Betong Hill Hotel

This is a regular hotel in a town close to the border, and it offers great value. But it's beside a shabby part of town, so it doesn't feel suited to families. There's a 7/11 just 20 meters away, though there aren't many places to eat, and definitely no halal eateries.

The rooms were very moldy, though maybe that's standard here. We didn't have many other options for a big group with a relatively last-minute booking. Still, I wouldn't choose to come back.

Betong Hill Residence was available at a relatively good rate. Betong hotels seem quite a bit more expensive than comparable places elsewhere in Thailand, especially on weekends when the town fills with tourists from Malaysia. This is an older hotel, but it's in good condition, clean, and has plenty of parking.

The room was decent and comfortable enough for the nightly rate, and parking is provided. I'd heard good things about the hotel, but at check-in the receptionist asked to keep my actual passport as a "security deposit." I refused and offered 300 baht as the deposit instead. I've never known a hotel in my life to hold onto someone's personal documents, especially an original passport. That's a huge red flag, and I can't know what they might do with it. I definitely won't ever come back.