Chillax Khaosok Hostel - SHA Certified

Clean good location

Bad smell in the communal areas

It's okay. Dorm fine, hadn't got curtains all the way around.

The hostel staff was very nice and helpfull. The overnight lake tour houses were also pretty and okay. Booking extra things like a night safari was very easy to do last minute. We would advise to book the night safari. Our guide Nicy was very lovely and spoke English very well.

- the price of the overnight lake tour was increased without a notification and they told us it was because of the higher gas prices. - there were mini ants everywhere in our room. Even in the croissant we ate in the morning. - also the overnight lake tour comes with 4 meals. But the lunch of day two was very small. It was one cup of rice with a few veggies and four little pieces of chicken. The waitress also asked us to buy a coffee because they gave the lunch ‘for free’ to us. Even though it was included in the price of the overnight lake tour price. We felt obligated to buy one and spend more money.

The hostel is comfortable for a night.

We had booked an airport transfer from Surat Thani to the hostel directly with them. On the day of arrival, despite searching all over the airport, the driver was nowhere to be found at the designated spot—even though they had our itinerary. I messaged them on Instagram (our main contact platform), and after waiting 30 minutes without a response, we decided to hire an independent private transport. It was late at night and our first time in Surat Thani, so we were genuinely worried about being left stranded. Once we were already on our way, the manager finally called me (40 minutes after my message) to threaten us: she stated that if we did not take the transport she had hired, she would not allow us to check in that night. Because of this ultimatum, we were forced to get out of our taxi at a gas station in the middle of the highway and wait for her driver. Consequently, we had to pay twice for part of the trip. Even though her driver picked us up at the gas station (just 1/3 of the total distance), they charged us the full price from the airport, refusing to take any responsibility for their lack of punctuality. The manager completely stopped replying as soon as she knew we were in her transport, fully aware that we no longer had options. To make matters worse, we had booked tours to Khao Sok with them three months in advance. They never notified us of any price increase until the exact day we arrived at the hostel. The most frustrating part about this place is that everything is done at the last minute to put you between a rock and a hard place. They change the conditions when you have zero alternatives, forcing you to accept their terms. We never even saw the manager in person, and they were never willing to admit their mistakes or provide decent customer service.