Phusuay Namsai Resort — A Simple Stay in the Middle of Phu Khiao Town That Works as a Base for Northern Chaiyaphum
Let's be straight up front: Phusuay Namsai Resort is not a luxury property and never sets out to be. It's a small, budget resort in Phu Khiao town, roughly 80 km north of Chaiyaphum city. What guests actually mention is the three-storey, green-roofed building with a balcony on nearly every room and the shady garden with free parking right out front. If you're driving around the Phu Khiao area and want a clean bed close to the market without doubling back into Chaiyaphum city each night, this place covers it.
Start with the building. Phusuay Namsai is a three-storey, white-painted block with a green Thai-style roof and red-brick balcony trim, set behind a garden of palms and mature trees. It reads as an older upcountry resort that's been kept up — not brand new, but not run down either. Most rooms have a small projecting balcony, and some of the upper-floor rooms look over the trees toward the hills on the Phu Khiao side. Past guests say this is what makes it feel like an actual resort rather than a row of roadside rooms.
Rooms split broadly into a Standard with a large double bed, a Deluxe with two single beds, and a slightly larger Suite. Every room comes with air conditioning, a TV and a private bathroom, and some include a refrigerator and bottled water. The fit-out is plain — brown wooden beds, tiled floors, clean white linens. Don't expect designer touches or a minibar; this is a bedroom that does its job well, clean and quiet, at a price that's genuinely low compared with a bigger city.
Location is the main reason people pick this place. The resort sits on the Phu Khiao–Chumphae Road (Highway 201) in Phak Pang sub-district, right in the middle of Phu Khiao town. Phak Pang market, with its morning and evening food stalls, is a few minutes on foot, and the town's shops are close by. Wat Nakhonban and an older temple in the area are within about 600–900 metres. Drive a little out of town and you reach the Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary and Thung Kamang, the district's main nature draws. Chaiyaphum city and Tat Ton waterfall are about 80 km south — a bit over an hour by car.
As one guest put it, after a day around Phu Khiao you don't want to drive back into Chaiyaphum city every night — a clean room with a balcony to sit on and parking at the door is plenty for a one-night stop, and at this price it's hard to argue with.
On site there's the resort's own restaurant, which takes orders and will send food to the room, along with free Wi-Fi, free parking out front, and a front desk that's staffed through the day. What it does not have is a swimming pool, a gym or a spa — worth saying plainly so nobody arrives expecting them. This is a budget stay, not a leisure resort built around activities. If a pool is on your must-have list, look elsewhere in the province.
On the scores, straight up: Phusuay Namsai sits at roughly 6.0/10 on Trip.com and 3 stars on Tripadvisor, which is about right for a budget property — solid, not stellar. Guests are happy with the clean linens, the quiet at night and the price. The honest gripes are that the furniture and bathrooms show their age, hot water can be slow to arrive in some rooms, and there's little in the way of decor. If you'll trade simplicity for a low rate, it's good value; if you're expecting a fresh fit-out, it may not be the one.
The bottom line: Phusuay Namsai Resort suits drivers exploring the Phu Khiao area, or anyone passing along the Chaiyaphum–Chumphae route, who wants a clean bed near the market with easy parking for a few hundred baht. It's not for travellers chasing a pool or a polished resort feel. Treat it as an overnight base that does its job well in a small town with limited options — rather than a destination in itself — and you won't be let down.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Very cheap compared with stays in a bigger city
- ✓ Clean rooms, white linens, quiet at night
- ✓ Balcony to sit on and parking at the door
- ✓ Central Phu Khiao location, walk to Phak Pang market
- ! Furniture and bathrooms show the building's age
- ! No swimming pool or gym
- ! Hot water slow to arrive in some rooms
- ✓ Leafy garden setting — feels like a real resort, not a roadside block
- ✓ Friendly staff who help with what to see in town
- ✓ Good base for the Phu Khiao Sanctuary and Thung Kamang
- ✓ On-site restaurant with room delivery
- ! Very plain decor, sparse touches
- ! Chaiyaphum city and Tat Ton waterfall are about 80 km away
- ! Limited room types and facilities
- 💡If you want the freshest-looking room — ask the resort at booking which rooms were most recently refreshed → furniture and bathrooms in some rooms show the building's age, and condition varies room to room
- 💡If Chaiyaphum city or Tat Ton waterfall is your main target — this is in Phu Khiao district, about 80 km north (over an hour's drive) → if your sights are in Chaiyaphum city, a hotel there is more convenient; this place suits the Phu Khiao–Chumphae zone
- 💡If you need a pool or full facilities — there's no pool, gym or spa here → think of it as a clean, low-cost bed rather than a leisure resort with activities, and it'll match reality