Korean Job Discussion Forums

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

Check out Au Nang beach in Krabbi. This is a nice central location.You can book day excusions from there. Phi Phi is a nice island but way too expensive. You can do it on a day tour.

From what you've written stay away from Pattaya. It may seem convinent but its a cesspool of decadence.

Crockpot2001 · Joined: 01 Jul 2007

Bloogoo · Joined: 19 Mar 2007

losing_touch · Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Location: Ulsan - I think!

http://wwww.hotelscombined.com/?a_aid=6489 is good for comparing many sites at once regarding hotels. It works kind of like Kayak does for flights. It shows the cheapest booking site. The cheapest places often don't take reservations. Simple bungalows can be had for as cheap as 200 baht or so.

Personally, I prefer the gulf islands. I really like Koh Phangan.

sojourner1 · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:34 am Post subject:

Yea, Koh Phangan is very under developed, except Hat Rin beach, but this island has many natural beaches and no big money fancy resorts to my knowledge. I doubt if you could spend $100 a night on a room there unlike on Koh Chang where new resorts are going in and the police are raiding bungalows to weed out backpackers. Koh Chang has Lonely Beach which is a lovely under developed White Sand beach with a large property in the middle of the crescent not developed yet as it's a coconut palm grove with a pond and growed up with many flowers and there's a for sale sign on this property. It's only a matter of time before Lonely beach is developed into expensive resorts. The only flaw is it has a small drainage ditch going from the pond to the ocean though it's still prime beach. Lonely beach at Siam Hut bungalows next to the vacant property is a great natural setting except the huts are ugly and blue plastic plumbing runs on the ground. It's all on a big white sand beach with a beach front shower surrounded by these big oil palms. The only catch is it's a real risk to be there if you know you can't pass a UA for marijuana use, because it's well known the police raid occasionally. They're trying to drive out the hippies and go upscale on this island since it's a lovely white sand island with an airport nearby. There's a good challenging zip line course too.

Resort development and commercialization is not happening yet on Koh Phangan nor is police cracking down on hippy stoner backpackers to my knowledge. If you want to relax on a white sand beach, snorkel, and not be in a sea of umbrellas and chairs with annoying vendors, you can find tranquility. Heck, you don't even have to pay a guy a sitting fee on many beaches there though there weren't vendors selling things like fresh coconuts to drink if you want that though you can bring beverages. Lots of budget travelers go to this island and it's mostly all cheap fan room bungalows. Don't be surprised if you're told you're getting an A/C room, but it's only fan. Fan is considered air conditioning by many Thais as the cheapest bungalows (120 baht $4) don't have a fan. Fan rooms are great from December to sometime in March. I was surprised it and other islands are serviced by a nice big catamaran (only $10 including very decent bus back to Bangkok from mainland) transporting people and supplies to the islands and back.

$200 to $300 a night? No way. Thailand is a not that limited and expensive like Hawaii or the Caribbean though you could stay in exclusive resorts for celebrities costing thousands per night. Try $10 a night! And unlike in the West, transportation is not a problem without having a car nor expensive or too limited. Thailand actually as much more transit infrastructure that makes sense to everyone than many places in the West such as ferries, affordable taxis, small motor bike rental, buses, trains, and cheap flights. In the Caribbean, there's no ferries in most places nor public transit. To island hop, you'd be lucky to get on a mail boat or pay to charter small airplanes. It's strictly package tourists paying big money, but not in Thailand. Thailand has to be the most practical and genuine tropical vacation destination there is.

You can catch BBQ parties at night with fire poi shows and techno music that won't cost $100 a head. They might be serving up fresh BBQ'd barracuda, baked potatoes, and big yellow sweet corn on the cob for a cool $8. You can stop by a small fruit market tent and get the best fresh golden sweet pineapples you ever had along with great yeller mangoes and purple bell shaped fruit. Bring a pocket knife along to sample the fruit. You can get big steaks of fresh sailfish at the market and arrange for your bungalow to cook it up or BBQ on a tiny grill. It's the best food I ever experienced. And there's a nice selection of drinks and the other thing too, should you wanna party.

yawarakaijin · Joined: 08 Aug 2006

Any suggestions for a place that has a little of everything? Ideally I would like to find a beach/resort with a little of everything.

I haven't been on vacation in a long time so I'm willing to spend a little money. Could go up to 50 or 60 dollars a night. A very good restraunt is a necessity. Something a little secluded with good swimming and a nice bar for the evening. I don't even want to go anywhere near Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket. That being said, admittingly, having some company during the evenings wouldn't be a disaster.

Am I looking for someplace that doesn't exist? Wink

real merry hijackers · Joined: 21 Oct 2008

9 day trip suggestion:
arrive bangkok, stay for a couple days, temples, shopping, go-gos, etc
go ko chang or ko samut foor 3-4 days. beaches, eats, day treks, etc
go back bangkok and head to ayuthaya, kanchaniburi, river market and/or some dinner and drinks relax time.
something like that.

Crockpot2001 · Joined: 01 Jul 2007

definitely maybe · Joined: 16 Feb 2008