Originally Posted by Fio

Bungalow resorts aren't resorts? What do you call them then? On Ko Samet every available inch of land with any access to a beach has been built on. It's very hard to tell where one resort stops and the next begins...that's what I call wall to wall resorts. Very few other Thai islands have quite this degree of development even though Ko Samet is, in theory, a national park.

just out of interest which other Thai islands have you been to? Have you been to any of the islands around Trang for example?

I'm not sure what your point was when you mentioned you were the only non-Thai guest at your expensive resort? Were you implying that this made it non-touristy? Those Thais were tourists just like you, not locals, and Thai tourists tend to head for better known destinations such as Phuket. They've often never even heard of many of the less well known Thai islands.

Also Thais generally spend more money when on holiday than most westerners do. This is because they get very little paid vacation time ...just a few days a year. They make sure they have as good a time as possible during their short period away from work Look around next time you go to Ko Samet ... is it the westerners who stay in the cheapest beach huts or the Thais?

Because of its close proximity to BKK and the high demand for accommodation, none of the resorts on Ko Samet are particularly good value for money compared to other places in Thailand.

Nevertheless, they may well seem very affordable if you only compare them to the price of a Western hotel and Ko Samet isn't quite as developed as the Costa del Sol yet!