Baan Benjathip — A Quiet Garden House Within Walking Distance of Amphawa Floating Market, the Budget Stay Where the Owner Handles Everything
If you want to reach Amphawa floating market on foot in a few minutes, but come back to a quiet, private garden house rather than a shophouse with its wall against the market — Baan Benjathip is a name budget travellers keep finding in Amphawa. It's a small guesthouse in the Baan Hua Laem lane, shaded by trees, about a 200m walk from Amphawa floating market. What guests mention again and again is that the owner and team look after guests personally, there are free loaner bikes, and free coffee, tea and Ovaltine all day. Rooms are decorated in bright colours, with A/C, TV, fridge and hot water. From approx. ฿700/night, rising on holidays.
A lot of Amphawa accommodation is shophouses along the floating market, where you still hear the crowds and the boats late into the night. Baan Benjathip sits a little further back, in the quieter Baan Hua Laem lane — a small garden house with shady trees and a place to sit, set just off the bustle of the market. The name "Benjathip", together with the owner personally looking after guests, makes the overall feel closer to staying with a relative in Amphawa than checking into a hotel. Yet it's still close enough to walk out to Amphawa floating market in about 200 metres, with no driving around looking for parking.
The thing reviews mention most is the owner and team, who look after guests personally and attentively. Thai and international reviews say the same thing: the owner is friendly, recommends places to visit, arranges transport to the train station, and helps with the little things throughout the stay. Two other favourites are free loaner bicycles for riding around Amphawa and free coffee, tea and Ovaltine all day. There's a small mini-market on site with drinking water, snacks and instant noodles, plus motorbike rental at around ฿350 per bike for anyone who wants to ride further afield.
"Good place, relaxed atmosphere, en-suite bathroom, lovely owner, free coffee and bread in the morning, and you can walk to the floating market — overall I really liked it."
Rooms are decorated in bright, cheerful colours and are clean, with air-conditioning, a TV, fridge, hot-water heater, free Wi-Fi and drinking water — everything you need for a one- or two-night stay. The beds are comfortable, and several reviews say the rooms are roomier than expected for the price. The fittings are simple and in line with a guesthouse rate rather than design-led or big-resort-style. The one thing some guests note is that a few rooms have small windows that don't open, which can feel stuffy, so if that matters to you, ask for a room with a window that opens when you book.
On food, there's a light free breakfast — mainly bread and fruit — alongside coffee, tea and Ovaltine you can top up all day. It's enough to tide you over before heading out, not a big buffet, which suits anyone planning to eat their way through the market anyway. Amphawa floating market, within walking distance, is packed with grilled seafood, noodles, moo kratha, Thai sweets and canalside cafes, both in the lively evening and the quieter morning.
On location, Baan Benjathip is at 192/1 Baan Hua Laem, Amphawa Sub-district. It's about a 200m walk to Amphawa floating market, and close to King Rama II Memorial Park (Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram), a 4-6 minute walk. That makes it a strong pick for anyone who wants to do Amphawa without relying on a car. On reception, Baan Benjathip draws consistently good reviews, with average sentiment from real reviews around 8.4 out of 10 — the most-praised points being the attentive owner, the quiet privacy, and the walkable location. One thing worth knowing is that the entrance lane is fairly narrow, so larger cars find it a tight squeeze.
To be straight about it, Baan Benjathip is a budget garden guesthouse, not a full-service hotel — there's no swimming pool, no spa, the rooms are simple, and it's a small place run in a friendly, informal way rather than with a formal front desk. If you expect design-forward rooms or full riverside-resort facilities, this isn't it. But if what you want is a quiet, private stay on a budget, from around ฿700, within walking distance of the floating market, with an owner who looks after you, free bikes and free coffee all day — Baan Benjathip does that job well at a price you can actually feel good about.
A tip from reading the reviews here: rates shift with the season, from around ฿600 on weekdays up to about ฿1,200 on long holidays, so it's worth calling or messaging the page to check availability and price first — at a small place like this, app prices may not match booking direct. If you're a larger group or arriving in a big car, mention the narrow entrance lane and parking ahead of time. And if you want to give alms in the morning or ride a bike around a quiet, early Amphawa, just ask the team about routes and timings.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Attentive, helpful owner and team who sort out everything
- ✓ Walking distance to the floating market, yet quiet and private
- ✓ Free loaner bikes and free parking
- ✓ Free coffee/tea/Ovaltine all day; clean, brightly coloured rooms
- ! Light breakfast, mainly bread and fruit
- ! Some rooms have small windows that don't open, feeling stuffy
- ! Narrow entrance lane — a tight squeeze for big cars
- ✓ Quiet, private garden house, good for a restful stay
- ✓ Rooms have A/C, TV, fridge and hot water, and are clean
- ✓ Walkable to the floating market and King Rama II park
- ✓ Good value for a stay near Amphawa floating market
- ! Rooms are simple and functional rather than design-led
- ! No swimming pool or spa
- ! Small place — app prices may not match booking direct
- 💡If you want design-led rooms, a pool or a spa — Baan Benjathip is a budget garden guesthouse with simple rooms and limited facilities → if you need full facilities, consider a larger riverside resort instead.
- 💡If you're arriving in a big car or worry about stuffy rooms — the entrance is a narrow lane and a few rooms have small windows that don't open → mention your car and ask for a room with a window that opens when you book.
- 💡If you're concerned about pricing and availability — at a small place like this, rates shift with the season from around ฿600 to ฿1,200 and app prices may not match direct → call or message to confirm a room and rate before booking.