Helo rone - guess you will get a few replies to your questions. 1st though have a good browse of all the current threads you can see - plenty of answres to what you want to know, but here goes anyway.
1. Season ends last wekend in April so get your skates on if your wanting to go.
2. Attractions of Goa ? - The people, the atmosphere, nice short trips away from the coastal belt, the beach shacks.
3. A quiet resort with plenty of restaurant choice has to be Candolim, the place isn't 'dead' but it's not as manic with crowds and traffic like Calangute up the road. Restaurants a plenty with most doing European if as you say no curries, also lots of fish restaurants to choose from.
4. Shops - depends what you are after,clothes/nik-naks/ornaments/carvings/jewllery - plenty to go in but very repetative in most resorts.
5. Markets - 2 night markets on Saturdays Ingo's and Mackies, both similar with music, food, and sellers stalls - Mackies is the smaller market and not as hectic, both worth a night out. Wednesday market at Anjuna, but with all the stalls you would see at the Saturday markets.
6. Malaria - yup you can get it, so common sense with tablets and the usual creams/sprays will see you okay.
7. Delhi belly - yet again common sense needed, not just in Goa but anywhere in the world. Eat where people reccomend, have a look at what you are eating (lots of chicken dishes - is it cooked ?) drink bottled water only, pool/shower/sea water don't swallow it.
Great place for a holiday give it a go - AND READ THIS FORUM FROM TOP TO BOTTOM
Spike.

I'll let someone else recommend a resort as I haven't been to Thailand so can't compare , but I have not had a bad stomach in Goa over 6 years and have eaten in some dubious places.
I have had, maybe about 10/12 bites over the six years and for the last 3 haven't bothered with anti malarials.
I get around the same number of Mossie bites in Turkey.
Normally we go to Candolim which seems to me to be a good mix between relax and party, generally in bed for midnight if that helps!

We have visited Thailand many times and the one thing that will stand out as different is the standards.

Thai tourist class hotels are by and large far superior than in Goa.Goa is much dirtier and seems to have far more poverty.

Not trying to put you off as we love Goa and with the fall in value of the pound against the baht Goa is a very nice alternative.

If you see a 3 star hotel in Goa assume 1 star at best.

The one thing that drags many members here back to Goa us included is the shacks.

There is no comparable experience in Thailand that I have seen.

Sitting on your sunbed getting waited on by the shack lads chilling, reading, people watching it is a big draw for many of us.Watching the sun go down sipping a beer its perfect.

Having been many times to both places I reccomend you give it a try.

Papa

Thanks for the replies. Some of the reviews of Candolim make it sound a bit too busy for us and a lot of visitors talk about having to get a taxi to a nice beach because the beach in Candolim "suffers badly from corrosion".

Is their a quieter option to Candolim and with a nicer beach?

Also I read that instead of charter flights it is possible to fly into Mumbia. How would you get from Mumbia to Goa and how long? When I look at this alternative it seems that there is a connection to fly from Mumbia to Goa, so where is the advantage?

thanks

The far end of Candolim beach suffers from erosion due to the frounding of a ship many years ago.The ship is still there.

There are still nice parts of beach in Candolim but the beaches in North Goa along what is known as the CCB stretch are not a patch on those you will have found in Thailand.

We always fly Charter because from Manchester it is the easiest option for us.This year Qatar started four flights a week into Goa and you could go from Manchester-Doha-Goa but the prices shot up before we could book.

Papa

Rone your best option for quieter than Candolim will be to head south, your only problem is a lack of restaurants, bars and shops that you like.

A quieter option is to stay at the Sinquerim end of Candolim, There are upmarket hotels such as the Taj, mid range hotels and also many lovely guest houses, self catering apartments etc. Plenty of restaurants and shops, a 10 minute walk finds you in central Candolim. Too busy for me these days but again a fantastic selection of restaurants and bars to choose from.
The beach at Sinquerim end has indeed suffered, however a 10/15 min stroll along the beach you will find a wide expanse of lovely sandy beach and beach shacks too numerous to mention.
I have only been to Hua Hin once and although the hotel was very nice, the place just wasn't for me.
Whatever you decide have a fantastic holiday