i will be travelling to thailand at christmas for a short break (24th dec - 2nd jan) and was hoping to spend a few days chilling out on ko samet as im still yet to visit in my last 4 trips to LOS.

will probably want just 3-4 days there between (28th dec - 31st dec) now i know this is going to be peak season but i was hoping somebody could recommend me a nice quiet beach/resort/hotel to stay?...ive read up quite a bit on ko samet (including tezza's blog) and i realise that its a very small island so chances of me finding anywhere with a beach to myself are pretty much zero!

i was just hoping for somewhere away from the families and crowds if possible..

all i would like is somewhere as quiet as possible with nice beach to relax on and nice water to swim in,preferably beach hut/bungalow type accommodation with aircon,any where between 1000bt - 2000bt price range is ok.

also would i need to book in advance or would i be able to turn up on the island and find somewhere?

i was recommended ao pudsa/au tubtim yet the tubtim resort do not accept advance bookings

any help much appreciated,thanks

Good luck - you are right, it is high season - all I can say is search the internet until you find something you like call / e-mail and see if the have a room available.

You will be very lucky to find somewhere by just turning up.

Away from the families and crowds??

With a beach to myself??

Here we go :

http://www.koh-samet.org/koh-samed/Moobantalay/

FYI, its not gonna be 1,000 - 2,000 baht for a resort like this..

Choose a different island. Samet is too small for anything isolated and away from the crowds, which will be intense over that period. Remember, it's close enough for Bangkokians to drive down for a day trip!

Go a little further - maybe Koh Chang, or better yet, Koh Mak near there. Or maybe south towards Ranong and Koh Phayam or (little) Koh Chang.

You want a quiet bungalow on the beach to chill out? Not Samet, and not over that time period.

I'm going to spend the new year there with friends [more than 5 people].. just to get away from bangkok and get wasted on the beach. We are looking for cheap bungalow for 4 days 3 nights. Anywhere reccomended?

You will be very lucky to find somewhere by just turning up.

You want a quiet bungalow on the beach to chill out? Not Samet, and not over that time period.

And how do you think it will be if I turn up at the end of January/beginning of February? Should it be difficult to find a place to stay for a couple of days? Maybe a guesthouse - have found 3 GHs in a Japanese guidebook and they seem to be quite expensive: 1000 bahts or more per day.

Should I consider another island, f.e. Ko Chang?

I have always wanted to explore Ko Samet. It doesn't have to be especially quiet.

Maybe I'll make only a one-day trip from BKK/PTY.