Which portal is best for booking a hotel in Thailand?
Despite the fact that there are lots of online portals for booking a hotel in the Land of Smiles, in my opinion the best are Agoda and Booking.
Why book through Agoda or Booking?
The reason is that even though there are other platforms besides Agoda and Booking such as Trip Advisor and the like, prices on those platforms are higher than what you can find directly on the aforementioned sites since even Trip Advisor has to make something (thereby charging an additional commission).
In addition, Agoda and Booking often have special offers available only through their sites, and not on third-party platforms.
Agoda
Agoda is one of the best portals for Asia, both in the number of hotels and the price.
Pros: Usually Agoda offers the best deals when it comes to hotels in Thailand. Additionally, their network of hotels in the country is superior to that of Booking.
Cons: There aren’t many “cons”, when booking a hotel in Asia on Agoda. The only exception is, perhaps, China, since there are specialized portals for that country that offer a wider range of hotels, especially in less visited areas.
Booking
Booking is one of the most famous and efficient platforms for booking a hotel in the entire world.
Pros: Booking is an extremely professional platform; they also often offer the possibility of cancelling your reservation without additional fees (by a certain date).
Cons: Their selection of hotels in Thailand is less than that of Agoda, and their prices are often higher.
Comparing the two platforms
Number of hotels:
If we check the Agoda site, we see that in Thailand there are about 25,504 possible hotels, on Booking there are about 18,300.
If we take Bangkok as an example, the most visited city, Agoda offers 3,153 hotels and Booking 2,217. Lastly, if we take a look at Nong Khai, a destination that isn’t frequented by tourists (at the most you could pass by if you’re heading to Laos), Agoda offers 64 hotels and Booking 43.
To conclude, if you already have an account on Booking, considering that the differences aren’t terribly great, you might think about just booking with them (unless the prices on Agoda are much less). If you don’t have an account with either Booking or Agoda, then Agoda is likely your best choice!
Prices:
Here’s a comparison of prices in USD (American Dollars) of three hotels in Bangkok (for three nights starting August 1st). There’s a cheap hotel (In a Box Hostel), a mid-range hotel (Hotel Clover Asoke), and a high-end hotel (Villa Song Saigon).
- In a Box Hostel: A bed in a small room costs 9 USD a night on Agoda, and 11 USD a night on Booking.
- Hotel Clover Asoke: The price for a double room on Agoda is 50 USD a night, while on Booking it’s 64 USD a night.
- The Peninsula Bangkok: The price for a double room on Agoda is 207 USD a night, while on Booking it’s 241 USD a night.
As you can see, Agoda can be cheaper (even though prices are often similar).
Internet connection
Hotels in Thailand often offer a satisfactory internet connection, as do international hostels. If though internet connection is really important to you, then I recommend that you really read the reviews found on Agoda and Booking.
Also, take a look at our article about net restrictions in Thailand.
Where to book your hotel
For Bangkok, I recommend that you book something in the center since you’re talking about an enormous city and public transportation isn’t the best.
The other cities are more “liveable”; so if walking for 20-30 minutes isn’t a problem, you don’t necessarily have to book in the city center.
Are hotels in Thailand safe?
Thailand is a relatively safe country (so long as you stay away from the frequent political protests). The only problem you might run into is theft from your room, especially in budget hostels where the locks aren’t the greatest.
Many hostels offer the option of inserting a padlock on the door to your room; you can bring one from home or get one in the many tourist shops (usually shops that sell bags and pouches, etc, also sell padlocks).
Good day. Thanks for the informative articles. When I google Bangkok and Patong, most of the reviews are 2 years and older. We want to travel there in December, but it seems that most places are closed, so I am now unsure if we should go. It is very expensive if you come from South Africa, so can you please let me know, where can I find more recent articles about shopping in Bangkok and Patong/Phuket? Thanks a lot
The country has been closed for long time so it’s difficult to find recent information about the places. Many places dedicated to tourist probably couldn’t survive the pandemic, you might need to wait a little more to start to see new reviews about new business or places that reopened.