Not much interest to this crowd, I know, but I thought I'd post it anyway. Some of these places sound quite nice. TravelFish has just published their 2009 list of the best guest houses in Bangkok:
http://www.travelfish.org/feature/137

Thanks! I hope I get the opportunity to refer to these someday for my own use!

Thanks Michael. Three of those looked worth investigation! Maybe I'm a flashpacker - haven't encountered that term before, sounds like a backpacker with higher standards? (Or more cash, lol.)

Stuart - the guy who writes Travelfish - seems to have been one of the first to use the term. A "flashpacker" is generally someone who probably was a backpacker, but is now older and more established (eg - more money to spend). They like the backpacker lifestyle, but generally want a bit more comfort in their accommodation.

Some other writers have picked up on the term, but use it to refer to 'wired' backpackers - kids who travel around with notebooks and other gadgets.

Well, I didn't start traveling with a backpack until after I retired, lol, but I do have a bit (only a bit) more money to spend than the average backpacker, I guess! I haven't been traveling with an electronic notebook, but I may succumb before the next trip, so I might count both ways.

am i a flashpacker? interesting! i enjoy staying at nice, clean, charming places. i loved phrakorn norlen and highly recommend them. it was bigger than i expected but it still felt small and intimate like a guesthouse. their food and drinks are yummy too.

Thanks for posting Michael. This is a really good article. These are pretty much the sorts of places we tended to stay in on our recent trip as a break from the usual backpackers hostels (and indeed backpackers themselves!). Some of these places can be absolutely excellent and are a lot less impersonal than the big hotels. They provide a real feel for the city/country in which you are staying and above all the staff are usually much better at recommending out of the way and unusual places to visit than the typical concierge