Amarina Residence
Although the lobby is unusually dark compared to most tropical foyers, the rooms upstairs are sun-drenched and sport tasteful light-wood furnishing.
Amari Palm Reef Resort
Set in a gorgeous garden with plenty of spraying water features.
Somewhere Else
Big octagonal bamboo huts grace a shady lawn right on a very social and lounge-worthy stretch of beach. Bathrooms are big and clean, as is the beachfront restaurant that serves Indian, Thai and European food. It’s not private but is a lot of fun.
Glacier Hotel
This trendy boutique hotel, shaped like a giant ice cube and sticking firmly to a white-and-blue colour code, works its 'cool' angle a bit hard, but overall it's lovely and fun.
Neptune’S Villa
An old favourite among travellers, Neptune’s is an ever-expanding spot with a mixed bag of accommodation spread across several motel-style units.
New Hut
New Hut is a rare beachfront cheapie with tiny-but-charming A-frame huts.
New La Paz Villa
This place is going for the Latin thing, and is pleasant and popular.
Blue Tribes
One of Pattaya’s more attractive small resorts, its best nests are the two-storey thatched wooden bungalows with a downstairs living room and top-floor bedrooms that have sliding doors opening to sea views.
Jinta Hotel
Jinta’s white walls and linoleum floors feel a bit institutional, but they get the job done. All rooms have satellite TV.
Jitaree Guest House
Cool fan rooms in an apartmentlike complex. Jitaree is in the tiny backpacker enclave off Th Singhaclai, near the new bridge.
J&J Guest House
Located in a tidy garden by the river, the eight bungalows here are new, cool and relatively spacious.
Kk Centrum
What seems like an ordinary small Thai hotel sets itself apart in the details. All rooms have high-quality furnishings and the owner, who lives on site, is serious about service. It's also quiet because it's built in the back of the block.
Areeya Phuree
On the boat-dock side, downstream along the river, this sprawling place was undergoing a change of ownership and major renovations when we passed through.
Malibu
The casual vibe around the large backyard beach (over the lagoon bridge) sets Malibu apart from the other budget bungalows around Chalok Lam. A drink-wielding hut, stationed on the private sandbar, lures guests of every ilk.
Mama’S
One of three good choices on Ao Tadaeng, Mama’s is tucked into a pretty corner on a rocky, hibiscus-laden hillside. The good-sized wooden huts here all have private bathrooms. Mama serves some of the best Thai food around.
Longtail Beach Resort
Effortlessly adorable, and one of the last remaining batches of beach bungalows in the area, Longtail offers backpackers a taste of Pha-Ngan’s past with its charming thatch-and-bamboo abodes.
River Bank Guest House
Rooms in this attractive riverside house are decked out in hardwood and have lots of natural light. It's worth shelling out 200B more for the rooms on the upper floor as the cheaper rooms feel cramped and have comically small TVs.
River City Hotel
With a large new tower under construction, this place is poised to unseat Ploy Palace as the best hotel in Mukdahan.
Tinkerbell Resort
Natural materials, like towering bamboo privacy fences and thatched roof villas, sew this resort seamlessly into the landscape. The rooms are bright and airy and smack dab on the prettiest beach you’ve ever seen.
Toh Ko Beach Resort
All alone on white, mellow Ao Toh Ko, there’s a summer-camp camaraderie here with several long-term guests and plenty of new ones who wish they were long term.
Tohsang Hotel
The tasteful decor here almost manages to hide Tohsang's age. The lobby is downright elegant while the rooms are as comfortable as they should be at these prices. They'll pick you up for free when you arrive.
Tongsai Bay
For serious pampering, head to this secluded luxury gem. Expansive and impeccably maintained, the hilly grounds make the cluster of bungalows look more like a small village.
Ton Nam Guest House
This old wooden house unites four cosy rooms, all with air-con and private bathroom.
Mountain View Resort
Bright, cheery and immaculate with mint-green walls, tiled floors and crisp sheets in lodge-like environs. Some rooms are slightly musty, so sniff around.
Siam Cottage
Rickety wooden bungalows packed perpendicular to the beach don’t afford much privacy but a nice slice of sand is right at your feet.
Siboya Resort
OK, the beach itself isn’t spectacular. But the mangrove setting is wild, and full of life, and the wood bungalows are large, tasteful and affordable. The restaurant rocks and it’s wired with high-speed internet.
Sunrise Bungalow
Steps away from the awkward giggles at Hin Ta and Hin Yai (the island’s infamous genital-shaped rocks), Sunrise offers budget travellers a relaxing place to hang their backpack. The owner is a sixth-generation Samui native.
Sunset Bungalows
Sweet wooden bungalows with bamboo decks and attached Thai-style bathrooms sit back in the trees lining Ao Yai’s best stretch of beach. The restaurant is charming and offers a tasty menu, and the staff is as friendly and happy as they come.