Yes, you read it right – a night at a hostel. Well, in my own private room for THB 450.

The traffic in Bangkok is insane, resulting in a 3 hour Grab ride to DMK airport. As a result I miss my plane.

Realising this on the way, I quickly find cheap accommodation nearby the airport on booking.com and grab this bargain. I ask the Grab driver to take me here instead enroute.

Feeling irritated that I have missed my plane and bought a new ticket online for a 6am flight the next day, I am pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome I receive at check-in. The lovely lady tells me although I booked a budget single room, it is offline due to a maintenance issue, and she has given me my own 4-bed dorm all to myself instead. Very kind.

The room is extremely basic but has aircon and privacy. And free WiFi for my iPad. There are 2 communal showers and toilets on each of the 2 floors.

Sleeping is tricky as the walls are very thin and people coming and going keeps me up for a while but I am so tired and frustrated that I eventually fall asleep….and wake up refreshed at 3.45am the next morning.

After a quick shower, I take a pleasant early morning stroll to the airport.