LOVED Koh Chang!!! It's on Cambodia side of Thailand so not quite so 'commercialised'. You can get internal flight from Bangkok....or do like we did and catch a bus. We got the one direct from the airport which was brilliant as it takes you straight across on the ferry too. We were there for just over the two weeks...and went across to Koh Mak too.

Did Koh Samui, Koh Lanta, Phuket, Krabbi before the tsunami...son went back to Koh Samui again AFTER tsunami and told us not to go back as it would shatter all our memories of the place - we did these in 3 weeks.

Thai people are lovely...but just keep your wits about you like you would in this country!

The weather patterns in Thailand may affect which places you might visit. Nov - March the weather is better on the Andaman coast of Thailand - resort areas like Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak. In our summer months than you would expect better weather in the Gulf of Thailand so places like Ko Samui are popular.
The tsunami hit the Andaman coastline, but resorts in this area have on the whole recovered well. Ko Samui, being in the Gulf of Thailand. was unaffected.

Two weeks would be fine, three even better. Many visitors do multi centre holidays so say Bangkok and a beach resort, maybe a trip to Northern Thailand. Thailand is exotic yet accessible. There are a few s c a m s that you need to be aware of but on the whole is a pretty safe country for the average tourist.

oops yes sorry - it was Phi Phi that was affected by tsunami (we travelled 9 different modes transport from koh samui to phi phi and that was island son told us we'd be disappointed to return too.

Yes Phi-Phi was trashed, but like most areas has made a recovery. Phi Phi's biggest problem is its popularity which has been the case for years, ever before the tsunami. When I visited in the early nineties it was a tourist trap, keep meaning to go again but end up elsewhere. Pity really since its one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Yes it really is magnificient - we stayed right on the beach overlooking Phi Phi Ley - (where the film The Beach was filmed - which the locals called 'Homer' as from the beach it looked just like Homer Simpsom lying down!) and the tsunami came straight through that part

Obviously they had to rebuild fast after the tsunami - son said prices had rocketed for accommodation and what had been put up quick were made from breeze blocks - which had moisture running down the walls inside.

We've just been to Thailand for two weeks for our first time and absolutely loved it!!

We flew from UK to Bangkok, then flew from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai was gorgeous and, I think, our favorite place we visited. Its so cultured and the food and people are the best. Street food was so very cheap but so tasty.

We then flew from Chiang Mai to Phuket where we stayed at Nai Yang Beach Resort which is only 5 minutes from the airport but no aircraft noise and just a scattering of shops, bars and restaurants and a lovely beach. Its all you need

You will have a ball, we did

jennyt

We've just booked to go back to Phuket, staying in the same hotel as we stayed in 2 years ago - Seaview Patong. First time we have ever gone back to the same place on holiday (other than Las Vegas). We loved Phuket, and in particular, Patong. We love bustling nightlife and Bangla Road in Patong is fantastic!