Advantages: Relaxing, friendly,beautiful
Disadvantages: mosquitos and malaria

...I went to Koh Chang a few years ago and it was such a beautiful island. Quiet from the tourist trap, the people are very welcoming and so friendly, and the beaches and sea is so clear and unpolluted. The accomadation is cheap and quite basic (dependant on what you want to spend, ranging from beach huts to basic room on the beach with toilet/shower room) but I thought it was fine being next to the beach with a hammock outside to lounge around in and the sea about ten metres away, bliss!!! There is one road around the island, the island is very small but there are a few waterfalls etc. if you like to walk or hire a bike for the day it would keep you occupied. Food is delicious!!! None of the rubbish we are served up back home in the U.K. this food is cut stray from the coconut tree if need be and everything is pure with none... Read review

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Advantages: A real look at how the other half live
Disadvantages: again, A real look at how the other half live

...Koh Kong is a small village on the Thailand / Cambodia border, it is a fairly well know location for backpackers travelling from Thailand to Phenom Pehn and also by those who are just crossing the border for a day or so to get there Visa stamped from neigboring Thailand... I have personally been there on several occassions, and each time I have noticed some changes, most development is near the actual border, where there is now a large Casino and a zoo, I am led to beleive other attractions are also be developed... Getting There: From Thailand, First you should either catch a bus from bangkok or Pattaya to Trat, and then from there there are special mini buses that will take you to the border town of Hat Lek on the Thai side of the border. be aware that there are many people here who will offer you a ride to the border for a good... Read review

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Advantages: Frequent flights, friendly service
Disadvantages: Relatively expensive, flight times change, strange food!

.... There are two things that, for me, sets Bangkok Airways apart from other airlines. Firstly, the high level of customer service and secondly, the airport at Koh Samui... The service I received was nearly perfect. The only hiccup was when I arrived at Bangkok international airport, hubby in tow, our flight appeared to have been cancelled. There was no sign of our flight number on the departures board and upon check-in, we were told that our flight had indeed been cancelled and we had been put on another flight that left twenty minutes after our original flight. This apparently happens quite often due to the large number of flights that are operated to Koh Samui each day - quieter flights are simply consolidated with busier ones. However, the change was made so seamlessly that we didn't really mind and we spent the extra twenty minutes eating Thai... Read review

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Advantages: Beaches, People, Food, Weather, Beach sports and Diving
Disadvantages: Accommodation is roughly double the rate of other parts of Thailand, but still cheap compared to Europe and places like Hawaii. Cheaper accom can be found, but harder to find.

...reaction when I sat on the beach eating fresh pineapple and exchanging email addresses with some Japanese backpackers I had just met. PHANG-NGA BAY (pronounced Pang Naa) A famous region of Thailand because of the James Bond movie “The Man With The Golden Gun”. Not changed much since the movie was made. OTHERS Koh He, Koh Dok Mai, Koh Lone, Koh Racha, Koh Kaeo Phitsadan etc for the more adventurous. For my photos of Phuket and Phi Phi: http://uk.geocities.com/thai2001uk/index4.htm Also: www.phuket.com Tip: Don't bother booking hotels from websites or from UK brochures. They are always cheaper if you book in Thailand. Don't worry about not finding anywhere to stay. Christmas time is busy, but you will still find somewhere that suits your need.... Read review

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Advantages: Air conditioning
Disadvantages: Miles from the centre of Bangkok

...-cheese crustless sarnies which serve as a natural anthaema. If the Emirates goat-curry breakfast has left you a little hungry, then my advice is get straight in a taxi and get some noodles in town. And don't let the taxi driver charge you 900 Baht either.

2. You can't buy a newspaper anywhere in the airport until you have checked in on your return flight. I looked for 45 minutes and couldn't find a newspaper seller anywhere. As I said, this review is avbout the little things. 3. The Bangkok Times is a great paper (written in English). It has the English footy results in it too. 4. If you are visiting the islands on the east coast (Koh Tao, Koh Pan Yang, Koh Samui) then spend yourself fifty quid and fly to Koh Samui. It is worth every penny. The night bus (about £15) takes 12 hours and you will get really bored. Flying takes an hour and Koh Samui... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful natural scenery, friendly locals, VERY cheap
Disadvantages: Parts becoming slowly more commercialised

...Thailand really is a country which will change the way you look at the world. I have personally visited this country twice to date and during my time there saw many different sides to the country and what it has to offer. The most important to thing to understand about Thailand is that, although the majority of the country still reflects the original natural beauty that the country has to offer, some parts are slowly becoming very commercial in terms of tourism. What I mean by this is reflected in a comparison between the first and second times that I visited the country. Koh Samui is one of the most popular locations for anyone travelling to Thailand and it is fair to say that most tourist do make a stop off here at some point. The first time I visited this island tourism was only starting to creep in and, although it was already far... Read review

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Advantages: Something for everyone, from partying to studying, whatever your desire.
Disadvantages: You got to come back to reality sometime

...back with some funky clothes for 20p!!! - Talk to randoms, everyone’s in the same boat and really friendly, you'll meet some really immense people. - Get out of Bangkok, all the temples are the same and it's rank except for Kaoh San Rd shopping and the amusing Pat Pong porn market (it's more for amusement than sexual needs etc honestly eg watch a thai girl fire a dart with incredible accuracy and pop a balloon using her downstairs equipment (please don't ask me how it works but it'll have you on the floor laughing) - Go to Chang Mai (trekking), Koh Phi Phi to relax and see the mystical beauty (climb the lookout point for god sake it's breath-taking), Koh Samui for waterfalls and cheesy holiday beaches, Koh Pha Ngan for PARTYING! everything Ibiza wishes it was. Find Poda Island if you can near Krabi - we had to canoe on the sea... Read review

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Advantages: Hours of endless fun
Disadvantages: can get on your nerves after a while

...The FURBY interactive plush toy was first introduced in 1998. The original FURBY had 24 names, three different pitches of voice, six fur patterns and four eye colors (blue, green, brown, grey). The official language of FURBY was Furbish. Remember what it meant when it said ah-may koh koh? Or mee mee a-tay? How about noo-loo and dah doo-ay wah? (see below for definitions) One FURBY toy could influence another - one could make another sneeze, or start giggling and make all the FURBY toys around it giggle too. Furbies are capable of over 300 different unique combinations of eye, ear, and mouth movements. FURBY BABIES had 25% more vocabulary and 233% more phrases than the original FURBY toys. FURBY often wanted you to ah-may koh koh (pet me more). It wasn’t very noo-loo (happy) when it was mee mee a-tay (very hungry). But loved... Read review

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Advantages: location, service, facilities
Disadvantages: none

...The experience with the Amari Emerald Cove is fantastic from the point of arrival. If you are flying into Trat Airport you will be met by Amari stafff offering drinks and cool towels for the journey to the Island. The journey itself takes around one hour including the ferry crossing. The transfer takes in Whitesands which is the main town on Koh Chang, comprising of a few restaurants, bars and shops aimed at tourists. Upon arrival at the hotel we were served refreshing welcome drinks and asked to sit whilst checking in! This was a first, normally I've queued to check in and grown fed up at waiting for the room key! Sitting with the welcome drink kept the check in experience relaxing. The hotel itself is quite large, with a nice reception area with comfortable seating, a good sized bar serving cocktails with nibbles and almost any... Read review

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Advantages: Crystal blue waters, white sands, shops
Disadvantages: Not for the culture-seekers...

...I will start by admitting that Koh Samui is one of the more touristy islands of Thailand, and that we have seen more naturally stunning and more cultural places... it’s main attraction being white sandy beaches and relaxation for the likes of sun dogs like us. Still, it is definitely worth visiting once you have had your fill of culture and just want to relax in the sun with a coconut shake and sun lotion by your side. Many places in Thailand are suited for the long-haul traveller and may offer more cultural delights, but for those who havent’t got the time, Samui is much nicer than Phuket or Pattaya (aka the ‘underbelly of Asia’) and Samui has the added benefit of being close to other islands that you can visit. Even if you are backpacking, like we were, you’ll enjoy the luxuries here as we sank our teeth into toasties, chips (with... Read review

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