Tredz

(also would Ko Tao fit my criteria better than samui?)

Try Koh Phangan instead as its closer. Alternatively, it sounds like Bophut or Maenam is more your scene on Koh Samui

go to Maenam, it's a quiet place, there is a lot of good bungalows with a low price.

Book online with Bangkok Airways . You dont need passports to book or travel in country. If you need to give the passengers names and your computer does not have Thai fonts presumably their names will be the same as their mother, if not spell it how it sounds as there are no rules about transliteration of Thai names. You will get an eticket which you can print out.

yes go to Bangkok Airways website.

I would like to fly into Surathani and then head to Ko Phagnan. I've never flown into Surathani before. Does anybody know the best way to get to ko phangan from the surathani airport. I know there are 3 or 4 ferries that go there, but i don't know which is the most convinient one to take if flying into surrathani.

me i went to Samui and after i took a speedboat but i think it's not the cheapest way.

That is a very hard question to answer and is completely dependant on your lifestyle. Do you drink and/or smoke? do you want a car or happy with two wheels, do want to live in a small town or really get out into the sticks? would you be happy with a Thai diet or do you crave western food? how many trips to the bright lights would you need every year? and many other factors.

Just for everyday living expenses, food, clothes, laundry, cleaning, fuel, power etc you can get away for between 15 to 20k a month (wait for the flames) and that would include having a couple of western niceties thrown in.

Make allowances for car insurance, hospital bills, the odd holiday etc and it can increase by quite a bit.

thanks for your answer now i have a better idea for a budget !

I started this Topic so as to give pointers and useful information for the wannabes or the going to bes .

If its going to slide off track and become a silly comment Topic I will; have the Mods Close it :

Secondly, how much do you think you need per month to live on if you have a wife and couple of kids? Perhaps you could give us some idea of the costs, e.g. food, rent, electric, etc. I don't mean your monthly costs, but more of a guideline on how big/small a budget one would require to live in a rural village.

interesting point, i'm interested to know what could be a budget for live in a rural village ?