I'm thinking of coming to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao to escape Bangkok for the next week or so. How are things on these two islands? Are there serious shortages of things like bottled water and rice?

only Tesco and 7eleven have shortage of almost everything, the big private dealers have everything, from Bottled water to alcohol, from mama soup to rice. Come KPG and don't worry. Still raining season have to arrive here

Koh Phangan is surly better option to these days better than Bangkok or the North.

Don't expect to find any bread at the seven and other shops are not as full as in other days.

Yet, there is no shortage in nothing really, and the sky are sunny...

Not like here in Phuket then.

The selfish greed of panic buying has emptied the shelve of nearly everything.

The profiteering has already started.

Beer prices nearly double even on old stock

Koh Phangan is surly better option to these days better than Bangkok or the North.

Don't expect to find any bread at the seven and other shops are not as full as in other days.

Yet, there is no shortage in nothing really, and the sky are sunny...

i can still buy fresh bread from my local thai shop on koh phangan, it's made fresh at the bottle bay bakery (though it is 58baht).

apart from the may empty shelves at lotus and bakery section at 7, kpg is fine and there isn't a mad panic buy or price hike :-)