Phuengluang Riverside Hotel — a riverside stay on the Chanthaburi River with a pool and kayaking
If you want a Chanthaburi stay with a genuine riverside feel, a pool to cool off in, and a friendly price tag, Phuengluang Riverside Hotel is a name road-trippers mention often · A 3-star riverside hotel on the Chanthaburi River in Ko Khwang, it has 32 rooms across 5 types — from garden-view and river-view rooms to Pool Access rooms and a suite with a riverside Jacuzzi · There's an outdoor pool, kayaks to paddle, a restaurant and free parking · Rooms start from around ฿1,100/night, good value for a riverside place with a pool.
Stays in Chanthaburi tend to split into two camps — city hotels that are easy to explore on foot but rarely have a pool, and beach resorts out near Chao Lao that mean a long drive · Phuengluang Riverside Hotel sits neatly in between — a riverside hotel in the Ko Khwang area, about 5–10 minutes' drive from the city and the Chanthaboon Riverside Community, but with a quiet riverside setting and its own pool, which is hard to find at this price.
The hotel has 32 rooms in 5 types, ranging from a Superior with garden views and a Deluxe River View to Pool Access rooms you can step straight into the pool from, a river-view suite, and a suite with a riverside Jacuzzi · Most reviews praise the rooms as clean, decently sized, and with prettier river views than expected, especially the ones facing the Chanthaburi River · The Pool Access and Jacuzzi suites are the rooms guests photograph most, for the mix of privacy and water views.
"Clean room, gorgeous river view, you can kayak in the morning, lovely staff and a nice pool — great value for this price."
The real draw here is the riverfront and the water activities · There's an outdoor pool with seating beside it, and — a favorite in reviews — kayaks to paddle on the Chanthaburi River in the cooler morning or evening hours · There's also a fitness room, a restaurant, a café and a bar on site · Breakfast is a buffet served roughly 7:00–10:30 AM with a mix of local and international dishes, generally well reviewed for taste, though some guests note the selection isn't as wide as at bigger hotels.
Phuengluang sits in the Ko Khwang area on the Chanthaburi River · There's free, ample parking, ideal for anyone driving down from Bangkok (around 3.5 hours) · From the hotel it's about 5–10 minutes' drive into town to walk the Chanthaboon Riverside Community, visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and shop for gems · The immediate surroundings are fairly quiet, with few places within walking distance — the trade-off for the calm and the river views you won't get from a city hotel.
On scores, Phuengluang Riverside rates well to very well · Averaged across real guest reviews it lands around 8.8 out of 10, with Agoda in the 9 range from over a thousand reviewers and Trip.com around 8.8 · Recurring praise covers clean rooms, the river views, good service, the pool and the kayaking · The complaints that come up include occasionally getting a room that doesn't match the booking, minor bathroom/sink issues in some rooms, and a location that requires a drive into town rather than walking.
To be honest, Phuengluang Riverside isn't a luxury beach resort, nor a city boutique you can walk out of and explore · Its appeal is being a riverside hotel with a pool and water activities at an affordable price, with an easy drive into town · If your trip wants a quiet riverside base with a pool to swim in, kayaks to paddle and a car to explore Chanthaburi, it fits well · But if you want to walk to the Chanthaboon Riverside Community from your room, look at a city stay in the Chanthanimit area instead.
A tip from following the reviews here closely: ask for a river-view or Pool Access room when you book, since the garden-view rooms don't see the river and the water is the whole point · Get up early at least once to kayak when the river is still — it's when the river is at its best · And if you visit during Chanthaburi's fruit season (roughly May–June) or a long weekend, book ahead, as the good riverside and Jacuzzi rooms fill quickly.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Clean rooms with prettier river views than expected
- ✓ Outdoor pool plus kayaks to paddle
- ✓ Friendly, helpful staff
- ✓ Free, ample parking for self-drivers
- ! Occasionally the assigned room doesn't match the booking
- ! Location requires a drive into town; little within walking distance
- ! Breakfast selection narrower than at bigger hotels
- ✓ Quiet, relaxing riverside atmosphere
- ✓ Photogenic Pool Access rooms and riverside Jacuzzi suite
- ✓ Pool and water activities are good value
- ✓ Strong value for a riverside hotel with a pool
- ! Garden-view rooms don't see the river
- ! Minor sink/bathroom issues in some rooms
- ! Quiet surroundings with few shops within walking distance
- 💡If you're here mainly for the riverside feel — garden-view rooms don't see the river → ask for a River View or Pool Access room when booking, and kayak in the morning for the full effect.
- 💡If you want to walk to the Chanthaboon Riverside Community from your room — this is in Ko Khwang, a 5–10 minute drive into town → if you want to explore on foot, choose a stay in Chanthanimit or the city center instead.
- 💡If you book a specific room like the Jacuzzi or Pool Access — some reviews mention being given a different room → confirm the room type with the hotel before arrival and keep a screenshot of your booking.