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!

Originally Posted by socrates

One of the most peaceful places close to Bangkok for me is the resotel at kanchanaburi. Kanchanaburi itself attracts lots of tourists but the resotel built in the midst of the jungle next to the river is a nice quiet place to get away from it all. It does not costs a bomb as well

I just loved siting outside my lodging in the morning enjoying the cool air and listening to nature.







No street hawkers, no peddlers to ask you to buy something, nobody to ask if you want a taxi or a tuk tuk, few tourists but peaceful settings

Originally Posted by tintin

Looks nice, what place is this?

Originally Posted by BobMac

I'm a tight wad too, that's why I stay at Ban Phe and just go to Samet for the day, then back to Ban Phe in the late afternoon. I can't afford the prices they charge at Samet. We (my Thai wife and I) both love Samet and go there often. In fact last year we made our first trip to Koh Chang and stayed 1 night, we weren't impressed at all, so we cut the stay there short and went to Koh Samet instead on the way back. In our opinion Samet is way better than Chang. There are many things I don't like about Samet (all the things Fio has mentioned) but warts & all we like the island and feel it's the nearest best place for us. We usually walk down the beach to Tok Little Hut and rent a couple of deckchairs there, under the trees, with an esky of beer. No complaints from us.