Hi

Just got back from a fantastic 2 weeks in Rawai in Phuket. I've noticed the odd post or two on here questioning whether it's worth going in August due to it being the "wet" season. I would say it's a resounding Yes! We had really good weather on all but 3 or 4 days (it did rain all day once though). Also got a really good 4 star hotel , Navatara , for around £32 a night as it was low season. It's also, despite what some say, still really cheap there. We were eating out for £16/£18 for 2 with drinks in the evening and paying 6 or 7 for lunch. Think we spent around £400 for 2 for 2 weeks, where can you do that elsewhere these days?

Beaches

We got a bit of a shock when we went to Nai Harn beach and found it had been completely cleared of Sun beds, massage huts and bars by the Army as part of the juntas general "clean up" of Thailand's corruption. It's a truely beautiful beach and does look even more stunning without any sunbeds but I'm a bit ambivalent about the move as there is no shade after around 11am so a sun umbrella would have been nice. Also a lot of people who were earning a living by providing a service are now out of work. It hasn't really bitten yet but think it's going to cause problems when the main season starts in October. How do other's feel about this move?