24 Poshtel Salaya — a cheap hostel within walking distance of Mahidol (read the pros and cons first)
If you're after a cheap place to stay in Salaya — to visit your child at Mahidol University, come for a graduation, or stay a night before errands around Phutthamonthon — 24 Poshtel Salaya comes up often because it's only about 300 m from the Mahidol gate. It's a small 13-room hostel that opened in 2020, with several room types from a single with shared bathroom to a Japanese-style room with a private bathroom. The selling points are location and price, with rooms from about ฿450/night. But the real-review score is 7.5 from 17 reviews on Trip.com, with a fair number of complaints about room condition and upkeep — so we've written this review straight, to help you weigh it up before booking.
24 Poshtel Salaya is a small hostel on Salaya-Nakhon Chai Si Road in the Salaya area of Phutthamonthon district, Nakhon Pathom. The reason people pick it is clear: location — it's only about 300 m from the gate of Mahidol University (Salaya campus), an easy walk. It opened in 2020 and has 13 rooms in total, so most guests are parents visiting their children, people here for a graduation, students looking for a temporary place to stay, and anyone with errands around Phutthamonthon who wants a bed nearby at a low price.
There are several room types to suit your budget — from a single with shared bathroom and a double with shared bathroom, up to a twin and a Japanese-style room with a private bathroom, which is the nicest-decorated and most talked-about in reviews. Rooms have air conditioning, a TV and 24-hour hot water. Fans say it's cheap, well located within walking distance of Mahidol, and surrounded by places to eat, with some rooms looking modern and cute. But to be honest, this is a budget hostel: rooms aren't large, and the standard varies from room to room.
"Cheap, easy to get to, close to Mahidol with lots of food places around — good for visiting your kids or a one-night stop."
We have to cover the downsides in full, because the real reviews carry a fair share of complaints. The most common are that the mattresses are fairly hard, the soundproofing is poor, and some rooms have a damp smell, especially on rainy days. Some reviews mention broken furniture, mosquitoes in certain rooms, and an unimpressive checkout experience. There's a very low-scoring TripAdvisor review listing several problems at once — we're not leaving it out, because we want you to see both sides honestly. The picture overall is that this is a you-get-what-you-pay-for stay: if you expect a spotless, hotel-grade room you may be let down, but if you're fine with budget-hostel standards, it's a place you can sleep.
The facilities are hostel-style, sticking to essentials. There's free parking, Wi-Fi in the common areas, luggage storage, a laundry service, and a fridge and hot water in the room. There's no pool, no gym, no large restaurant, and no breakfast. Some reviews note the parking is fairly tight — awkward for motorbikes at times — and that the elevator is noisy. But because it's right in the heart of Salaya, there are rice shops, cafes, convenience stores and a food market all within walking distance, so eating is no problem.
Location is the genuine strength here. It's about a 300 m walk to Mahidol University, Salaya, near Phutthamonthon, the Film Archive and Salaya market. Salaya train station is about 1.5 km away, with trains into Bangkok's Bangkok Noi / Taling Chan side. Self-drivers are close to the Borommaratchachonnani and Phetkasem roads. For anyone here on Mahidol business directly, this location genuinely saves both time and transport costs. The overall real-review score sits at 7.5 from 17 reviews on Trip.com, with location the highest category at around 8.0.
To be straight with you, 24 Poshtel Salaya suits people who value price and location over a flawless room. If you just need somewhere cheap to crash near Mahidol for a night or two, on a tight budget, and you're fine with a small room, a hard mattress and hostel standards — it does the job on price and location. But if you want a clean, quiet room and reliable service like a chain hotel, we'd point you to The Palm Hotel Salaya in the same area (a 3-star hotel), or Hop Inn / Xen Hotel in central Nakhon Pathom instead.
A tip from following the reviews here: go for the Japanese-style room with a private bathroom, as it reviews better than the shared-bathroom rooms and is nicer to look at. Read the check-in policy carefully before booking, as some reviews complain about an early check-in fee (around 100 baht per hour). And if you're a group or visiting for several days, compare the monthly/daily rates against The Palm Hotel Salaya too — in some periods the gap is small but the standard is higher.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Cheap and within walking distance of Mahidol University
- ✓ Lots of food and convenience stores nearby
- ✓ Cute Japanese-style room with a private bathroom
- ✓ Free parking and luggage storage
- ! Mattresses are fairly hard, soundproofing is poor
- ! Some rooms have a damp smell, especially on rainy days
- ! Standards vary by room; some have broken furniture
- ✓ Best location in the area, walking distance to Mahidol
- ✓ Very low starting price, good for students and parents
- ✓ Several room types to suit your budget
- ✓ Free Wi-Fi and free parking
- ! Small rooms, few facilities in keeping with a hostel
- ! Reviews mention mosquitoes and a noisy elevator
- ! Service can be inconsistent; an early check-in fee applies
- 💡If you want a clean, quiet room with reliable, chain-hotel service — this is a budget hostel where standards vary by room → look at The Palm Hotel Salaya in the same area, or Hop Inn / Xen Hotel in central Nakhon Pathom instead.
- 💡If you're a light sleeper sensitive to noise and damp — reviews complain of hard mattresses, poor soundproofing and a damp smell on rainy days → choose the Japanese-style private-bathroom room (it reviews better) and bring earplugs.
- 💡If you plan to check in before 15:00 — reviews complain about an early check-in fee of around 100 baht per hour → read the policy carefully and confirm by chat before booking.