Genting Hotel — A Budget Tower in Central Sungai Kolok, a Short Walk from the Market and the Malaysia Border
Let's be straight up front: Genting Hotel — "Rong Raem Genting" to locals — is not a fancy place. It's an old high-rise in the middle of Sungai Kolok that has been around so long it's basically a town landmark; the red Genting Disco neon out front is visible across the whole district. What people actually book it for is the location — a few minutes on foot to the morning market, the southern-terminus train station, and the Malaysia border crossing. If you're a backpacker or crossing the border for the day and you just need a cheap base where everything is within reach, it does the job — just don't expect more than the price.
Genting Hotel is a roughly 9-storey tower at 250 Asia 18 Road. It's one of Sungai Kolok's older hotels, so the rooms are functional and straightforward — a large bed, tile floor, air-conditioning, a fridge, a flat-screen TV, and an en-suite bathroom with hot water. The timber headboard and a cut-out wave panel on the wall are a newer touch that lifts the room a bit beyond what the building's exterior suggests. Rooms are reasonably roomy for the rate, but some of the furniture and fittings show their age — worth knowing before you book.
What Genting is genuinely known for is the Genting Disco on the 2nd floor and karaoke rooms on the 3rd. It has been the town's nightlife spot for years, drawing both Thais and day-trippers crossing over from Malaysia. The upside is that if you're a night owl, you just head downstairs. The honest downside is that the music carries up into the guest rooms, especially on the lower floors and on Friday and Saturday nights. If you're a light sleeper or travelling with kids, that one matters a lot.
One returning guest summed it up: the room was clean enough and the hot water worked, the price was right, and they'd stay again — but only if they could get a high floor, because the disco downstairs gets loud.
Location is the real selling point. The hotel sits in the town centre, a short walk from the Sungai Kolok morning market, where the southern-Thai-meets-Malay breakfast spread is excellent and cheap — roti, khao yam, local tea. The walking street and local restaurants are close by too. Crucially, the Sungai Kolok train station, the southernmost terminus of Thailand's rail network, is nearby, so it's easy if you're catching a train up to Bangkok or onward. And for anyone shopping on the Malaysian side, the Rantau Panjang border crossing is about 1.3–1.5 km away — a few minutes by motorbike taxi.
The basics are all here for a budget hotel — free Wi-Fi (though several reviews note the signal can be patchy, so don't rely on it for heavy work), free parking, a 24-hour front desk, plus airport transfer and laundry on request. Downstairs there's a café and a Thai restaurant for an easy meal. The lobby, with its leather chairs and timber ceiling, has an old-school hotel feel but reads clean. Many staff handle Thai, Malay and enough English to get by — standard for a border town where guests arrive from several countries.
It's only fair to be clear: reviews here are mixed and the overall score isn't high. The most repeated complaints are cleanliness and the dated condition of the rooms — some bathrooms show grime around the edges, and the mattresses tend to be firm and thin — on top of the disco noise already mentioned. So if you're expecting a brand-new room or peace and quiet, this isn't it. But seen for what it is — a cheap room in a town where good options are limited — it's understandable why people still pick it.
The bottom line: Genting Hotel suits budget travellers who want a bed in central Sungai Kolok at around ฿850/night. The strength is a location within walking distance of the market, train station and Malaysia border; the weakness is age and noise. If you do stay, ask for a high floor to escape the music. If your budget can stretch a little and you want something newer and quieter, compare it against other budget hotels in town before you book.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Central location, walk to the morning market and restaurants
- ✓ Close to the train station and Malaysia border crossing
- ✓ Cheap — good for a tight budget
- ✓ Friendly staff who speak several languages
- ! Disco and karaoke noise reaches the lower-floor rooms
- ! Rooms and furniture are dated for the building's age
- ! Wi-Fi signal can be patchy
- ✓ Rooms are reasonably spacious with hot water and A/C
- ✓ Free parking and a 24-hour front desk
- ✓ Walk to the morning market and plenty of local food
- ✓ On-site nightlife in the building for those who want it
- ! Cleanliness is inconsistent room to room
- ! Mattresses tend to be firm and thin
- ! Friday and Saturday nights are especially loud
- 💡If you're a light sleeper or travelling with kids — request a high floor away from the 2nd-floor disco → lower floors, and Friday/Saturday nights, carry noticeable music
- 💡If you're particular about cleanliness or want a newer room — this is an older tower and condition varies room to room → set expectations, or compare other budget hotels in town first
- 💡If you're here for a border run or a train — this is where the hotel genuinely shines → walk to the station and market, the Rantau Panjang crossing is a few minutes by motorbike taxi, good value for a short trip