-money gets thick over in this part of Th Sukhumvit, but Majestic's hermetically sealed rooms deliver privacy and quiet. As well as being generally comfy and tastefully decorated, the rooms here come with dial-up and wireless Internet connections and satellite TV. A...

This is a boutique hotel that has sought to distinguish itself through contemporary design trimmings, colourful paint jobs and various other attempts at originality and verve. It's an intimate place (only 26 rooms) that will speak to those who want character without the high...

Among skytrains and skyscrapers, megahotels and the multiplex malls, this small inn is an oasis of home-style modesty and comfort. You are assured a warm welcome and great value for money just a few steps from the skytrain.

The old dame of the neighbourhood, this is a venerable and well-maintained hotel in the heart of backpacker territory. Calm but low on charm, the Viengtai is resolutely popular with a growing class of independent travellers in search of an extra drop of comfort. The rooms have...

The emblem of the neighbourhood's progressive gentrification, this boutique hotel is smack dab in the middle of Khao San Rd. Duck out of the neon-lit chaos and you will find yourself in an incongruously charming colonial-style house with beautiful rooms and a rooftop pool.

This magnanimous mid-range institution allows you to practically roll out of bed and onto the skytrain - thereby putting the sights and sales of Bangkok at your feet. It's a good deal given its convenient location and mega-hotel facilities - a good landing pad for jetlagged...

Seamlessly comfortable and beautifully decorated serviced apartments in the most happening part of Sukhumvit. If you're spending more than just a few nights in Bangkok it's worth considering this kind of option. It's an excellent choice for business travellers, or anyone...

A dignified member of the Sukhumvit hotel elite, the Rembrandt offers conservative, elegant accommodation and some of the city's finest 'ethnic' restaurants. An imposing 407-room establishment, the Rembrandt is close to the Queen Sikirit Convention Centre and the expat action...

Another giant mid-range tower on Silom Rd. With its purple-coated bellboys, fancy glass-encased lobby and attractive rooms, the popular Narai welcomes tourists and professionals from around the world. It is well-placed for business trips, and while the immediate area is very...

Offering everything from playboy spa suites to luxury Thai villas, with decor taking you from East Bombay to Trocadero, the Davis has taken the concept of 'boutique' to a whole new level. Trying too hard? You bet, but this place has eclectic style in spades, mixing tradition...

Stereotypes about Switzerland all come true in regards to this cosy hotel. It is small, clean, efficient, peaceful and uneventful. While tasteful in design and European in style, it sets itself apart from the others. Strategically positioned, it is safe, eminently comfortable...

An elegant top-end hotel popular with Swedes and the diplomatic corps. There's something very Bangkok about the presence of this venerable establishment poised stoically beside the seething sin-for-sale of Patpong. It has a conservative elegance befitting its bureaucratic...

The Landmark stands tall and proud right on seething, traffic-clogged Sukhumvit Rd. This comfortable well-maintained establishment has decorated the rooms in different styles in an effort to make everyone feel at home. It's a safe, pragmatic choice popular with business...

Chic and sleek, this super luxury pad is unflinchingly modern and defiantly cool. The pretentious new kid on the Sathon block, the Metropolitan is a sanctuary of immaculate contemporary style, designed to please and pamper every inch of your person. It is the sister hotel of...

Modelled after the ancient capital of Sukhothai, this exquisite tribute to Thai architectural heritage is a stunning sanctuary for visitors. Serene Buddhas overlook inner ponds, ambient music meanders down hushed hallways, artefacts and orchids pose calmly in corners....

Resembling an old Bangkok-style building, Baan Sabai is aptly named for its relaxed atmosphere and pleasant garden courtyard. The rooms are small but solid with modern baths and noise-proof concrete walls, while the bar downstairs is retro-cool.

Many are tempted by the astounding panoramas and city-wide reputation of Thailand's highest tower, an impressive landmark that dominates the skyline. Aside from the magic views they offer, the rooms at the Baiyoke are unfortunately a letdown.

Sky-high modern luxury with an emphasis on pampering and holistic therapy, all executed with impeccable Thai style. This place is so tall that your ears pop in the elevator as you whiz from the graceful lobby to the super-chic 61st floor restaurant.

The Conrad offers an impressive cocktail of chic style and hi-tech comfort, a seamless choice for mixing business and pleasure. The Bangkok adventure of the Conrad empire, it occupies a prime position on Wireless Road near 'Embassy Row'.