Ranong Backpacker's Hostel — a small central hostel you can step straight out of onto the Walking Street
If you're in Ranong on a budget and want a bed that's central, right by the Walking Street, walkable to food and with bikes to rent, Ranong Backpacker's Hostel is a name backpackers bring up — a small hostel of around 6 rooms in the Ratpadsadu Building in the Khao Niwet area, run in a friendly, hands-on way. What travellers like is the in-town location, a minute's walk from the Ranong Walking Street and Sook Park, air-conditioned rooms with hot water, a low price, plus a shared kitchen and bike rental. What you accept in return is that it's an older, simple hostel, with no breakfast and adults only. Around 6 rooms from approx. THB 350/night · a budget stay where review numbers are still modest, but the location and price are the clear draw.
Ranong Backpacker's Hostel is a small backpacker hostel of around 6 rooms in the Ratpadsadu Building on Reungrat Road, in the Khao Niwet area of central Ranong. What makes it a pick for budget travellers is its in-town location and very low price — it's next to the Ranong Walking Street and Sook Park, less than a minute's walk away. It's an owner-run, hands-on place, a fit for anyone who just wants a clean, cheap bed in town rather than a hotel with full facilities. Most guests are backpackers using Ranong as a stopover — catching a boat to Koh Phayam, or crossing for a visa run to Kawthaung in Myanmar — who want a night or two at the lightest possible price.
The rooms here are simple but have the essentials for a night's sleep. The signboard out front spells it out: air-conditioned rooms, a water heater, free Wi-Fi, bike rental and an internet cafe. There's a shared kitchen to cook in, a 24-hour front desk, lockers, luggage storage, laundry, and a desk that helps arrange tours and boat tickets. It has the feel of an adults-only hostel, with a sitting area out front where travellers swap route notes. The trade-offs are no breakfast and a very small number of rooms, so book ahead in high season.
"Small place, friendly owner, great location — easy walk to the walking street and restaurants, and you can rent a bike to explore the town. Cheap and good value for backpackers."
The charm here is that it's a real in-town hostel. Step out the door and you're in central Ranong, with rice-soup joints, coffee shops, convenience stores and a market all within a walk. Bikes and motorbikes are available to rent if you'd rather ride out to Raksawarin Hot Spring and the sights around town yourself. The 24-hour front desk helps with boat tickets to Koh Phayam and visa-run information, the kind of thing foreign travellers ask about often. For anyone using Ranong as a gateway to the islands or onward to Myanmar, this central location makes getting around easy.
A few things are worth knowing before you book. First, it's a small, fairly old hostel — the building and rooms are simple, budget-stay basic, not a sleek new design hostel, so set expectations accordingly. Second, there are only around 6 rooms, so choice is limited and it can fill up fast. Third, there's no breakfast and it's an adults-only stay, so families with young children should look elsewhere. And because it's a small hostel in town, some nights bring noise from the street or fellow guests — pack earplugs just in case.
The location is its biggest strength. It's in the Khao Niwet area of central Ranong, next to the Ranong Walking Street and Sook Park, easily walkable to restaurants, coffee shops and convenience stores. Ranong pier (for Koh Phayam) is a few kilometres away — grab a ride or ask the hostel to help arrange one. Raksawarin Hot Spring is about 3-4 km away, reachable by a bike or motorbike rented from the hostel. Ranong Airport is about 25 km out. Ranong is one of Thailand's rainiest towns, so pack an umbrella and a backup indoor plan.
The honest bottom line: Ranong Backpacker's Hostel suits travellers who want the cheapest possible bed in a central location, by the Walking Street, with bikes to rent and a front desk that helps with boat tickets and visa runs. If you're a backpacker or solo traveller using Ranong as a stop on the way to Koh Phayam or Myanmar, it's strong value on a very light budget. But if you want a fresh, polished room with breakfast, a lift or a pool, or you're travelling as a family with young children, a small adults-only hostel like this won't be what you're after — look at the in-town hotels or the hot-spring side in this series instead.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Central location, next to the Walking Street and park
- ✓ Cheap, good for budget travellers
- ✓ Friendly, helpful owner and staff
- ✓ Bike rental, shared kitchen and a 24-hour front desk
- ! Small, older hostel with simple rooms
- ! No breakfast, adults only
- ! Very few rooms — book ahead in high season
- ✓ Central, walkable to the Walking Street and restaurants
- ✓ A/C rooms with hot water and free Wi-Fi
- ✓ Bikes to rent for exploring the town easily
- ✓ Near the pier, handy as a stop for Koh Phayam
- ! Older building and rooms, limited polish
- ! Some nights bring street or fellow-guest noise
- ! Review numbers still modest, based on a small group
- 💡If you want a fresh, polished room with breakfast, a lift or a pool — this is a small, older hostel of around 6 simple rooms with no breakfast → look at the higher-tier in-town hotels in this series if comfort is the priority.
- 💡If you're travelling as a family with young children — this is an adults-only stay with very few rooms → choose somewhere that takes families and has a range of room types instead.
- 💡If your goal is a cheap, central bed to catch a boat to Koh Phayam or cross to Myanmar — that's exactly where this place shines, by the Walking Street and near the pier → book ahead, as rooms are few, and pack earplugs for street noise.