Originally Posted by lallyr
Any advice on close by Beaches?
Rather than worrying about buses and whatnot, how about catching a plane down to Koh Samui? Only about a 40 minute flight, the very good
Bangkok Airways flys there more than a dozen times a day, and if you book in advance (if it's not peak season) you can get some good prices on their website. The airport is only a few minutes from the beach, indeed you could probably hire a moped outside the remarkable airport and make your own way there.
If you are in Bangkok, it would be a shame not to check out the view from the
Banyan Tree rooftop bar. If you're into cool bars, Bed Supperclub is worth a look; I recently visited Jim Thompson's house and was fascinated. Good luck!
Edited to add that Pattaya and Phuket are, from what I hear, big poop holes.