Phuengluang Riverside Hotel — Open the Curtains to the River, Swim Beside the Bank
Most people picture Chanthaburi as the old riverside community and the big Catholic cathedral, but there are surprisingly few places where you actually wake up, open the curtains, and find the river right there. Phuengluang Riverside Hotel is the name that keeps coming up for travellers after exactly that. It opened in 2019 and was renovated in 2025, sitting in the Ko Khwang area with the building facing straight onto the Chanthaburi River. Two things come up again and again from guests: an outdoor pool that runs right along the riverbank and river-view rooms with private balconies — and a few suites that add an outdoor Jacuzzi over the water.
Phuengluang Riverside is a low-rise property that stretches along the Chanthaburi River in the Ko Khwang area. It has been open since 2019 and was given a full renovation in 2025 — repeat guests note the rooms look noticeably fresher now. The detail people praise most is the river-view rooms with private balconies: step out in the morning and you get the water and the gardens on the far bank straight away. Rooms are done in warm wood with cool blue-grey tones, with a flat-screen TV, a fridge, and clean tiled bathrooms. Some ground-floor room types open directly onto the pool, so you don't have to change and walk far to swim.
The real draw here is the outdoor pool that runs parallel to the riverbank — you swim with the river in view the whole time, with sun loungers along the edge and palms for shade. Next to it sits a separate shallow children's pool, so parents can sit and watch the kids easily, which is a big part of why families book this place. Some suite categories come with an outdoor Jacuzzi on a wooden deck right by the water — a soak in the late afternoon as the sun drops over the river. The hotel also keeps kayaks for paddling along the bank when the water is calm, for anyone who wants to get closer to the river itself.
"Woke up, opened the curtains, and there was the river — then swam in the pool right beside the bank. So quiet, just the water and the birds. Well worth the price."
You don't have to go far to eat, either. The on-site Tamrab Rimnam restaurant (Tamrab Rimnam By Phuengluang Riverside) lets you dine right by the river, serving Thai food, à la carte dishes, and a few Western options. A frequent order is the fresh Chanthaburi seafood, such as the garlic soft-shell crab. Breakfast is included with most room rates — cooked to order plate by plate rather than a large buffet — and guests say it's tasty enough and arrives without a long wait. The lobby, with its marble floor and a chandelier, looks smarter than you'd expect at this price, and the front-desk staff regularly earn praise in reviews for being friendly and genuinely helpful.
There's one thing to understand about the location: the hotel sits in the Ko Khwang area, a little out from Chanthaburi's old town. The King Rama IX Commemoration Park is about 700m away, walkable or an easy cycle. But the Chanthaboon Waterfront Community and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception — the largest cathedral in Thailand — are about 4km away, a 10-minute drive, and the National Maritime Museum is roughly 2.4km. The thing worth flagging is that there aren't many convenience stores or restaurants within easy walking distance of the hotel, so having your own car or calling a Grab makes life much easier.
The Trip.com score sits at 8.9/10 from 81 reviews, with cleanliness scoring highest at 9.1, followed by facilities and service. The honest feedback worth knowing: longtail-boat noise on the river at night and in the early morning — river-facing rooms hear it more clearly — and a couple of reviews mention hot water being slow to arrive late at night, plus dogs sometimes guarding the lane at the entrance. Not everyone runs into these, but it's better to know than to be caught out.
On price — rooms start around ฿1,200/night for a pool-access room in the normal season, which is genuinely good value for a riverside stay with a pool right by the water. River-view rooms and the Jacuzzi suites step up to ฿1,500–2,800 depending on the category. During the cool-season peak (November–February) and long weekends, Thai visitors fill Chanthaburi and the riverside rooms go fast, so book 2–3 weeks ahead and compare Agoda, Booking and Trip.com every time.
The bottom line: Phuengluang Riverside works best for travellers who genuinely want to sleep beside the Chanthaburi River without paying resort prices. It suits families who want a pool for the kids, couples after a suite with a riverside Jacuzzi, and anyone who likes a quiet, unhurried setting. If your priority is walking straight out to restaurants or sightseeing in the old town, this isn't the match — you'll need a car. But if you want to wake up to the river, swim in a quiet pool, then drive 10 minutes into the old town, it lands nicely for the budget.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Genuine riverside stay — river-view rooms with balconies
- ✓ Pool beside the bank plus a separate children's pool — good for families
- ✓ Renovated in 2025, rooms look clean and fresh
- ✓ Friendly, helpful front-desk staff
- ! Longtail-boat noise on the river at night / early morning
- ! Few shops within walking distance — you'll want a car
- ! Some reviews note hot water slow to arrive late at night
- ✓ Strong value for a riverside stay with a pool
- ✓ Suites with a riverside Jacuzzi earn frequent praise
- ✓ Tamrab Rimnam restaurant — dining right by the river
- ✓ Quiet, peaceful setting with kayaks to paddle
- ! In the Ko Khwang area — 10-minute drive from the old town
- ! Entrance is down a lane, sometimes with guard dogs
- ! Riverside rooms sell out fast in high season — book ahead
- 💡If you're a light sleeper — river-facing rooms have the best setting but catch longtail-boat noise in the early morning → if you're very noise-sensitive, ask for a garden-side room or pack earplugs
- 💡If you want to walk to restaurants — the Ko Khwang area around the hotel has few nearby shops or eateries → plan on having a car or being ready to call a Grab into town
- 💡If you're travelling with small children — there's a separate shallow children's pool beside the main one → request a ground-floor pool-access room so you don't have to carry kids up and down