Best Thailand Beach Hub
 

My wife and I are going on our first trip to Thailand in mid March. Our Itinerary is set and I just need to finish up the island section. We were thinking of using Phuket as our homebase where we can stay for four or five days and take day trips from there. Can anyone recommend the best area to stay on the beach that isn’t a total clubby frat party? We want to stay someplace on the beach with a pool that has places to walk to in terms night life and activities but not hustle-bustle. Any ideas? Is Bangtao or Kampala a fit?

Have a look at Nai Yang. It's very close to Phuket airport, but not on the flightpath.

Some excellent accommodation choices, a beautiful beach.....but without the crowds. Checkout Booking.com for accommodation. Night life is quite low-key, but enough to keep you going for a few nights.