I remember taking the bus one time in Thailand, and a local asked me where I was from. When I told her, she replied “You American. You rich. Why you take the bus?” I replied “I’m rich because I take the bus.” A few weeks back I wrote a story about getting rich by saving. This past week I got a chance to experience that.

Staying like a pauper

I decided to go to Pattaya for the weekend with my friends Dave and Vora. It’s the closest beach town to Bangkok and can easily be done in a weekend. We stayed at the Nonze hostel. I figured Dave would enjoy it because of the British theme. There’s a red telephone booth, a Rolls Royce grill mounted to a minivan, and some kind of military tuktuk out front. It’s an odd collection, which I’m embarrassed to admit, I never asked about. It’s just that I’m always in a hurry to check in and get upstairs.

At $15/night, the Nonze is one of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed in. It’s clean and modern with separate lounge and sleeping areas on each floor. There’s also a slide to take you quickly from one level to the next. The building is wrapped in a glass wall providing views in every direction. This is particularly enjoyable because the hostel is located on the beach. I spend at least a couple hours a day just looking out the window watching the Andaman sea and the people walking along the boardwalk.

The beds are capsule style, which has become my standard. I’ve tired of the bunk beds that squeak and rock every time the person above you climbs into bed. Capsules are like built in cabinets. While you may be able to hear the person above you, there is no movement when they get in or out.

Nonze takes capsules to the next level. They have shelves and a closet at one end. There are separate lights for the closet and sleeping space and power strips for all plug types. There are hangers and a mirror in the closet, but the most unique feature I’ve ever experienced is the individual AC vent for each capsule, which means you can control the temperature of your cubicle.

To be honest, closing the vent only does so much to stop cold air from coming in, and there have been nights where I have to throw a jacket over myself to stay warm. All of the cubicles have a latch to lock from the inside while you’re sleeping. To secure your belongings, there are smaller lockers that open with your key card.

Like most hostels, the bathrooms are shared, and in the case of Nonze, the bathrooms are co-ed so you never have to wait for a toilet or shower. There are plenty for everyone. The doors are full length for privacy, whether you’re using a toilet stall or shower stall. In the middle is an island of sinks. Shaving across from someone putting on makeup takes some getting used to, but after a day or two it feels normal.

Each floor of the hostel has public areas for working or socializing. I remember people telling me about co-sharing spaces when they first came out, but I was surprised at how expensive they were, and often you have to be a member. Hostels have been providing co-sharing spaces as long as they’ve been around.

Of course, the best part is meeting fellow travelers, but there are usually spaces to work if you need to, and many hostels now cater to digital nomads. Nonze has desks, work benches, and lounge chairs. On the second floor, there’s a bar and cafe where you can eat, drink, work, and socialize.

Living like a king

The first part of this article is to demonstrate how hostels are much different than people perceive them, no thanks in large part to the horror movie series Hostel. The next part of the article is to share what you can do with the money you saved.

Vora and I were walking along the beach and looked up at a modern beachfront hotel that appeared to have a roof terrace on it. We were immediately intrigued and took the elevator to the 16th floor of the Hilton Pattaya. It is even more beautiful than we could have imagined.

There is a swimming pool on one end of the terrace and a lounge on the other. The lounge has giant chairs that are placed over water, giving it the feel of a zen garden. The way the chairs are designed, the only option is to recline with your feet pointing outwards. Naturally we had to test them out. We sat back comfortably enjoying our view through the glass partition to the sea.

A server came to ask us whether we wanted anything, and I replied “what are our options?”. It turned out we were just in time for afternoon tea, so we ordered tea service for two. It presented beautifully, like a double sided ladder filled with snacks, sweets, and profiteroles. Unfortunately, it was a little heavy on the sweets side, but we labored through all three layers, washing the excess sugar down with tea.

While we were enjoying our tea service I looked up prices to stay at the hotel. The cheapest rooms came in at just over $200, which by Western standards is extremely reasonable given the amazing property. Still, we remarked to each other that here we were enjoying the same view that the paying guests got for only the cost of our hostel and afternoon tea service. For us it doesn’t make sense to pay a premium for something you won’t experience when you’re asleep. It’s sufficient to be a king by day and a pauper by night.