Best Thai island?

[expatjen]

We are going to Thailand for 10 days in October and are spending 4 nights in Bangkok. What island is best for a relaxing beach vacation with a toddler? We were looking at koh samui, but not sure it's our best option.
Thanks!

[marina007]

Koh samui is v popular w families but I personally think the phuket/krabi side of the coast is more beautiful (clearer water, prettier beaches). Koh Lanta, koh phi phi are both gorgeous but maybe a bit more of a hassle w a toddler. I'd look into the more "nice" resorts on Phuket as a start. Khao Lak is also nice!

[kpol]

We recently did a Thailand trip and spent some time at an amazing resort in Phuket. Phuket has a pretty crazy party scene, but we were in Rawai which was very quiet and relaxing. If you do Phuket, just take a good look into the TripAdvisor reviews before booking. Friends recommended the place to us and it fit out needs perfectly. We had such an amazing time that we are looking to go back for a long weekend soon.

When researching, we looked into Phi Phi and Krabi as well so you might want to check those out, too.

[chicago]

We loooooooved Krabi, specifically Tubkaek beach. We stayed at The Tubkaak -- m.tubkaakresort.com/
Definitely one of our favorite places we've ever stayed. The beach there is just gorgeous and it's easy to do day trips to the Hong Islands of Phi Phis. Highly recommend.

[mdgirl]

I think I'd opt for Phuket or Samui just so you don't have to mess around with ferries with a toddler. I will say though that there were a lot of people with kids where we stayed -- Thong Nai Pan Yai on Koh Phangan. Koh Phangan gets a reputation as a party island because of the Full Moon Party, but that beach was quiet and perfect. A bit hard to get to, but not impossible.

[expatjen]

Thanks ladies! I am going to look at Phuket and see. My H isn't keen on Krabi for some reason, so we shall see. Thanks again for the tips!

[chicago]

Aug 13, 2013 0:16:11 GMT -5 expatjen said:

Thanks ladies! I am going to look at Phuket and see. My H isn't keen on Krabi for some reason, so we shall see. Thanks again for the tips!

Interesting!  Why no Krabi?  I thought it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen!  

[Alyssa]

Phuket is nice, you can take a day trip up to James Bond Island. I stayed in Patong and liked it, very laid back.

I liked Koh Phi Phi a lot. It's gorgeous there.

Krabi-Ao Nang area is nice

Ko Samui - hit up the northern area of the island, it's quiet. I recommend Mae Nom. The busier night life area is on the east coast area of Chaweng.

Koh Pha-ngan is nice but I would steer clear of the southern tip around a full moon because it gets swamped with young backpackers wanting to party.