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Mae Hong Son

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Mae Hong Son

Mae Hong Son has plenty of accommodation but given its size, surprisingly few really good places to stay. You don't see the range of choice you get in Pai, nor are there the excellent spots that you see in Soppong. The Tourism Authority of Thailand office in Mae Hong Son will happily give you a map of town showing some 50 hotels and guesthouses, but only a scanty selection remains by the time you eliminate the following: motel-like blocks that are probably short-time trade only, fancy Thai resorts with only Thai script signs, hotels that operate a two-tier pricing system (charging supplements because you're foreign), and backpacker spots built 15 or 20 years ago that don't have the word maintenance in their vocabularies.

There is commonly a seasonal rate system in place, so you'll find some good deals in low season but overpriced ones during the high. Several decent mid-range choices are scattered around town and a whole bunch of budget spots are concentrated around the lake side, but bear in mind that whatever impression other guides may give, none of them are really by the lake, which is surrounded by a public park and then a road on three sides, so the best you're going to do is one of the places to the north, which actually looks on to it.

If you have a desire to stay in the suburbs of a small Thai provincial town then great -- go for it -- though unless you like long walks home fighting off suburban dog packs or hiring motorbikes just to go and drink a beer, maybe think twice! Some pretty good possibilities are in the villages surrounding the town, but then again, if you wanted to be in a small village, why didn't you just stay in Soppong? Mae Hong Son is a lovely spot, but do keep in mind that Western tourism seems to have peaked here around 10 years ago. Most new trade is Thai and no one's bothered too much to build anything new targetting foreigners or to even maintain what were decent guesthouses back in the day.

  • The Residence

    The Residence

    Odd location for a decent hotel

    41/4 Nivespisarn Road, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 614 100; F: (053) 614 177

    Located down the street past the market, just before the entrance to Mae Hong Son's airport, this is an odd spot for what is a very nice hotel. It's not the most scenic part of town but very few ... View details

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    4 stars 600B to 1,500B 1 vote Flashpacker
  • Jongkham Place

    Jongkham Place

    Wooden chalets near the lake

    4/2 Odon Chaonithat Road
    T: (053) 614 294;

    A welcome fresh entry into the Mae Hong Son accommodation scene, Jongkham Place may only have a handful of chalets but they are quite lovely wooden ones set in a pleasant garden near (but not by) the ... View details

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    4 stars Under 600B 1 vote Backpacker
  • Ngamta Hotel

    Ngamta Hotel

    Central and spotless

    5-9 Khunlumpapas Rd
    T: (053) 612 794;

    Located at the junction of Khunlumpapas Road, (a road rumoured never to have had its name spelt the same way twice and so henceforth referred to as the high street) and Udom Chaonithet Road, ... View details

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    4 stars 600B to 1,500B 1 vote Flashpacker
  • Piya Guest House

    Piya Guest House

    Great location

    1/1 Khunlumphrapat Soi 3, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 611 260; F: (053) 612 308

    Piya Guest House is set in a top spot across the road from Mae Hong Son's lake right in the centre of town. It has very clean, heavily furnished rooms -- many have TVs and all come with air-con. The ... View details

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    4 stars Under 600B 5 votes Backpacker
  • Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son Hotel

    Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son Hotel

    Big hotel style

    149 Moo 8, Tambon Pang Moo
    T: (053) 684 444; F: (053) 684 440

    A large chain hotel, Imperial Tara has all the accoutrements of the genre: pool, fitness room, sauna, restaurants, conference rooms, gardens backing on to the river and courteous staff. The modern, ... View details

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    4 stars 1,500B to 4,000B 1 vote Midrange
  • Baiyoke Chalet

    Baiyoke Chalet

    Good central mid-range option

    90 Khunlamprapas Rd
    T: (053) 613 132-9; F: (053) 611 533

    Not to be confused with Baiyoke Tower, which is much bigger and located in Bangkok, Baiyoke Chalet has a very central location on the main street, just down from the 7-Eleven and diagonally opposite ... View details

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    4 stars 1,500B to 4,000B 1 vote Midrange
  • Princes Guesthouse

    Princes Guesthouse

    Great view of the temple

    38/1 Udomchanitech Rd, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 611 136;

    The wooden rooms at Prince's Guesthouse are large and bare and those in the rear concrete building are not so big. Most share bathrooms, which have hot showers and a choice of western or squat ... View details

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    3.5 stars Under 600B 3 votes Backpacker
  • Jongkham Guest House

    Jongkham Guest House

    Good budget choice

    7 Odon Chaonithat Road
    T: (053) 613 855;

    One of the few spots with an unobstructed view of the lake itself (though direct access is a two-minute walk away), Jongkham Guesthouse has a row of rather basic chalets set in a garden and a large ... View details

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    3.5 stars Under 600B 1 vote Backpacker
  • Mae Hong Son Mountain Inn and Resort

    Mae Hong Son Mountain Inn and Resort

    Very nice but expensive

    112/2 Khunlamprapas Rd, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 611 803; F: (053) 612 284

    Slightly out of town on the main highway leading south to Mae Sariang, Mountain Inn and Resort is large and well laid out, boasting a cafe, restaurant area, a spacious reception with plentiful staff ... View details

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    3.5 stars 1,500B to 4,000B 1 vote Midrange
  • Panorama Hotel

    Panorama Hotel

    Comfortable and clean

    51 Khunlumprapas Rd, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 611 757-62; F: (053) 611 790

    Still central enough and close to the market, Panorama is not a bad option with a cross section of rooms to meet various budgets. The old Panorama Hostel over the road has been demolished and a new ... View details

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    3 stars Under 600B 1 vote Backpacker
  • Friend House

    Friend House

    Cleanish with a great location

    20 Phaditchongkam Rd, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 620 119;

    Friend House has a variety of relatively clean rooms in a large teak and cement building. There is a small restaurant out back which has no ambiance whatsoever, but serves a few breakfast dishes. The ... View details

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    3 stars Under 600B 3 votes Backpacker
  • Palm House

    Palm House

    Uninspiring setting but pretty good rooms

    22/1 Chamnansahait Rd, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 614 022;

    Palm House is one of your best options out of a fairly poor selection in the lake area. Set back one block from lakeside on a quiet residential street, its appearance is uninspiring -- a concrete ... View details

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    3 stars Under 600B 1 vote Backpacker

Outskirts of town

As with Pai, accommodation spreads out from the town centre to include many of the Shan villages situated in the valley to the north and south of Mae Hong Son. (East and west is mountainous and contains only really hill tribe villages). Some of these resorts are very nice if you're prepared to spend a few baht but decent budget options in these villages are hard to find. The villages to the immediate south of Mae Hong Son town are strung out along the main roads but to the north of town there is a more extensive network of back country roads and there are some cute out of the way Shan villages to be found.

  • Fern Resort

    Fern Resort

    Delightful

    64 Moo 10, Pha Bong, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 686 110; F: (053) 686 111

    This delightful spot is well out of the way but certainly worth the effort of getting to. It has great rooms, a nice restaurant and bar, campfire area and swimming pool as well as lots of local ... View details

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    4.5 stars 1,500B to 4,000B 4 votes Midrange
  • Ban Rim Pai

    Ban Rim Pai

    Good riverside chalets if you've got the money

    197 Ban Pha Tong Daeng
    T: (053) 684 188; F: (053) 612 775

    Just 4km out of Mae Hong Son, this tiny and new resort has some very classy riverside chalets on offer. Attractive wooden exteriors and very well-designed interiors with large balconies as well. In ... View details

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    4 stars 1,500B to 4,000B 1 vote Midrange
  • Tham Pla Forest Park Camping

    Tham Pla Forest Park Camping

    The fish cave

    On the road to Soppong, 17km from Mae Hong Son

    The best part of this place is that it's free! Unbelievably, in the country of the sneaky charge, we've unearthed a freebie. What's more shocking is that it's run by the National Parks commission, ... View details

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    4 stars Under 600B 1 vote Backpacker
  • Sang Tong Huts

    Sang Tong Huts

    Beautiful bamboo and wooden huts

    Moo 11 (off Makasanti Road), Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 620 680;

    Sang Tong boasts a large range of beautiful bamboo and wood huts and houses located a short trip outside Mae Hong Son. Muk, the Shan woman who runs the place, is friendly and a very capable cook. If ... View details

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    4 stars 600B to 1,500B 2 votes Flashpacker
  • Rim Nam Klang Doi Resort

    Rim Nam Klang Doi Resort

    Good river side location

    108 Ban Huai Deau, Pha Bong, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 684 142; F: (053) 613 232

    Set on the banks of the Pai River a few kms, (they claim 7), south of Mae Hong Son is this pleasant resort set in a sprawling garden. Of the two parallel roads leading south out of town take the ... View details

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    4 stars Under 600B 1 vote Backpacker
  • Pana Huts

    Pana Huts

    Charming wooden bungalows in a rural spot

    Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 614 331;

    The wooden bungalows at Pana occupy a quiet spot quite a way out of Mae Hong Son. The rooms are average size, with attractive design features like wooden slat windows looking out on narrow balconies, ... View details

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    4 stars Under 600B 3 votes Backpacker
  • No pic at the moment -- Sorry!

    Maehongson Resort

    Good riverside location

    24 Moo 3, Pha Bong, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 684 138; F: (053) 684 137

    Around 10km out of town you'll find the Maehongson Resort with an enjoyable river bank location. It proclaims to be Mae Hong Son's first ever 'resort', but don't worry since the accommodation is ... View details

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    3.5 stars 600B to 1,500B 1 vote Flashpacker
  • Mae Nam Guesthouse

    Mae Nam Guesthouse

    Isolated but gorgeous

    Toong Bang Moo village
    T: (053) 611 945;

    Mae Nam Cottage is located about 15 minutes out of Mae Hong Son on the edge of the Ping River. A gorgeous old teak building sits in the centre of large grounds which are bordered by the river, while ... View details

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    3.5 stars Under 600B 1 vote Backpacker
  • Mae Hong Son Guest House

    Mae Hong Son Guest House

    Mae Hong Son's first guesthouse

    295 Moo 11, Makasanti Rd, Mae Hong Son
    T: (053) 612 510;

    Originally located in a rented house near the airport, the Mae Hong Son Guest House has relocated to quiet, spacious grounds just outside of town. The three different room types are all very clean, ... View details

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    3.5 stars Under 600B 1 vote Backpacker
  • Lintfah Camping

    Lintfah Camping

    Also has decent bungalows.

    134 Moo 3 Namakpin Tambon Pangmoo
    T: (053) 612 811;

    Just before the entrance to the village on the right hand side if you're coming from Mae Hong Son town is Lin Fah Camping. Set on a wooded hillside this 'camp site' also has its own rather good ... View details

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    3.5 stars Under 600B 1 vote Backpacker


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