When we were looking for places to stay in Chiang Rai, The Connect Hostel kept popping up high in every search. There were many hotels and hostels in Chiang Rai to choose from. We selected Connect Hostel as our Chiang Rai accommodation.
We like staying at hostels with our kids especially when we can find good quality hostels for families. The pictures and the 9.1 ratings on booking.com told us that the Connect Hostel might just be a great place to stay in Chiang Rai.
We were able to get accommodation in Chiang Mai at the Connect Hostel for 4 in a private room with shower and toilet facilities. Private rooms with ensuite are important when travelling with kids. You don’t want them leaving the room in the middle of the night looking for a toilet without you knowing.
Discover More: Are you visiting Thailand during Songkran? Prep like a local with our awesome guide to celebrating Songkran in Thailand
Where is the Connect Hostel?
The hostel was located 900 meters from the Chiang Rai bus station in a handy location adjacent to the city centre. If you have luggage, a grab will cost you around 60 Baht to be delivered to the front door, but if you want to walk, it will take you about 20 minutes from the bus station.
The Connect Hostel Chiang Rai is 935/20 Phaholyothin Rd, ตำบล เวียง Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai 57000, Thailand
What rooms does the Connect Hostel have?
The Connect Hostel in Chiang Rai, Thailand, is in a contemporary building that may have been repurposed for the hostel. It offers 6-bed mixed dorm rooms, female-only rooms, and family-friendly rooms for 4.
What facilities does the Connect Hostel have?
The lobby had a small communal area with 2 couches and 4 small tables and chairs. The upstairs communal area kitchen was amazing.
The kitchen area
The kitchen had a communal fridge, 2 toasters, a toaster oven, and a microwave. Free tea and coffee were available. This area was bright and spacious, made of mostly glass. The hostel offered a breakfast of eggs, banana, and pineapple with bread, jam, and butter for 50 Baht. We had this a few mornings, and it was easy to do.
The laundry area
Out the back were laundry facilities with washing machines and clothes dryers. The washing machines and dryers cost 20 Baht each. This adjoined the communal toilet and shower area, which had male and female bathrooms. In the little stand at the counter, you could also find little sachets of liquid washing detergent for 10 Baht if you forgot to get some.
What essential services are near the Connect Hostel
The best thing about hostels is that they always have the basics you need.
A fridge and snack stand in the lobby sold beer, soft drinks, milk, noodle cups, crisps and more. Behind the desk was a coffee machine where you could get a hot barista-style coffee or the iced variety.
On the same street
On the same street as the Connect Hostel, you will find a few little shops that sell freshly cooked Thai food. There are also plenty of little convenience stores that are locally run, and you will find plenty in there for your supplies.
A bit of walking (under a kilometre)
Under a kilometre, you will find many convenience stores like 7-11, plenty of Western-style restaurants, the night market, a chemist, and some Chiang Rai tourist attractions.
Learn More: Visit the amazing Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai
Our favourite things at the Connect Hostel
What stands out above all other things about this hostel is the staff. The staff is amazing. From the minute you arrive, Tu, the owner, wants to help you with anything you need, from tours to taxis and suggestions for places to eat. Her service is complemented by Pete and Jasmin’s youthful enthusiasm and friendliness.
A perfect example was when we thought we had lost our room key in the first few hours at dinner. Bec walked back along our entire route to see if she could find it but she couldn’t.
We told Tu while she was gone, and when Bec returned hot and puffed, Tu was more worried about Bec than the key, so we provided her with some cold water and a cloth. It turns out the key was in the small plastic bag we had been carrying, which made us all laugh!
The Communal Area
A bookcase with magazines, books, and board games was available for everyone to use. An LCD TV with a Nintendo Switch was placed in front of the couch for the kids and the big kids to play on.
Celebrating Songkran at the Connect Hostel Chiang Rai
We happened to be in Chiang Rai for Songkran, the Thai New Year holiday. Tu organised a water container out the front of the hostel with buckets, an umbrella for shade and a hose so we could all join the celebrations. While Pete hid inside, avoiding the water, Jasmin was into it!
She was all buckets blazing, throwing water and engaging with us guests to take part. On the second day of Songkran, Jasmin led a posse of guests up to the main street where the Songkran activities in Chiang Rai were happening. Some of this was in her own time, up to 15 minutes before starting her second job.
Can you book other activities at this Chiang Rai hostel?
Through the hostel, you can book numerous tours around Chiang Rai and even a bus/boat combination into Laos and onto Luang Prabang.
The hostel has 4 bikes that you can use to explore the town or ride the 12 kilometres to the White Temple if that’s your thing. If it’s not, a Grab will cost you around 180 Baht, and the local White Temple bus costs around 20 Baht.
Hostels are a great place to meet other families in Thailand and travellers, you can easily make connections for future travel. The Connect Hostel was no exception. People from Germany, the USA, Singapore, Brazil, Spain and more were present.
We spent an amazing Songkran with some of these guys, and they were great with the kids, which can be hard sometimes.
I am unsure if the hostel travellers find our girls easier to connect with as they are also travelling. Since we left the Connect Hostel, we have since caught up with Anna and her mum and plan to stay in touch with the others we met there, too.
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Would we recommend the Connect Hostel Chiang Rai?
Overall our experience at the Connect hostel was 5 star. It certainly deserves its 9+ rating. For a family of 4, the price was around $50 Australian a night and well worth it. Connect is the only place to stay in Chiang Rai for affordable travel. We hope this inspires your family to stay at a hostel soon.
Things to do in Chiang Rai
While you stay at the Connect Hostel, you can visit many great Chiang Rai attractions. Chiang Rai is the biggest city in the north of Thailand. Make sure you grab a visa before arriving in Thailand. Thailand implemented an eVisa system in 2021. The eVisa comes in nine different types and is easily obtainable online.
- Blue Temple
- Clock Tower
- Hilltribe Museum
- Chiang Rai Night Bazaar
- The Golden Triangle
We hope this article from us here at Wyld Family Travel has you inspired to visit Chiang Rai and stay at this amazing hostel. For more incredible ideas on where to holiday in Thailand, click through to our Thailand Destination Page for more brilliant inspiration.
How to get to Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai is located in northern Thailand. It is accessible by plane, bus, and car from Thailand and surrounding countries.
Bangkok to Chiang Rai by bus and car is 10.5 hours
Chiang Mai To Chiang Rai by bus and car is 3 hours
Chiang Khong To Chiang Rai is 2 hours 15 minutes by bus and car.
Mae Fah Luang is the name of Chiang Rai International Airport. The airport is located about 8 km from the Chiang Rai city centre. The airport handles over 500,000 passengers, 3,900 flights and 2,700 tons of cargo annually.
An airport city loop bus will take you into Chiang Rai city.
The route passes King Mengrai Monument, the Night Bazaar, Chiang Rai Bus Station 1, CentralPlaza Chiang Rai, and terminates at Chiang Rai Bus Station 2. The service will run from 6:00 am to 11:20 pm and costs only 20 Baht for the entire line
Money in Thailand
The official National Currency in Thailand is the Thai Baht. The abbreviation for the Thai Baht is the TBH, and the symbol for the Baht is ฿. The Thai Baht comes in ฿20, ฿50, ฿100, ฿500, ฿1000 banknotes as well as ฿1, ฿2, ฿5, ฿10 coins There is also a ฿60, ฿70, ฿80, ฿500,000 and 25, 50 satang coins but they are rarely used. You will find it easy to withdraw Thai Baht from an ATM, and there are plenty of options within stores to pay with your card.
Do I need a visa to enter Thailand?
Yes, you do. If you are only staying in Thailand for under 30 days, you will get a visa upon arrival at the airport. If you want to stay 30-60 days, you will need to apply for a visa in your home country at the Thai embassy, or you will need to do a visa run. A visa run is when you leave Thailand by land or plane and then re-enter, thus renewing your visa for an extra 30 days.
Some more travel inspiration for your trip to Thailand
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Take care!!
Hi!
Thanks so much for leaving a comment. We really try our best to give the best information we can.
Have an excellent day.
Bec
Hello,
I stayed for 2 nights at Connect Hostel in October 2019. Very affordable, beautiful and clean place. The owners are exceptionally friendly and helpful. I bought a Mekong slow boat cruise through Connect Hostel. The information brochure had Nagi Cruise on it. The package included ground transportation, the cruise (on a decent boat), and 2 meals. So I bought it believing it would be safe. But when I got to the boat, it wasn’t Nagi Cruise. It was a passenger boat with over 120 passengers hopping on and off throughout the trip. It wasn’t a chartered cruise. No meals. I paid 1650 bahts for the so called cruise package. But all I got was a boat ticket (equivalent of 680 baths) plus ground transportation that should not exceed 350 bahts per person because 7 people bought the same package. So 7 people were sharing the ground transportation cost (traveling in the same minivan). The real value that we received was about 1050 bahts. Moreover, before taking us to the pier, they took us to someone’s house with a big yard. They told us this was the last chance to buy food. They tried to sell hotel in Pakbang and Loas sim card for cell phone. We wasted a lot of time there and didn’t get to the pier until 11:30. I don’t have a problem with Connect Hostel making a profit from this, but this was a SCAM. You can’t sell passenger boat tickets under the disguise of one of the most popular Mekong cruise operators.
Correction. Only 2 people bought the cruise package from Connect Hostel. 5 other people on the minivan (going to the pier) must have bought theirs from their hotels.