S House Bansaengngam

I’d recommend this as my top choice for a low budget, room-only stay in Ubon. I’m a British expat in a neighboring province, and I’m in Ubon every month, so I’ve tried plenty of hotels. If you want to be closer to the center and river, Phadaeng Mansion at 500 baht is my next step up. Rooms go for 400 baht a night, though online booking sites charge a little more. They’re also available as monthly rentals. Our daughter rents here while she’s at university, and we sometimes stay in the hotel-style rooms on weekends. They’re clean, modern, and basic, with tiled floors, aircon, a fridge, a roomy wardrobe, a chair, a small desk, and a 32 inch LCD TV. The 15 sq.m bedroom has a comfortable 6ft king bed, firm but not like a board. The 4 sq.m bathroom is well laid out with a separate shower area. There’s also an enclosed 3 sq.m smokers balcony. The aircon, shower, and TV work well. It’s room only, with no breakfast or hotel services. There are no lifts or ground floor rooms. Reception staff speak very little English, and the TV has no English language channels. That’s all standard for this category of hotel. It’s on the edge of the town center, in an area with modern, good value hotels. Chaengsanit and Sukha Uppatham Rds are both about a three minute walk away, with restaurants and local bars, mostly Thai. 10 baht songthaews run along Chaengsanit through central Ubon. Taxis are cheap, plentiful, and reliable, but you have to phone for one, and they can be tricky to use without some Thai. For a night out, I’d suggest Tawan Daeng on Ring Road Hwy 231, a 15 minute walk away. It’s an Isaan-style dance club with a showband, cabaret, and food at the tables. There are also student bars along those two roads, with very cheap beer. 20+ on Chaengsanit is a 10 minute walk and has expensive beer, but friendly hostesses who are welcoming to farang lads. Update May-19: The Wi-Fi was poor to almost useless on this visit. It’s usually OK, but never startling, so I lowered my rating from 5 to 4. The owner’s family has opened a small restaurant next door, which I haven’t tried, and there’s now a delivered food menu in the room. For a wide selection of farang food, try my mate’s delivery business, Ubon Hero. A Pizzeria and Italian food restaurant has recently reopened on Chaengsanit as Sapori Italian Restaurant, with the same Italian chef, about five minutes’ walk away, opposite a large DIY place. Update May-21: I and many others highly recommend Sapori for delicious, authentic rustic Italian food, pizzas, and pasta.