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You can find a shitload of information of the internet. Also, spend a few $ on a good travel guide, e.g. lonely planet. If you only want to fuck go to Pattaya, otherwise do not go there. Typically, for beaches, islands etc. you obviously have to head south. Here are a few brief reviews of island/beaches I have been to:
- Koh Samui. The most famous island. There are no really quiet areas here, except if you are willing to spend the money on a very expensive resort. The main beaches are Chaweng, Lamai and some beaches in the north. Chaweng and Lamai have the nicest beaches, however these beaches are crowded and the corresponding "towns" are also quite busy. The prices will be quite high. All kinds of people, from backpackers to families. Pros (or cons, depending on your viewpoint) are that you can party and they have hookers. Resorts in the north are typically pricey as well, but have a better price/value ratio. My suggestion for Koh Samui is to go there for 3 days and stay at a really expensive resort and party, or don't go at all. 1 hour flight from Bagkok. Hotel tip: Boh Phut Resort and Spa (pricey).
- Koh Phangnan. North of Koh Samui, former backpacker paradise and host to the famous - full moon parties. Koh Phangnan has many cheap resorts, many nice and small beaches and stills gives you the opportunity to party. People tend to be younger than in Koh Samui. Koh Phangnan ist most interesting if you want to party and still get the feeling that you are on a remote island. Don't stay in main town (forgot the name), the nicest beaches (in my opinion) are on the east and north east cost. Fly to Samui then 1 hr. by boat.
- Koh PhiPhi: Never been here. Friends of mine thought it to be similar to Koh Phangnan in style. Lots of Swedish chicks apparently.
- Phuket: The most famous tourist destination besides Koh Samui: The beaches are nicer, however it is even more crowded. Probably somewhat better for partying and hookers than Koh Samui, but more pricey. If you stay here either party non-stop and stay in a shithole or stay in a very expensive resort and relax. Flights are about 1 hour from Bangkok, sometimes directly from Europe. Many families here, or people that are there for the hookers.
- Krabi: Krabi town and the surrounding beaches are not worth it in my opinion. However, I never actually stayed there. Close to Krabi, is a bay called Panang Bay or something like that, which is pretty nice and relaxing to stay at. I don't recall the place I stayed at, but they have some pretty cheap resorts there. You can fly to Krabi from Bangkok (1hr) and then take a taxi and then boat to get there (1hr).
- Koh Lanta: About 2hrs by car from Krabi airport. The island as such is not too nice in my opinion, however I stayed at the second to last (and the last public) beach of the island (lloking sourth) at a "resort" (a couple of huts) called Baan Pu Lae. This was one of the best times I every had in Thailand, the food was great, it was very relaxing and staff/owners of the place are very funny. This was just a few months ago.
- Koh Tao: 2 hrs north of Samui by boat. Great for diving and for relaxing. Going there without actually diving may be somewhat boring, because most people there dive, so you may be alone in the daytime ;) Resorts/huts are pretty cheap. Don't recall the place I stayed at.
My suggestion for Thailand trips (14-21 days) is to fly to Bangkok, stay in a good hotel there (5 star hotels are really cheap in Bangkok, staying anywhere else is dumb) and walk the city for 2 or 3 days. You will probably either love it or hate it, but it is worth the experience. Then fly to either Krabi or Samui and spend 7-16 days (depending on your budget) island hopping. Aim to visit at least 2 islands, not more than 3. Do not book this stuff through a US/Canadian travel agent, book it over local pages over the internet. In my opinion, on island such as Phangnan and Tao, 30$ is the maximum you should pay for a nice hut (you'll be outdoors all day anyway). Then go to Samui or Phuket for the final 3-5 days, stay in a really expensive resort and either relax or party.
As an example, my last trip was
Bangkok 3 days
Koh Lanta 7 days
Nakhon Si Thammarat 3 days (this was mainland, just for fun)
Koh Phangnan 5 days
Koh Samui 7 days
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