debbfrog

Hello!

I am traveling to Thailand for about a week at the end of June - could you please recommend a great, not rainy beach? Also, if you have any recommendations on "affordable" but well-located beach resorts, I would definitely appreciate it.

Thanks!

rhkkmk

koh samui is very good at that time...i went last year without a drop of rain and clear skys everyday....

we stayed at peace resort and were very happy....thats on bophut beach

JamesA

You have a choice of beach resort areas, here is a rough guide to those in the Gulf area where weather should be fine:
South East Coast from bangkok:-
Pattaya under 2 hrs from Bangkok by road, busy, lively, nightlife, not much beacwise though
Jomtien beach just beyond Pattaya, not as busy, average beachwise
Koh Samet, small island further down, quiet except weekends when gets busy, not much to do
Koh Cahng, next island, gettibng busier, accommodation from low budget to luxury, fairly quiet but still things to.
South Coast from bangkok:-
Hua Hin/Cha Am area, lots of beaches, beaches not brilliant but lots of places right on the beach, good for restaurants, local markets, hostory, waterfalls, national parks and eco things, 2.5 hrs by road from Bangkok.
Koh Tao island: Off coast, mainly for diving, local restaurants, not much else, quiet but ideal for those really into diving
Koh Samui ( 1 hour by air ) busy lively island, lots of touristthings to do, lots of places right on the beach, shopping, nightlife

Tell us your budget, basic accommodation ranges from $10 upwards, air conditioned from about $15/20, 3 star from $30-50, so give us an idea of how you want to spend your time and your budget, whether nightlife/shopping/diving etc are important or not.

JamesA

For Koh Chahang read "Koh Chang"

JamesA

Just to add that you can also get to Samui using train/bus/boat via Surat Thani or by bus/catamaran via Koh Tao. If you fly to Samui the first and last flights are cheaper than flights dduring resort of the day.

debbfrog

Wow! Thanks for all the fast responses! I'm looking for a place to hang out on the beach - relax, drink and just hang out - no diving or anything like that. So, ideally, a beautiful beach with some resort-type structure (beach chairs, drink service). Something close to some degree of restaurants, nightlife, minimal shopping would be ideal. For resort, I'm looking to spend $30/night or so . . . is this doable?

Thanks again. . .

JamesA

It sounds like Koh Samui is what you are after, perhaps one of the not so busy beach areas such as Bophut but convenient enough for Chaweng which is the busy area and where many head for in the evenings, unless you want to be in the real busy area, thry Beachsiam.com and check on Koh Samui, lots of places for around $30 ( that is B 1,200 local Thai Baht )