I am travelling to Thailand next week and can't wait. Many Thanks to all on this forum for the really useful info! On your recommendations, I have booked a tour with Tong, Sgt Kai and a cookery lesson in A Lot of Thai. I just have a few fairly random questions really on some other things, before we go.

I am travelling to Samui first (6 days), then to Chiang Mai (5 days) and then Bangkok ( 3 days).

*I would really like to get a suit made and some shirts. Given that I only have 3 days in Bangkok, is this enough time or should I get these made in Samui? Our flight into BKK arrives in the evening of the 29th and we leave at midnight on the 31st August. We have a tour of BKK with Tong on the day of the 31st. Do I have enough time to get a suit made properly in a good tailors (e.g Cotton House)? If not, are there any recommended tailors in Samui?
* Can you recommend a spa in Chiang Mai (we are staying in Yaang Come Village)?
*I am worried that I might be a bit bored laying about in Samui for 6 whole days. Any side trips worth doing? Thinking about Ko Tao or the National Park?
Can you recommend a good spa in Samui?

Any other general tips would be useful too!

You may get rather bored with 6 days in Samui. It's an island with little to do except the beach. A side trip to Koh Tao is possible.

Getting shirts or a suit made in a mere three days is really pushing it. And I would NOT recommend getting it done in Samui. Is there any chance you could stay in Bangkok one day at the beginning of the trip? If not, I'd probably just forget the tailoring. (Cotton House is the most frequently recommended place for women's clothing, but they do not do men's clothing). The best predictor of whether you are happy with custom made clothing is that you have an adequate number of fittings. There have certainly been people who have been unhappy with clothese from even excellent tailors because either they didn't stay long enough to get fitted properly, they didn't give the tailor feeback about what they wanted changed or they hadn't thought ahead enough about exactly what they wanted made (not just the style but also the timy details).

In Chiang Mai, you might try Oasis Spa (make sure to pick up a coupon at the airport) or Legends Spa.

Have a wonderful time with Tong. Tell her "Hi" from Andy and Beth. We will see her in November. I agree that your time is too short in BKK to get a suit made. Plus the fittings would take up too much of your valuable time.

In Samui, the trip out to Angthong Marine Park is really a 'must do' in my book. Also consider hiring a car & driver to take you around the southern end of the island. There's some beautiful scenery there and not many tourists.

That will only fill up, at most, two days. If it were me, I'd cut at least two days off your Samui time. It's the most expensive place to stay in Thailand, so I'd save money and stay in Bangkok longer.

i too would cut time from samui and from CM and add them to bkk....add a few days up front and at the end then there will be no problem with fittings and tailoring.. but a tailor stop must be done first after arrival...

Thanks for all of the replies. Unfortunately, I cannot change my plans now, as the flights and accomodation has been booked and paid for, and I would lose quite a lot of money by cancelling.
I don't mind spending 3/4 days relaxing on the beach - I think that you have given me some good ideas for what to do if I don't fancy the beach.
I think that I might give the tailoring a miss, as I will probably spend all of my time in BKK in a tailor, as you have suggested!
Will try the Oasis Spa in Chiang Mai.
Thanks Again
J