The Original Orange Hotel — Bright, Clean Rooms in Central Nakhon Si Thammarat from Under ฿600
If you want a place to sleep in central Nakhon Si Thammarat that is genuinely clean without costing much, the name locals tend to recommend first is The Original Orange Hotel. It is a 3-star property with 138 rooms — a bright orange-and-grey building you can spot from a distance on Pattanakan-Kukwang Road. What guests repeat most is the same short list: clean rooms, comfortable beds, friendly staff, plus a location that is a 5-minute drive to both CentralPlaza and Wat Phra Mahathat. And it has held the #1 spot of 40 hotels in town on Tripadvisor.
What keeps The Original Orange at the top of the local rankings is not luxury. It is cleanliness at a price you can actually justify. The five-storey building holds 138 rooms behind that unmistakable bright-orange facade, split into three types: Standard with a double bed, Superior with twin beds, and the larger Deluxe, which adds free in-room coffee. Every room comes with air conditioning, a 40-inch LED TV, a fridge, two free bottles of water, and key-card entry. The look is simple, white walls with orange accents, and the mattresses are firm but soft enough that several guests say they slept better than the price led them to expect.
Location is the property's strongest card. It sits in the city centre on Pattanakan-Kukwang Road, a 5-minute drive from CentralPlaza Nakhon Si Thammarat and roughly 5–10 minutes from Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan — the temple most visitors specifically come to pay respects at. Restaurants, convenience stores and a Lotus's supermarket are close by, so finding dinner on foot is easy. Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport is about 23–30 minutes away by car, and the railway station is around 5 km out.
"Cleaner than the price suggests, soft beds, very polite staff and easy parking — I stay here every time I'm in town."
On service, guests are consistent: the front-desk team is described again and again as warm and genuinely helpful. There is a 24-hour front desk, free private parking — which matters a lot if you are driving yourself — and an on-site massage service to unwind after a day out. Wi-Fi is free, and several reviews note it is fast enough to actually work on. The lobby is clean and white with those signature orange columns and a sofa area to wait in comfortably at check-in.
One thing to be clear about before booking — there is no breakfast restaurant inside the hotel itself. If you book a rate that includes breakfast, the hotel arranges it at the nearby Twin Lotus hotel instead. Some guests find this fine; others feel it does not match expectations, so set yours accordingly: this is a clean, budget place to sleep, not a full-service resort. There is also no swimming pool and no fitness room.
The honest criticisms in real reviews are few but worth knowing. Some mention bathroom doors that have worn down over time, and dog noise from outside the building on certain nights. The Standard and Superior rooms have no kettle or tea/coffee set in the room (only the Deluxe does), so if a morning coffee is non-negotiable, bring your own or book up to a Deluxe. These are small limitations rather than dealbreakers.
On price, a Standard room starts at about ฿596/night, Superior around ฿715, and Deluxe around ฿874. During the city's major events — especially the Hae Pha Khuen That procession and the Tenth Lunar Month Festival (Sart Duan Sip) — rooms fill fast and rates climb, so book ahead. A 9.2 score from 409 Trip.com reviews and the #1 ranking of 40 hotels on Tripadvisor confirm that locals and travellers genuinely recommend it.
The bottom line: The Original Orange works best for anyone coming to Nakhon Si Thammarat to visit the temple, handle business, or break a road trip, who wants a clean room at a light price in a central spot. Driving yourself makes it even better value thanks to the free parking. Choose the Deluxe if you want in-room coffee and a bit more space. But if you are after a resort stay with a pool and a breakfast buffet, this is not the answer.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Clean rooms, soft beds, excellent value
- ✓ Polite, helpful front-desk staff
- ✓ Free private parking — easy if you're driving
- ✓ Central location, 5-minute drive to CentralPlaza
- ! No breakfast restaurant on-site (served at a nearby hotel)
- ! Bathroom doors in some rooms show wear
- ! Dog noise from outside on some nights
- ✓ Bright orange building, easy to find, central location
- ✓ Free Wi-Fi that several guests say is genuinely fast
- ✓ On-site massage service to unwind
- ✓ 24-hour front desk, easy check-in
- ! No swimming pool or fitness room
- ! Standard/Superior rooms have no in-room coffee set
- ! Rooms sell out fast during the Hae Pha Khuen That festival — book ahead
- 💡If you need in-room coffee or tea — Standard and Superior rooms have no kettle or set, only the Deluxe does → book up to a Deluxe or bring a small travel kettle
- 💡If you want breakfast — the hotel has no on-site restaurant and arranges breakfast at the nearby Twin Lotus hotel → confirm the breakfast-package terms when booking, or eat at the many restaurants in town
- 💡If you want the quietest room — request a higher floor away from the street side → some nights carry dog noise from outside, and upper floors are less affected