Roof View Place the new best kid on the block

best rated located for me.

www.hostelbookers.com

asiarooms.com for cheap hotels

Happy travels!

Bangkok is a remarkably safe city. Do you want a hostel or guesthouse or would you prefer a less expensive hotel? Accommodation prices in SE Asia are very reasonable. You might want to check www.sawasdee.com for a wide variety of hotels. Try to get a place close to a skytrain station.

Is there a specific area of Bangkok we should be looking for hostels, hotels and or guesthouses?

Backpackers generally hang out around Khao San Road, but it's hardly Thailand. I really like to stay on the river, and Ibis has a new hotel - http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-7026-ibis-bangkok-riverside/index.shtml - which isn't as expensive as the other riverside choices. I also recently stayed at http://www.baansukhumvit.com/Soi18/home.htm in the shopping district, close to the Sky Train, which was friendly and comfortable.

Besides Kathie's suggestion, I also check agoda.com.

Check out Suk 11 hotel. It seems to be a gathering place for 'hippy' folks who are travelling around Asia with a back pack. I think you might find the place to your liking. It is on Sukhumvit soi 11.

For cheap accommodation in hostels, small hotels and guest houses we used the following sites and found them to be excellent (the reviews tend to be more genuine and reliable than those on TA:

www.hostelbookers.com
www.hihostel.com
www,hostelworld.com

All three have efficient online booking. It may be worth joining one of the hostelling organisations for the discounts.

when we were there in 2008 we stayed at the New Road Guest house which was clean and reasonably comfortable and in a great location behind the Oriental but recent reviews have been somewhat less than positive. As thursdaysd suggest Ibis is good for a cheap chain (Accor) hotel. They also have a place near Central World which is a good location and is probably cheaper than the riverside.
Most areas of Bangkok would be considered safe. It is the individual hotels you need to consider..

My daugheter was a big fan of hostelworld.com during her 5 month adventure last year. In Bangkok, she loved Nira's when she was in Bangkok for a week. When I came back with her, we stayed at Nira's for two nights. The staff were very kind and helpful, and the location was nice; near the Metal Wat.

I do think Suk 11 is in a great location. We stayed at teh Adelphi suites up the road and were happy there. It is a hotel, but very reasonably priced.

I agree with the above comments, Sukh 11 is def a place to stay, Do check out Grand President, as a hotel option or Adelphi Suites as mentioned by lcuy but if u guys are on a lower budget just opp. is On8 Sukhumvit! Perfect location!

Yes, Suk Soi11, is a great street. Sukhumvit area, in general, is a great place to stay. And I've heard good things about the above mentioned Grand President. I haven't stayed at the Grand President, but have been there as one of the managers, who used to manage the serviced apartment building where I stay, transferred and has been working there for some years. So, a Thai friend and I dropped by, in 2009, to surprise him and were treated to a delicious buffet lunch. Happy Travels!

You should mention your price range. In Bangkok you can get a private hotel room around 600-900 baht. (Other cities have cheaper hotels.) This is a room with air, hot water, private toilet and TV. This way you won't have to share a toilet and shower with total strangers like you do in hostels.

Suk 11 does have private rooms and is very convenient for using the Skytrain. Other cheap hotels near the Suk 11 on Soi 11/1 near the Swiss Park.
http://www.suk11.com/2008/index.html

These two hostels are convenient for Skytrain and shopping..
http://www.lubd.com/

This place is in the Pratunam area.
http://www.lemonseed-rooms.com/

This place is in the Pratunam area.
http://www.samran.com/map.html

Once you leave Bangkok you will not find so many hostels in Thailand. But you will find many guest houses and smaller "no star" hotels.

For hotel recommendations always mention a price range.

For 3 months this probably means a 60 day tourist visa and an extension. You do know you can't just show up and stay as long as you want in Thailand.

Rail service in Bangkok:
http://www.urbanrail.net/as/bang/bangkok.htm

If you use buses for travel get the tickets at a real bus terminal not from any Khao San Road travel agency. Most of the problems on buses from Bangkok stem from KSR travel agencies.

Bangkok is safer than many of your major cities in Canada!

Good luck.