Looking For Peaceful Island

[highlander76]

I going to be in Thailand mid April the thai girl friend wants to go to an island for one week but the last thing I want to do is to be on an island full of drunk yobs and backpakers who have not washed for last week I want somewhere peaceful , a clean beach , good thai food , cold beer and at a decent price I am asking for to much .

[LaoPo]

I going to be in Thailand mid April the thai girl friend wants to go to an island for one week but the last thing I want to do is to be on an island full of drunk yobs and backpakers who have not washed for last week I want somewhere peaceful , a clean beach , good thai food , cold beer and at a decent price I am asking for to much .

Fly BKK to Trat with BKK Airways.

Take the shuttle bus from airport to Koh Chang (via the ferry) and have yourselves dropped off at the far south of Koh Chang and take a small ferry boat to Koh Wai....it's .about 20 minutes. Friends of mine stayed there for about 8-10 weeks. Paradise.

Look at Google Eart for Koh Wai; it's a very small island but nice for a week with your gf.

Good luck.

LaoPo

[highlander76]

Sounds good mate never heard of that Island do you know the name of place where your friends stayed

[LaoPo]

Sounds good mate never heard of that Island do you know the name of place where your friends stayed

I think it was 'Paradise Resort'; don't expect luxury though.

Google 'Koh Wai Thailand' and you'll find some blogs with lots of photos (I just did...)

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entri...87860/tpod.html

LaoPo

[cobra]

Yes, Koh Chang would be a good choice, just the right mix, a smattering of night life and lots of quiet, picture perfect beaches.

I stayed at the Barali before, very nice, (Prao beach), right next to a little klong you can kayak on, and the quintessential, post card beach,

Barali, Koh Chang

[enyaw]

Sounds good mate never heard of that Island do you know the name of place where your friends stayed

I think it was 'Paradise Resort'; don't expect luxury though.

Google 'Koh Wai Thailand' and you'll find some blogs with lots of photos (I just did...)

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entri...87860/tpod.html

LaoPo

Stayed on Koh Wai twice first time Pakarang Resort Very nice concrete bungalows with shower/toilet, think we paid between 300-400 baht. Next time had a look at Paradise resort which was only one of 2 resorts operating as it was early season (oct.)

The beach area was stunning the most idylic on the island but it was almost full, the last remaining bungalow had shared facilities, the girlfriend wasn't impressed so we had a look around the corner.

Wooden bungalows with shower/toilet, 275 baht a night.

A bit ramshackle:

This was the view from the balcony:

If your looking for a peaceful island and can appreciate nature then look no further, one thing to take into consideration is that electriciy on the island only operates from 6:00pm to 11:00pm which means no fan at night.

Edited March 13, 2008 by enyaw

[enyaw]

Sounds good mate never heard of that Island do you know the name of place where your friends stayed

I think it was 'Paradise Resort'; don't expect luxury though.

Google 'Koh Wai Thailand' and you'll find some blogs with lots of photos (I just did...)

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entri...87860/tpod.html

LaoPo

Stayed on Koh Wai twice first time Pakarang Resort Very nice concrete bungalows with shower/toilet, think we paid between 300-400 baht. Next time had a look at Paradise resort which was only one of 2 resorts operating as it was early season (oct.)

The beach area was stunning the most idylic on the island but it was almost full, the last remaining bungalow had shared facilities, the girlfriend wasn't impressed so we had a look around the corner.

Wooden bungalows with shower/toilet, 275 baht a night.

A bit ramshackle:

This was the view from the balcony:

If your looking for a peaceful island and can appreciate nature then look no further, one thing to take into consideration is that electriciy on the island only operates from 6:00pm to 11:00pm which means no fan at night.

Update:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've just had a look at the website for the Pakarang resort, they now have electricity 24 hours price increase to 800 baht.

Edited March 13, 2008 by enyaw

[neverburi]

Give Koh Samet (Rayong) a try.

Regards NB

[swat]

Try Ko Muuk,or Ko Kradan in Trang province.

[haybilly]

I going to be in Thailand mid April the thai girl friend wants to go to an island for one week but the last thing I want to do is to be on an island full of drunk yobs and backpakers who have not washed for last week I want somewhere peaceful , a clean beach , good thai food , cold beer and at a decent price I am asking for to much .

Off topic, I know, but I thought you already were in Thailand--mugger attack Chiang Mai? Or, did G/f phone you, I guess.

Btw, Koh Mook, Koh Jum, Koh Kradaan [Trang Province]--are very 'off the beaten track' but, if that's what OP wants.

[meadish_sweetball]

Mid April means Songkran (Thai New Year with water throwing mayhem) and hordes of holidaying Thais on 13, 14, 15 - for at least a week around these three dates that mark the height of Songkran Thailand's roads and transport systems experience their peak of the entire year and traffic accidents soar.

All types of travel tends to be booked in advance already, so if your time is limited, you really should check your options carefully and pre-book as much as possible, in order not to get stuck somewhere you do not want to be.

Flying down to Trang (or even Krabi although it means longer travel) on Thailand's West Coast, you have relatively easy access to Koh Ngai, Koh Kradaan, and Koh Mook/Muk.

Koh Kradaan is a beautiful little island but had a water supply problem when I was there (the shower gave me and my wife, as well as our neighbours in the bungalow next door itchy rashes). Perhaps this problem is solved by now, we were there 1.5 years ago.

Koh Ngai south of Koh Lanta is another good suggestion for a truly relaxed get away, in particular in the low season.

We never stopped on Koh Mook/Muk, so I am not sure what it is like. We could see it is a larger island than Koh Kradaan and Koh Ngai anyway.

If you decide to go with the Gulf of Thailand:

Koh Wai south of Koh Chang is a good suggestion as it is more isolated than Koh Chang proper.

Koh Chang proper is usually full of package tourists and backpackers, and some parts of the island suffer from over-development and inflated prices - it also gets invaded by Bangkok families on public holidays. I would not recommend Koh Chang these days if you are looking for a peaceful place - for somebody who is not content with just a nice beach, a few bungalows and good food it is a good idea though. In my opinion, the same goes for most of Koh Samet, unless you can and will pay up for one of the secluded luxury resorts with private beaches.

I would also consider looking into Koh Phangan, focusing on the West and Northern parts of the island. The South/South-East is the most developed due to Had Rin being the host for the (in)famous Full Moon Party.

[donna]

i agree with meadish here. trang province is beautiful with some stunning little islands to stay on. koh ngai and ko mook are both lovely, but i think the beach on ko ngai is nicer - white sand, aqua/green water. very nice.

[sbk]

OP doesn't mention budget? In my experience, the cheaper the place the more likely to get backpackers. And the more off the beaten track the more likely to be the odder types.

Thong Nai Pan here on Koh Phangan is a beautiful beach, with some great resorts. if you are willing to pay for something a bit nicer you can be guaranteed there won't be any smelly backpackers.

[billp]

Koh Jum is the most beautiful, quiet island, but near Krabi. Stay at New Bungalow or Ting Rai Bay.

[highlander76]

Thank you all for the great advice so for .I will be in Chiang Mai during SongKon I know that is not how you spell it will be in Thailand for six weeks. Budget is not a big deal up to 1000baht a night the main thing is that the girl friend is happy and we get value for money went to Phucket last year and she hated it she thought we were getting over charged with everthing

[Sunderland]

Prices have risen in the past year. It takes more than 1,000 baht to make a Thai girl happy now.

[highlander76]

Prices have risen in the past year. It takes more than 1,000 baht to make a Thai girl happy now.

Sunderland if you have nothing helpful to say DO POST IT

[dee123]

Give Koh Samet (Rayong) a try.

Regards NB

Sorry neverburi I would have to disagree with you ,....when I visited last month it was overpriced,dirty,(Samet Island).....I met a young aussie in pattaya(nice chap) I said I hadn't visited Koh Samet since 1984 he assured me it was clean and beautiful and not too packed with tourist's and could get accomodation for 500 baht....our bungalow cheapest we could find was 1000 baht a night the hotel management got annoyed when you interupted their card school,....we walked around the Island and it was full of litter.....over development has ruined it....our bungalow had the smell of urine all curtains and towels were dirty......unfortunately people keep arriving and money keeps coming in so they really don't care about bad reviews..the whole Island has lost most of its trees .........like a little old man going bald and about to die ..it reminded me of....blue plas tic pipes where there is supposed to be greenery......what a waste of a once beautiful haven.....its just sad.

Edited March 14, 2008 by dee123

[Trevor]

Koh Chang and Koh Phayam off Rayong. But don't tell anyone else as they're still unspoiled. Don't expect hot water showers or reliable Internet though.

[sbk]

Koh Chang and Koh Phayam off Rayong. But don't tell anyone else as they're still unspoiled. Don't expect hot water showers or reliable Internet though.

Don't you mean Ranong?

[quickly]

You could always check out some of the islands south of Phuket. If you fly with Destination Air (just do a web search), then you also great great views over Phang Nga bay.

[Richie1971]

Give Koh Samet (Rayong) a try.

Regards NB

Sorry neverburi I would have to disagree with you ,....when I visited last month it was overpriced,dirty,(Samet Island).....I met a young aussie in pattaya(nice chap) I said I hadn't visited Koh Samet since 1984 he assured me it was clean and beautiful and not too packed with tourist's and could get accomodation for 500 baht....our bungalow cheapest we could find was 1000 baht a night the hotel management got annoyed when you interupted their card school,....we walked around the Island and it was full of litter.....over development has ruined it....our bungalow had the smell of urine all curtains and towels were dirty......unfortunately people keep arriving and money keeps coming in so they really don't care about bad reviews..the whole Island has lost most of its trees .........like a little old man going bald and about to die ..it reminded me of....blue plas tic pipes where there is supposed to be greenery......what a waste of a once beautiful haven.....its just sad.

I must disagree with this most - you were unlucky - beautiful Island, not commercialised, lovely beaches and 3hrs from Bangkok - cheaper (and a better calss of tourist) than the costas of Thailand, phuket, Samui etc - I always stay at the beach house (left off the ferry) or Coral Beach Lovely beach with an airy jetty and no crowds. Koh Samet is one of Thailands best kept secrets which is why the Thais favour it - frequented by Thai Royals and TV personalities.

Try it

[huma79]

I must disagree with this most - you were unlucky - beautiful Island, not commercialised, lovely beaches and 3hrs from Bangkok - cheaper (and a better calss of tourist) than the costas of Thailand, phuket, Samui etc - I always stay at the beach house (left off the ferry) or Coral Beach Lovely beach with an airy jetty and no crowds. Koh Samet is one of Thailands best kept secrets which is why the Thais favour it - frequented by Thai Royals and TV personalities.

Try it

I have to disagree with you on that point.. Samet is perhaps Thailand's worst island it has to offer in my opinion. There's just nothing special about it.. I suppose for an easy getaway from Bangkok it's better than nothing, but really why not go a bit further to the islands around Koh Chang?

[Richie1971]

I must disagree with this most - you were unlucky - beautiful Island, not commercialised, lovely beaches and 3hrs from Bangkok - cheaper (and a better calss of tourist) than the costas of Thailand, phuket, Samui etc - I always stay at the beach house (left off the ferry) or Coral Beach Lovely beach with an airy jetty and no crowds. Koh Samet is one of Thailands best kept secrets which is why the Thais favour it - frequented by Thai Royals and TV personalities.

Try it

I have to disagree with you on that point.. Samet is perhaps Thailand's worst island it has to offer in my opinion. There's just nothing special about it.. I suppose for an easy getaway from Bangkok it's better than nothing, but really why not go a bit further to the islands around Koh Chang?

koh Chang is admittedly very nice, no argument there, but referring to the OP's original title - 'looking for Peaceful Island' What do you look for in your definition of peaceful island? Koh Chang, yes but it is still a bit of a hike - Koh Samed is very nice with beautiful beaches and just the right amount of amenities and has not yet appealed to people who frequent Samui, Phuket and Pattaya - (for the right reasons) not heavily marketed in the foreign press and a distinct absence of package tourists -

[Richie1971]

I must disagree with this most - you were unlucky - beautiful Island, not commercialised, lovely beaches and 3hrs from Bangkok - cheaper (and a better calss of tourist) than the costas of Thailand, phuket, Samui etc - I always stay at the beach house (left off the ferry) or Coral Beach Lovely beach with an airy jetty and no crowds. Koh Samet is one of Thailands best kept secrets which is why the Thais favour it - frequented by Thai Royals and TV personalities.

Try it

I have to disagree with you on that point.. Samet is perhaps Thailand's worst island it has to offer in my opinion. There's just nothing special about it.. I suppose for an easy getaway from Bangkok it's better than nothing, but really why not go a bit further to the islands around Koh Chang?

koh Chang is admittedly very nice, no argument there, but referring to the OP's original title - 'looking for Peaceful Island' What do you look for in your definition of peaceful island? Koh Chang, yes but it is still a bit of a hike - Koh Samed is very nice with beautiful beaches and just the right amount of amenities and has not yet appealed to people who frequent Samui, Phuket and Pattaya - (for the right reasons) not heavily marketed in the foreign press and a distinct absence of package tourists -

and much more affordable

[highlander76]

Thank you to everyone for the great advice . I went to Ko Samet eight years ago it was nice but I think the island has been by ruined now .

[Zpete]

I going to be in Thailand mid April the thai girl friend wants to go to an island for one week but the last thing I want to do is to be on an island full of drunk yobs and backpakers who have not washed for last week I want somewhere peaceful , a clean beach , good thai food , cold beer and at a decent price I am asking for to much .

'highlander76'.

I resent your referring to backpackers in such a way.

My thoughts are you have a, snobbish attitude.

I have been backpacking for 50 years.

Only BAD backpack places I have been to, were in USA, 10 years ago.

Backpackers in the main seem to be mostly students, young execs out for fun, people on their gap year .

The ambiance of a backpackers accommodation, far outweighs that most hotels.

Such a diverse number of people from most anywhere, makes for more interesting chats and convos etc.

The cleanliness of backpackers beats a lot of resort accommodations, where you have snooty staff and management.

Go try a backpackers sometime. ask me for info if you wish, somehow, I do not think you will respond positively.

Cheers, enjoy ya stay in L.O.S.

[maxbus1]

I going to be in Thailand mid April the thai girl friend wants to go to an island for one week but the last thing I want to do is to be on an island full of drunk yobs and backpakers who have not washed for last week I want somewhere peaceful , a clean beach , good thai food , cold beer and at a decent price I am asking for to much .

'highlander76'.

I resent your referring to backpackers in such a way.

My thoughts are you have a, snobbish attitude.

I have been backpacking for 50 years.

Only BAD backpack places I have been to, were in USA, 10 years ago.

Backpackers in the main seem to be mostly students, young execs out for fun, people on their gap year .

The ambiance of a backpackers accommodation, far outweighs that most hotels.

Such a diverse number of people from most anywhere, makes for more interesting chats and convos etc.

The cleanliness of backpackers beats a lot of resort accommodations, where you have snooty staff and management.

Go try a backpackers sometime. ask me for info if you wish, somehow, I do not think you will respond positively.

Cheers, enjoy ya stay in L.O.S.

Uh, I guess I'll take this one, (I got nothing to lose...)

well, backpackers don't shower much, haul around only one single pack, head for only the cheapest parts of the island where there will be lodging for less than 1000 baht. I wouldn't take a room for less the 1800 baht, and those rooms were still not nice enough, with drunks bring loud down the hall, and the staggering ba@@TARDs moving back and forth all hours of the nite, PLUS if they had DVD rentals, then they would crank their movies ALL hours of the nite, and no one to tell their A@@es to shut up. Trust me, I've yelled out my room, to them, but nothing, oh got to mention the ants in the bathrooms and the rock hard beds. Nuff said. You get what you pay for. Never forget that. The nicer hotel on a certain island actually means something.. Go there. don't be tight...

[Sporting Dog]

I've been to Samet a couple of times and I think its very ordinary - it would have been nice a couple of decades ago but now its overpriced and overcrowded.

There's some nice places south of Phuket and Krabi, not hard to find if you make a little effort to look.

The pictures in this thread of koh Wai look wonderful.

[ashacat]

I must disagree with this most - you were unlucky - beautiful Island, not commercialised, lovely beaches and 3hrs from Bangkok - cheaper (and a better calss of tourist) than the costas of Thailand, phuket, Samui etc - I always stay at the beach house (left off the ferry) or Coral Beach Lovely beach with an airy jetty and no crowds. Koh Samet is one of Thailands best kept secrets which is why the Thais favour it - frequented by Thai Royals and TV personalities.

I have to disagree with you on that point.. Samet is perhaps Thailand's worst island it has to offer in my opinion. There's just nothing special about it.. I suppose for an easy getaway from Bangkok it's better than nothing, but really why not go a bit further to the islands around Koh Chang?

I agree that Koh Samet has gone downhill in a big way, overcrowded, loud and dirty. Unless of course you would like to spend a bit more and stay on one of the more expensive resorts such as Lima Coco, even so, I feel there are far better places such as certian areas of Koh Chang and Krabi.

Edited March 18, 2008 by ashacat