Thairungruang Backpackers Suratthani

The guesthouse offers single, twin, double and triple rooms, with a fan or air conditioning depending on the room. Free Wi-Fi is available in all rooms, and the rooms sleep between two and five guests.

Some rooms include a private shower, a desk, blackout curtains, a telephone and free bottled water, and several are non-smoking.

The front desk is open 24 hours, and express check-in and check-out are available. A concierge, an elevator, daily housekeeping, a laundromat and laundry service are also offered, and there is a taxi service.

The garden and the shared lounge/TV area are on site, and shops are on the premises. Business facilities and cash withdrawal are available too, and English and Thai are spoken.

Wi-Fi is free in all rooms and in public areas, and free parking nearby is available.

Rungruang Road is in the town of Surat Thani, the capital of the southern province of the same name. The town is a practical place of shops, markets and local offices, and a common stop for travellers heading to the Gulf islands. It is also the main gateway from the mainland to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand, so many travellers pass through it.

Wat Phathanaram, a pagoda temple, is 250 m from the hotel, and the Surat Thani City Pillar Shrine is 1.1 km away. The Tapee River Viewpoint is nearby, while a morning market, a convenience store and Thaksin Hospital are within a few hundred metres. The ferry terminal for Koh Tao is 900 m away, and Surat Thani Airport is 20.5 km away, with a taxi service available for trips further afield.

A simple day could begin at the pagoda, continue to the City Pillar Shrine and the Tapee River Viewpoint, and end at one of the town's markets. Central Plaza, the large shopping mall, lies further out in the city. For island trips the ferry terminal is the departure point, so the hotel is a practical place to stay before a crossing to the Gulf islands.