Hi Im up in the north around Buri Ram(well usually when not serving my 2 year country arrest to make my pension portable), I will be back for a 4 week release over most of April and want to travel south a bit to see more of the country.

This is also to find places to take the extended family kids for holidays as well.

As it only just over 350k's from where my usual abode is I can get the trusty truck down there for some scouting.

Looking for nice beach areas and reasonable accomadation, preferrable well run as would like to make it an annual thing for the kids.

I will be avoiding like the plague the Songkran dates, so will probably be late April as I fly back to Oz on 4th of May.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

I personally like Koh Mak very much, it's one of the least spoiled islands, run by a handful of families. No rippoffs etc, no red light, very family friendly.

You can park the car at laem ngop speedboat pier parking lot and take a 50 min speedboat over, they run like each hour until 4 pm.

 

 

Koh Chang and Koh Kood are also nice, koh chang is more like phuket tho, but should be quiet at that time too. 

Koh kood is really stunning naturewise but most hotels are fancy ($$) and it's not a place where much is happening. I find Koh Mak to be in between Chang and Kood when it comes to being relaxed and still having decent food and much to do.

 

 

Mainland in that area, i don't really know i only stayed in trat for overnighter sometimes but there's also prolly  decent beaches down south...

 

 

PS: Unspoilt also means, yes there's mosquitos, yes there can sandflies, yes there's snakes and spiders - some people here always complain about that, but that's nature duh. 

Had  Chao  Lao  is  a  long,   flat  beach  in  Chanthaburi  province.  It  is  usually  calm  and  clear  and  safe  for  swimming  although  I  have  been  there  when  the  entire  beach  fills  with  washed  up  garbage.  Accommodation  is  available  in  all  price  ranges  from  200  baht  to  2,000  baht  per  night.  I  think  more  than  100  resorts  there.  

For my money the best hotel in Chantabury is the "Eastern", especially since there is a small version of Soi Cowboy directly behind it ????

Have a look at Laem Sing beach to the south of Chantaburi, variety of accommodation.

aprox 20 km from Chantaburi  Hat Chao Lao / New Travel Beach Resort Hotel

to expensive ? Sleep at the SIRI Hotel in Laem Sing , and eat /swim at the

New Travel Beach Resort !

Check out Laem Mae Phim - many accommodation options (with special rates now due to lack of tourists).  Often busier at weekends, but not overly so (long weekends excepted).

Thanks to all that replied, it has given me enough places to start, I may leave the islands till later this year as I have a discount card for one of the resorts and may need the points then