If personally, I sleep mainly in guesthouses and small hotels (with a few rare exceptions, the exceptions having been mainly in the context of work... and for information, the photo below is mine but I did not have this chance to sleep there...), I therefore use mostly "classic" booking sites.
As I don't book everything either, I search directly on the spot as well. But today, however, there are many ways to find accommodation when travelling in general and also in Asia.
Here is an article grouping together these different ways of housing in Asia.
Booking sites for private individuals
Since Airbnb's arrival on the market, sites offering alternatives to professional housing have been on the rise. Among these sites, I could mention HouseTrip, a creation that comes straight from our neighbours Switzerland (but has since been bought by Tripadvisor...).
In the same vein, the other solution, which originally existed long before the Internet, is home exchange! Indeed, the idea seems obvious; you lend your home to a couple/family that in turn does the same. Result? It is a low-cost accommodation for a holiday in a new region.
The disadvantage of this system is that you have to make it profitable since they operate according to a subscription system, which is certainly not very high (about 12€ per month), moreover, Asia level since it is the subject, the offer is less abundant than for other types of bookings.
Speaking of subscriptions, even if it is not mandatory, it allows a better experience to use this site popular with young people and especially backpackers, I am of course talking about Couchsurfing, which literally could mean "moving from one sofa to another".
What is their credo? Connect travellers and local people in order to offer a temporary accommodation service based on free accommodation, cultural exchange and knowledge sharing at the place where you travel (although all these aspects are unique to each host and are not "obligations" at all)
Classic hotel booking sites
I don't hide the fact that I often use Agoda, of which I regularly insert links for you. It is a site that I appreciate and use regularly for years (well before affiliation comes into play, because that's also why you find many links to Agoda, note that if you book with them, it gives me a little help welcome!), I find the use of the site pleasant and their promotions sometimes offer really interesting rates.
I know that sometimes this is illusory and that it is then preferable to book directly via the hotel's website. But even so, I use this site or more rarely Booking.com in order to collect points and have a follow-up in the management of reservations.
You should also know that, just as there are now flight comparators (yes, you should have thought of that...), there is a site that allows you to compare hotel reservation sites such as Agoda, Expedia, Booking and many more: Hotels Combined.
Accommodation and work
Is there any last solution to sleep differently? WWoofing, an English-speaking term originally based on the acronym WWOF for "Working Weekends on Organic Farms". As it developed internationally, the term became WWOOF (makes the dog, sorry it was easy that one...), for "World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms".
To summarize, Woofing connects a farm, practising organic agriculture. You, as a visitor (WWOOFer), will be called upon to participate in daily tasks to learn organic farming techniques, know the alternatives, have more information and understand the organic movement in order to participate in its development, etc.
For its part, the host will provide you with accommodation and food, it is a principle of exchange based on trust, according to their site, the aim is to enrich themselves with human relationships, to discover and learn in an "ecological" atmosphere.
In short, today, thanks to the Internet, there are so many possibilities to sleep on the other side of the world, so all you have to do is take your plane ticket and get started!