Hotels and Hostels in Thailand
 

Hi there,

So my best friend and I are leaving for Thailand next month for three weeks and we need a bit of help choosing hostels and hotels. We both do not have credit cards, however we do have debit-visas. Does anyone know good and cheap places that accept this form of payment? We are going to Phuket, Koh Samui, Railay beach, Koh Tao and Bangkok.

Help is very very much appreciated!

Most hotels will accept debit as opposed to credit cards. I tend to use www.booking.com for most bookings in advance as they often have cheaper rates than booking direct and you can secure your booking online using either card. The charge will not normally be taken until you actually arrive so you could even pay in cash if preffered.

Lots of good and cheap places on booking.com also have a look at the hostel sites - www. hostelworld.com etc. At that tim doc year it is also possible just to turn up and find somewher on spec and get a good deal.

I suggest you check the weather at your locations as you are on the cusp of the monsoon seasons so that should affect your choice of location I.e. gulf v Andaman Coast.

Ask your bank if they allow their debit cards to be used in Thailand. There have been problems with this from some banks. Also, using a debit card means you don't have the same fraud protection as you do with a credit card.

"Also, using a debit card means you don't have the same fraud protection as you do with a credit card." Actually that is not strictly correct. FRAUD protection for credit and debit cards in the majority of cases is pretty much identical. Where the difference arises is where goods or services purchased are not of merchantable quality, are faulty or are simply not delivered. In which case the credit card issuer is jointly liable and obliged to sort it out. Of course, legislation may vary from country to country but that is certainly the case in the EU.

One thing I have noticed in my recent travels around Asia is that Air Asia do not seem to accept debit cards for flight purchase ( or at least any of my debit cards!) . So that could be an issue ifmplanningbto use that airline

We're in Nai Yang now.
Have been travelling round SE Asia for years using Booking.com and a Debit Card, without any problem or risk.
PS. Nai Yang is a lot more Thai than Khao Lak.

crellston, In the US, the fraud protections for credit and debit cards are very different. Basically, you are well-protected against fraudulent use of your credit card account. Debit cards do not have the same protection, and someone can clean out you bank account in short order. The bank will work with you, but it takes months to get your money back. And in the meantime, if you have automatic payments coming out of your account...

As in so many things, the EU and UK are far ahead of this US on this matter. Without knowing where the OP was from, I felt it was important to note this issue. But I appreciate knowing that things work differently in the EU and UK.

Generally, debit cards are accepted in hotels all over Thailand. Make sure that your debit card is Visa or Mastercard compliant to avoid any hassle. For budget hostels, I doubt if they accept charge cards. Better confirm it beforehand or since you have a debit card, might as well withdraw and prepare some cash upon arriving at the place to avoid any hassle.

We stayed at Lub D hostel at the Siam metro stop in Bangkok. It was very clean, pretty quiet and priced great. There are a variety of rooms available and it is a close walk to MBK and the Paragon malls. The metro was easy to use to get to the airport and there were many restaurants, food stalls, etc. nearby. I wouldn't recommend the breakfast at the hostel, it wasn't worth it and there were much more tasty options a quick walk away.