JP Emerald Hotel

A pleasant place a short way from the town center. If you’re a light sleeper, you’d probably be better off with a room away from the nightclub side.

The rooms are spacious and were partly renovated and looked after. My fifth-floor room had a river view and decent Wi-Fi, with clean linens and pillow covers and soft towels. The bathrooms still have tubs with showers, which I appreciated. There aren’t many outlets near where you need them, so bringing a 4-5 meter extension cord for charging a phone is a good idea. A basic American breakfast was 125 baht. The hotel is basically clean, well located, and staffed by friendly people. I’ll stay again, and there are many unique temples to visit nearby. The Thai-style decor and large lobby suit an older hotel, and it’s a mystery why such a huge Western-designed conference hotel was built here 30 years ago, when Yasothon had only 15,000 residents, compared with 22,000 today. It’s mostly quiet except during the annual Yasothon rocket festival in May, and weddings and business conferences are still held there. The building was well built, but has been somewhat neglected over time, even the front entrance garden needs attention.

I’ve stayed here for years, but the prices have become outrageous. A pub costs as much as it does in Bangkok.

We stayed for the Bun Bang Fei Festival in nearby Phanom Phrai. The room was roomy and pleasant, though the bed was firm, as is common in Thailand. There weren’t many power outlets, so we had to unplug the TV to use the kettle. They provided two sachets of Three in One coffee for our double room, but no tea option. Housekeeping was inconsistent: there was no bathmat or hand towels when we arrived, though those were supplied on later days. One day the coffee cup wasn’t washed, and no coffee was left for our final night. Reception sorted that out after a 20-minute wait.