Bangkok has some of Asia's finest hotels, with thousands of rooms meeting international standards. Many hotels belong to the large international chains. All luxury hotels have swimming pools, 24-hour room service, air conditioning and a high staff-to-guest ratio.
Accommodation styles cover every range, however, and the budget traveller is also well catered for. Bang'lampoo in Bangkok is the main area for cheap accommodation. Hotels outside the capital and developed tourist areas are less lavish but are extremely economical. Member hotels of the Thai Hotels Association can be booked on arrival at the counter of Bangkok's Don Muang Airport, and at similar counters in some provincial airports. There is no official system of grading hotels, but prices generally give a good indication of standards. The Tourism Authority of Thailand publishes regional accommodation guides, which give comprehensive details on pricing and facilities.

Guest houses are cheap and popular with tourists, as are bungalows, which also often have cafes and English-speaking staff.

Holiday villas and flats can be rented. For details, look for advertisements in the English-language newspapers.

In general, visitors will find that camping in Thailand is not popular, as other accommodation is available at such reasonable prices. Most of Thailand's campsites are in the area of the National Parks, which are under the management of the Department of Forestry; there are also some private tourist resorts which provide camping facilities. Camping is allowed on nearly all of the islands and beaches, many of which are National Parks in their own rights. Some national parks rent out tents at a reasonable price.

YMCA, YWCA and small, cheap hotels are available all over the country.

Thai Hotels Association (THA)
203-209/3 Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue, Bowonniwet Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: (2) 281 9496.
Wwebsite: www.thaihotels.org

Thai Youth Hostels Association
25/14 Phitsanulok Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300, Thailand
Tel: (2) 6287 413-5.
Website: www.tyha.org