Merlion Hostel

A very nice hostel for a night or two. The dorm costs 300b, which is well worth it. Staff are extremely helpful and friendly, and food and drinks are free all day. The place next door, under the same owner, also makes it easy to book bus and ferry tickets.

A lovely, friendly hostel right on the main road in Surat. It's a quick walk to the boat pier, food stands, restaurants, and night markets, and it's next to talad kaset, the popular bus station. The owners also run the bus company next door, so they can help arrange bus, train, ferry, and airport connection tickets. The place is super cute and clean, with good air con and great WiFi. I was able to teach my online classes there without any trouble. The owners speak English and are so kind and helpful. I love this hostel!

I found bed bugs during my stay. I checked one bed and saw one, then looked at another and found another bug. It was past midnight, so I called the owner. He said he didn't know what they were, checked the beds, said they were fine, and suggested I sleep there. I showered, then spent the whole night in the lobby watching Netflix. In the morning they offered to refund 1/6 of what I paid. I had planned to leave Surat Thani in the afternoon, but instead took the first bus and boat I could get. People mention the great breakfast, but mine was just a slice of bread with egg. Maybe it would have been a good place to stay if there hadn't been bed bugs that night. In their reply, they accused me of playing a trick and traveling around with bed bugs to get a free stay. I have more than enough money and don't care about the money. This is about the principle: I didn't use the room, stayed up all night downstairs, and they still expected me to pay almost the full price. You wouldn't take nothing from a supermarket and still pay for it. Their response shows what kind of place they run. People, DON'T STAY HERE!

A great place to stay, right in the town center. The bed was big, and everything was clean. The owner was really nice. I called to book directly and got a small discount, so I'd recommend doing that. The bus from the train station pretty much stopped right outside.