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7 of the best hostels in Bangkok, including a foodie hub, a 'flashpacker poshtel' and a converted cinema

It’s all about design at Yim’s, a smart, modern and colourful hostel with a cool hipster vibe and great minimalist rooms
It’s all about design at Yim’s, a smart, modern and colourful hostel with a cool hipster vibe and great minimalist rooms

The Thai capital has seen an explosion of modern hostels that are proving popular with female solo travellers, security-conscious tourists from other parts of Asia and budget holidaymakers keen to avoid the Khao San Road backpacker ghetto. Spotless dormitories with state of the art security features and good Wi-Fi, supplemented by common areas that invite guests to socialise, are the norm. A beautifully restored Art Deco cinema with flashpacker dorms in a Chinatown back alley makes for both the most culturally immersive and comfortable hostel stay. Here's our pick of the best hostels in Bangkok.

Prince Heritage Theatre Stay hotel, Bangkok
Prince Heritage Theatre Stay hotel, Bangkok

Prince Heritage Theatre Stay

Bangkok, Thailand

8Telegraph expert rating

This stunning heritage property, close to the river and Chinatown, is set in a 100-year-old cinema, its screen still intact. The stage is used for weekly dance sessions, other events and, more often than not, a vintage film flickers silently to jazzy lounge sounds. On the ground floor there are several dorms reserved for female travellers, with pod beds that afford a modicum of privacy, complemented by spotless bathrooms. Upstairs, there are mixed-gender pod rooms and larger dorms featuring small room-within-room-style cabins, which all share bathrooms. Four suites offer an added level of refinement. Read expert review From £35 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

An insider guide to Bangkok

The Yard Hostel, Bangkok
The Yard Hostel, Bangkok

The Yard Hostel

Bangkok, Thailand

8Telegraph expert rating

The Yard Hostel is an attractive and funky collection of container dorms and rooms located in one of the backstreets of Ari, a hip residential quarter near the famous Chatuchak weekend market. The garden and common areas make this hostel a great place to socialise for solo travellers. There are weekly free trips to Chinatown, as well as yoga and introductory Muay Thai boxing sessions. Guests can do their own laundry. Rooms and dorms – some female only – are accessed with electronic key cards. Read expert review From £36 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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Udee Bangkok, Bangkok
Udee Bangkok, Bangkok

Udee Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand

8Telegraph expert rating

A smart, small and simple hostel on a quiet lane close to Chatuchak, where Asia’s largest outdoor market is. Chinese and Thai design elements, friendly and well-informed management, safe, clean rooms and dorms – as well as a communal rooftop – make for a relaxed and quiet stay. Rooms are small, plain and bright, and guests get electronic key cards to enter. The dorms are equally simple – though all bunk beds have their own reading lights and plug points. Breakfast consists of Kai Ka Ta (fried egg with sausage and toast), coffee or tea, orange juice and seasonal fruit. Read expert review From £32 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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Bed Station Hostel, Bangkok
Bed Station Hostel, Bangkok

Bed Station Hostel

Bangkok, Thailand

8Telegraph expert rating

The Bed Station is a smart, sociable and lively hostel in downtown Bangkok, in spitting distance of a skytrain station, and ideal for guests wishing to explore the city. Good security, friendly staff and clean dorms and rooms make this an ideal stay for young solo travellers and couples. The open mezzanine common area above it is a great hangout with bean bags, a popular PlayStation and computer terminals. There are several private rooms as well as dorms (some of the latter including female-only options). Read expert review From £34 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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Yim Huai Khwang, Bangkok
Yim Huai Khwang, Bangkok

Yim Huai Khwang

Bangkok, Thailand

8Telegraph expert rating

It’s all about design at Yim’s, a smart, modern and colourful hostel with a cool hipster vibe and great minimalist rooms. There's plenty of public space to meet other guests including an attractive artsy lounge and a wonderful rooftop terrace, close to public transport and Chinatown. There's also a well-kept back garden. The six dorms include one female-only. There's also a family suite. Huai Khwang underground MRT station is literally around the corner and it’s only a few stops to the city’s downtown area. Read expert review From £31 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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Hom Hostel & Cooking Club, Bangkok
Hom Hostel & Cooking Club, Bangkok

Hom Hostel & Cooking Club

Bangkok, Thailand

8Telegraph expert rating

The well-run Hom Hostel was created to connect people through cooking, and sits incongruously on the edge of one of Bangkok’s nightlife areas. It is ideally-located for shoppers and night owls in downtown Bangkok, a few minutes’ walk from Ploenchit Skytrain Station. There’s no reception, just a huge spotless and well-equipped kitchen, which opens onto the rooftop garden. They often run demos or classes, and there seems to be something good to eat most of the time; in the evenings guests may help themselves to whatever was cooked during the day. There are five smart dorm rooms, including one for female travellers. Read expert review From £38 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

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The Posh, Bangkok
The Posh, Bangkok

The Posh

Bangkok, Thailand

7Telegraph expert rating

The Posh is halfway between flashpacker hostel and boutique hotel, ideally located near downtown Bangkok and within easy reach of the international airport. The common area opens onto the roof terrace which has great views of skytrains zipping past every couple of minutes. There’s a large and popular whirlpool tub from where the panorama is even more outlandish. The 10-bed dormitories are tightly packed but beds are comfortable. One of the dorms is for female guests only. Guests can also stay in private so-called cabins. Read expert review From £35 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com