Hello, good colleagues and friends, and welcome to another blog of mine as I try my best to entice more and more of you to visit while living and teaching in Thailand, or maybe even move to the wonderful part of the country known as Isaan, and in particular to my adopted home of Buriram.
Here, I will discuss some practical tips for life in Buriram concerning accommodation and suitable places to stay in the city. I will list places that I myself or a close colleague have experienced, and I hope to give you a clearer idea of your options here. Having been resident here for almost 3 years now, I feel I have got a good handle on the city, so I hope this is of use to some of you out there in the BFITS community.
For teachers who plan to teach English in Thailand, choosing the right accommodation is one of the most important first steps. Buriram offers a wide range of options — from budget hotels to modern apartments and family-style homes — and all within easy reach of the city’s schools and entertainment areas.
Jaroensin Place: Budget-Friendly and Convenient
I want to start with accommodation and to fill you in on what I myself pay each month for my room. I stay in a hotel located directly across from the train station (literally a 30-second walk). My hotel is called Jaroensin Place, and although definitely not the most stylish, it is incredibly convenient.
As well as being so close to the train station, it is helpfully only 3 minutes to the school where I work, Buriram Pitthayakhom (BP) School. This was the central selling point for me, as I don’t drive here in Thailand. So, the rent. If you commit to a minimum of a 4-month stay, as I did when I moved in, the base monthly fee is 3,500 Thai Baht.
When you add electricity (approximately 1,000-1,500 Thai Baht monthly) and water (100 Thai Baht) to that, you’re looking at about 5,000 Thai Baht a month. I have rarely gone much higher than that, apart from the hot season when the air conditioning gets its most usage.
A 1-month deposit of 3,500 Thai Baht must also be paid when you move in here. For the sheer convenience of its proximity to the school where I work, I don’t feel I could have done much better.
It is also within walking distance of the entertainment area (clubs, etc.) and of many restaurants and bars, giving it an extra attraction. Walking Street, where the weekend market occurs, is also a 10-minute walk away. The WiFi is perfect, the shower is hot, and the fridge attached to each room is adequate for my needs (I stay alone).
The property contains 4 floors. Floors 3 and 4 are for long-term stays, such as mine, while floors 1 and 2 cater to short-term stays. One more point of note. There is an attached Cafe Amazon located directly beside the hotel, and you can access it without ever leaving the hotel itself. That’s awesome, as I often like to take my laptop down to do some work while I sip on a lychee iced tea and watch the world go by. A big plus point for all of you coffee heads.
The drawbacks? Although there is a clear positive to staying so close to the train station, there is also a clear negative. The trains run hourly each day and continue to run at night, though not as frequently. The windows in the hotel are not soundproof, so you WILL hear the trains as they pass and blow their horns regularly. I have been on video calls where the person I am speaking to asks, “What is that noise?” When I tell them I live near a train station, they usually laugh.
You do get used to it, as I have over time, but be aware that it may be a shock at first when you hear the train at 3 a.m. There is no laundry service provided, but there are shared washing machines (no dryer) available on the 4th floor. There is a small balcony for drying your clothes or just chilling out. One more point is that the bathroom is very poorly designed, at least in my room. I hope my attached photos will portray what I mean by this.
Overall, I am happy here, most likely due to its location with regard to where I teach, but in the interest of making this a more thorough examination of accommodation options in Buriram, let’s move on to some other premises.
The Grand Hotel: Modern Comfort in the City
Located just a 2-minute walk from Jaroensin Place, The Grand Hotel offers stylish, modern rooms with a sleek interior. I have visited here to check out the rooms and inquire about their monthly rents. They have 3 types of rooms, varying in size and price. The 3 monthly rents you can opt for are 8,000 Thai Baht, 9,000 Thai Baht, or 10,000 Thai Baht.
Electricity and water are fully included in this price, and they will clean your room once a week on a day of your choosing. There is a laundry service available in-house at a cost, determined by what you are washing and the amount you need to clean.
They require a deposit of 1 month’s rent when moving in, so it could cost you as much as 20,000 Thai Baht on your first night. I tried to haggle this down to half the monthly rent when I visited, but to no avail. Maybe you will have more luck?
The difference in the monthly rent boils down to the size of the room you choose, but having seen all 3, I can safely say that the most expensive (10,000 Thai Baht) is much bigger than the least costly at 8,000 Thai Baht and probably worth the extra 2,000 baht.
One downside is that the rooms don’t have fridges, which is a big blow personally, as I like my milk every day. If you were planning to stay long-term, I suppose you could always invest in one. This option might appeal to those who intend to teach in Thailand and prefer a more modern living space close to city amenities.
Thani Delight: A Popular Choice for Teachers and Expats
A location very popular with expats and, in particular, teachers in the city is the quaintly named Thani Delight. A number of my school colleagues stay here, and I can confidently say that the link I provided is an accurate representation of the rooms they offer. It is a new building complex, so the rooms are all clean and come kitted out with washing machines.
A shared dryer is also available, and it is a small complex with only about 20 rooms in total. It is located down an alley off a busy main street, but the area is quiet, which is very attractive to many people when looking for a place to rent. Again, you are within walking distance of many of the city’s established restaurants, bars, and convenience stores.
The rent here varies depending on the duration of the stay you sign up for. The longer you sign up to stay, the lower the monthly rent. Generally, the cost is 4,500-5,500 Thai Baht a month, with bills not included. I did inquire not so long ago, and to move in for 9 months would cost you about 11,000 Thai Baht upfront (deposit included). Not a bad option.
Thani Delight remains one of the top recommendations for teachers in Thailand based in Buriram — quiet, affordable, and convenient.
Renting a House: Shared Living and More Space
One final option I’d like to mention in this blog is the opportunity to rent a house. I have not done this myself, but a number of people I know very well have availed of this option in Buriram, Thailand. Three very good friends of mine rent a 3-bedroom house privately and pay 15,000 Thai Baht a month between them.
When bills are included, it generally comes to 5,750 Thai Baht a month each. Certainly not a bad deal if you are happy to share and looking for the extra space. There can be more privacy in a gated community if your house is within it, and I know this appeals to some people, as the constant stream of new faces when you stay at a hotel can be unnerving for some.
Personally, I enjoy living alone, and it would not appeal to me to share again, but we’re all different on that front. For groups of colleagues who come to teach English in Thailand, renting a house can often offer better value and more comfort than individual hotel stays.
Final Thoughts: Finding the Right Fit in Buriram
In this blog, I was keen to mention only places that I myself had set foot in, and while I have not lived long-term in all of them, some of my close friends here have, and I am confident in the prices I have quoted here.
Of course, there are numerous other places to stay here, all of varying quality. If you plan on coming, I hope wherever you pick is suitable for your needs. Of course, please contact me if you have any further questions.
For anyone preparing to teach in Thailand, Buriram offers a mix of affordability, accessibility, and comfort — with accommodation options that suit every lifestyle.
All the best,
Chris, BFITS Math Teacher
Buriram Pitthayakhom (BP) School
