Bungchawak Resort — Stilted Tree Houses on Bueng Chawak Where You Open the Door to Open Water
If you're hunting for a stay around Bueng Chawak and want something other than a plain box of a hotel room, Bungchawak Resort is usually the first name that comes up. What guests mention again and again is the stilted tree-house cabins over the lake — gabled roofs, a wooden staircase up to the room, and a private balcony where you open the door to a wide sheet of water. Pair that with a spot that's only a few minutes from Bueng Chawak Aquarium and its fish tunnel, and you have a small 25-room resort starting in the low hundreds of baht that hands you a view many pricier places still can't.
Bungchawak Resort is a small lakeside resort on Bueng Chawak in Tambon Doem Bang, Doem Bang Nang Buat District. The 25 rooms split into two main types: single stilted tree-house cabins lined up along the water, and single-storey garden rooms set further back. Each tree house climbs a wooden staircase to the upper room, with a private balcony facing the lake — and that detail is the single thing guests bring up most, because opening the curtains in the morning means a full frame of water and sky.
Every room is air-conditioned with a refrigerator, satellite TV, an en-suite bathroom with a hot-water shower, and a small balcony or terrace. The styling is simple — timber and warm tones, nothing luxurious, but clean and easy to maintain. Several past guests note that the lakeside tree houses are worth more than the garden rooms inside, since you get both the view and the privacy, even though the price difference is only a few hundred baht.
One guest describes sitting on the tree-house balcony in the evening, a cool breeze coming off the lake, the sun dropping behind the treeline on the far bank — and feeling that alone was worth the drive out.
There's an on-site restaurant open for lunch and dinner, with room service during limited hours. Breakfast is charged separately and served roughly 06:30–09:30 (some tree-house packages already include breakfast for two, so confirm at booking). The grounds are lawn running down to the water, with a sala for sitting out, and the standout extra is that bikes are free to borrow — easy for a loop around the lake or a ride over to the zoo.
Location is the resort's trump card. It sits right on Bueng Chawak, and a short drive or bike ride gets you to the Bueng Chawak Aquarium, home to one of Thailand's larger freshwater fish tunnels, alongside a zoo and a large aviary in the same complex — the main magnet that draws families to this part of Suphan Buri. The century-old Sam Chuk Market and Suphan Buri town are about 30–40 minutes away by car if you want to extend the trip to temples or an old riverside market.
The overall guest score lands around 7.6/10 — a solid result for a budget resort. The shared praise is the lake view and the quiet. The honest gripes from lower-rated reviews are that some cabins are showing their age, and that the service runs like a local resort rather than a hotel chain. Worth knowing in advance so expectations sit right — you come here for the view and the setting, not for five-star polish.
On price, rooms start around ฿700/night for a garden room inside, while the lakeside tree houses run about ฿1,200 on weekdays and rise to roughly ฿1,500 on Friday–Saturday and long holidays (many packages include breakfast for two). The tree houses sell out fast on holiday weekends because there are only a handful of them, so book at least 2–3 weeks ahead if you have your eye on a waterfront cabin.
The bottom line: Bungchawak Resort works best for families or couples visiting the Bueng Chawak zoo and aquarium who want to sleep close by in a lakeside setting — stilted tree houses over the water, free bikes, and genuine quiet, all at an easygoing price. If you want the full highlight, book a waterfront tree house outright; it's clearly worth more than a garden room inside.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Lakeside tree houses with a lovely view — door opens to water
- ✓ Very close to Bueng Chawak Aquarium and the fish tunnel
- ✓ Free bikes to borrow for lakeshore rides
- ✓ Budget-friendly from a few hundred baht for the setting
- ! Some cabins are showing their age
- ! Service is local-resort style, not a hotel chain
- ! Only a handful of tree houses — they fill on holidays
- ✓ Quiet lake view to wake up to — good for unwinding
- ✓ Right on Bueng Chawak, near the area's main attractions
- ✓ Wide lakeside lawn with a sala to sit out
- ✓ Handy base for families visiting the zoo overnight
- ! Bathrooms and some furnishings look older than expected
- ! Limited dining choice on site
- ! Tree-house rates climb on long holidays — book ahead
- 💡If you want the real highlight here — specify a single waterfront tree house when booking → the garden rooms inside are cheaper but don't carry the same lake view or privacy
- 💡If you expect hotel-chain standards — this is a small local resort with friendly, informal service and some cabins showing age → come for the view and the setting, not five-star polish
- 💡If the zoo is your main reason — borrow the resort bikes and ride over rather than driving → it saves both time and parking hassle on busy days