Phichit Plaza Hotel — The Tall Landmark Tower in Phichit Town, with Big Rooms and a Pool
Drive into Phichit town, look for the tallest building, and chances are you spot Phichit Plaza Hotel first. It is one of the town's older hotels, sitting on Sa Luang Road, and the tower is a landmark most locals know by sight. What guests bring up again and again is how large the rooms are for the price, plus the fact that it has both an outdoor pool and a big on-site car park — rare things in a small town where few hotels offer either. Be clear going in: the building is old and a lot of it shows its age, but for a clean, cheap bed in the centre of town, this is still the place Phichit locals think of.
Phichit Plaza is one of the older hotels in Phichit town. The building runs to around nine storeys, visible from a distance, and has been a local landmark for years. There are 90 rooms in total, most of them large with wood floors, a balcony, a refrigerator, a TV and air conditioning in every room. The point guests agree on most is that the rooms are bigger than you would expect at this price — some of the higher-floor rooms open onto a long view across Phichit's rooftops.
The appeal here is the things a small provincial hotel rarely has: an outdoor swimming pool and a large on-site car park. Anyone driving to Phichit, or breaking a longer trip north, will appreciate not having to hunt for parking. Downstairs there is a hotel restaurant and coffee shop, plus a long-running karaoke room. Breakfast is simple — several reviews note the spread is small but filling, and on some mornings there are eggs cooked to order.
The room was far bigger than I expected — opened the door and genuinely could not believe the size for the price. There was a balcony, a proper sitting area, and a view out over the Phichit rooftops from the higher floor I'd asked for. Parking was easy straight in front of the building, which matters when you've driven a long way and just want to stop. The staff were kind throughout, even when the language barrier meant a lot of pointing and smiling. Breakfast was simple but there were eggs cooked fresh if you asked — enough to set you up before heading out. Yes, the bathroom drained slowly, and the furniture is old. But it was clean, everything worked, and for a budget overnight in a small Thai town, this combination of room size, parking and price is genuinely rare.
Now the honest part before you book: the building is old and plenty of it shows wear. Reviews mention bathrooms that drain slowly, and walls and furniture that look dated. The pool is not always maintained consistently — sometimes the water is less than clear. WiFi varies by floor, strong in some rooms and weak in others. Staff speak limited English, so non-Thai guests may end up communicating with gestures. None of this is a dealbreaker, but it is worth knowing: this is a budget hotel, not a polished one.
The location sits inside Phichit town. It is roughly a 10-minute walk to the Phichit Provincial Museum and a short drive to Wat Tha Luang, one of the province's important temples. A few minutes by car takes you to Bueng Si Fai, the town's twin lake park with an aquarium and a statue of Chalawan, the mythical crocodile of local legend. Local restaurants and coffee shops are within walking distance, and the Phichit train station is a short ride away for anyone arriving by rail.
Rates start around ฿550/night for a standard room, rising to roughly ฿800–900 for the larger rooms or a suite — firmly in the town's budget bracket. The busiest period is the Phichit long-boat racing festival around September, when hotels in town fill up fast. If you are planning to visit then, book several weeks ahead. Outside the festival you can almost always find a room without booking far in advance.
The bottom line: Phichit Plaza works for drivers passing through or people in town on errands who want a large, decently clean room at a low price with guaranteed parking. Do not expect new or modern design — this is an older hotel that sells space and convenience. If you want something newer and your budget allows, look at The Nest or Orchid Place in the same town, though neither has a pool the way this one does.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Rooms very large for the price
- ✓ Big on-site car park, easy for drivers
- ✓ Staff kind and friendly
- ✓ Central location, walk to the museum and Wat Tha Luang
- ! Building and furniture dated with age
- ! Some bathrooms drain slowly
- ! WiFi strength varies by floor
- ✓ Cheap and good value for an overnight in town
- ✓ Has a pool, rare among Phichit town hotels
- ✓ Higher-floor rooms get an open town view
- ✓ On-site restaurant and coffee shop
- ! Pool not always consistently maintained
- ! Staff speak limited English
- ! No tea/coffee set in some room types
- 💡If you want the freshest-looking room — ask for a higher floor when booking · upper rooms get the town view and tend to be better kept → if dated fittings bother you, this hotel may not suit, because the building genuinely is old
- 💡If you are driving yourself — this is the big advantage: the on-site lot is large, so no hunting for street parking like at the smaller hotels in town → ideal if you are using Phichit as a rest stop on a longer trip north
- 💡If you visit during the boat-racing festival — the annual event around September fills town hotels fast, so book several weeks ahead → outside that season you can usually find a room without booking far in advance