Chiang Mai to the Beach
 

i just booked a volunteer trip to Chiang Mai and i figure if i travel all that way (from San Francisco, CA, USA) i should take a few days to visit the beach(es).

in my minimal research i am finding that flying is cheap and easy. i want to ask if people prefer the gulf or the sea. i will be traveling solo (32 year old female). i am very social but will be looking to relax without a big scene. i will have three to four days. should i hop around or stay put? should i book lodging ahead of time or can i wing it? as far as accommodations i will not need luxury but will want to be comfortable after roughing it in the forest for two weeks. if you can suggest any specific islands i would really appreciate it.

cheers!

oh and i'll be in thailand from august 2 - 20. thx!

go and stay in only one place.

you can fly direct from CM to Phuket on air asia... from there I prefer to stay at khao lak and the jw Marriott is my fav.

book all hotels in advance.

take taxi or hotel car from PHU to JW

While I prefer the Andaman Sea side, in August it will be rainy. The Gulf of Thailand will be drier, so Koh Samui or Hua Hin.

With three or four days, stay in one place so you have time to relax and enjoy it.

thanks for your replies. this is a big help!

The gulf coast will have the better weather at that time of year. Koh Samui is very much the party island these days but I am sure you will be able to find a quieter hotel somewhere. Koh Tao is an hour away from KS by boat and is quieter but mostly a diving and backpacker island.
Hua Hin has some great hotels but is mostly frequented by older holiday makers from Western Europe so may not have the demographic you might hope for. It is easier and cheaper to get there though as it doesn't involve flying.

Skip Hua Hin.
Just down the road is a laid back gem of a town called Prachuap Khiri Khan.
There you'll find The Wing 5 Thai Royal Air Force Base.
Inside the Base is the pristine Ao Maneo beach, which outsiders are welcome to use.
Had a week there in 2013.
It's a wonderful, but because it's slightly off the beaten track it has few western visitors.

Phuket an good options, the beautiful white sand beach, there may be additional Honor cruise Phang Nga or Phi Phi Island, The most beautiful beach in ThaiLand