Khao Lak will be packed solid during that time period, lots of Germans and Scandinavians and they book their holidays many months in advance. You've got a tough quest.

Many of the Khao Lak resorts are located in such a way that without a car, you will be fairly marooned and may have a relatively limited selection of non-hotel eating options. If you plan to spend most of your time there at the beach or at the pool, this is probably not an issue. Most of the major resorts have shuttles to the main part of Khao Lak, but they may not run at your convenience. Just be aware when you book, and try to locate an online map of the Khao Lak area to get the general layout.

Last time I stayed there was Chinese New Year 2008, and up at Takolaburi Resort, which was pretty new (most of what had been in this area was wiped out in the 2004 Tsunami). Relatively close to the Le Meridien. It was OK, had good points and warts, as do most Khao Lak places. I had left planning late so had to just take a stab at what was left, but I had a car so was flexible on location. I think was about $100 US at the time, and my preference is for non-large chain resorts--YMMV. You might check out www.latestays.com as they have some decent deals for close-in bookings on both some of the major places and the smaller resorts. Khao Lak area will be included under "Phang Nga."