Ban Thai Guest House has a mix of budget fan rooms and plush flashpacker-range digs in several detached wood and polished concrete buildings spread around a large and leafy property.

The first air-con room that we checked out came in a newish polished concrete villa-style building and went well beyond our expectations for the price. Looking more like a suite in a luxury boutique hotel than a room in a guesthouse for less than 1,000 baht, it’s equipped with silk furniture on polished hardwood floors, tasteful landscape paintings and widescreen TV on the wall of a living room fronted by a wood terrace. Double doors open onto a bedroom with a cushy single bed -- surprising it’s not a double or queen given the abundant overall space. The large bathroom boasts sea-green walls, partitioned shower and modern toilet.

Very comfortable rooms at Ban Thai. Photo: David Luekens

Across the lawn, a few of the older dark-wood houses come with small fan-cooled budget rooms on the ground floor with basic hot-water wet bathrooms and plenty of screened windows. Upstairs we checked out a double room with similar furnishings as the concrete villa rooms but less space, a more basic bathroom and double bed -- not quite as inspiring as the villa but also comfortable and with more of an old-style Thai design. These open onto large shared terraces with tables within reach of low-hanging branches.

The manager is a welcoming English-speaking Thai man who offers free WiFi and a book exchange in an open-sided common room. The property stretches at the end of a side lane and stays very quiet, within easy walking distance to Mai Thai, Mia Casa, Famous Ray’s and several other good restaurants. Across the lane is Ban Pruk Sa, a smaller guesthouse that also has decent budget rooms.