Chatawan Homestay - Hostel

I don’t understand the price. At 265 baht, the dorm bed doesn’t feel close to worth it. In Chiang Mai I paid 230 baht for a nice dorm with comfortable beds, AC, four clean, modern bathrooms for eight people, and daily cleaning. Here, given the old house, the location, and the city, I’d expect a dorm bed to cost around 150 baht or less. At that price I wouldn’t have complained. Private rooms are apparently around 500 baht too, but you can easily find somewhere in Phrae for 400-500 baht with AC, comfort, and even a TV. Paying 2025 prices for a 1970s Thai experience, think again. I stayed in the dorm, which is just two bunk beds in a first-floor hallway, screened off from the rest with sheets. It isn’t a proper room and has no fans. The toilets are right beside the second bunk, so going to the toilet or shower feels like invading someone’s private space. The house is basically old wood, and I reckon it looks much as it did 40 years ago. It could be nice if someone put in a little effort, but there’s no charm, no windows, and nowhere comfortable to hang out. The lighting is dull, and in the evening mosquitoes take over because there are no fans. I don’t know how often it gets cleaned. Before showering I had to pull a huge clump of hair out of the drain so the water could flow. The shower feels straight out of the Thai 70s, and there wasn’t any toilet paper around. When I got back after 19:30, there was nobody around to ask. I wasn’t shown the bathroom when I checked in either, and another guest had to point me to it. There were no signs, and I nearly walked into someone’s private room. The woman who checked me in was okay, but she didn’t speak English and handed me prepared signs with information and rules, which annoyed me a little. I’ve also seen how friendly hosts can lead people to rate a property highly. I don’t get this place’s rating. This is a city, not rural Thailand.