You would be better off picking 2 locations plus Bangkok. By catching buses and ferries between locations you lose the best part of a day. So if you move 6 times you have 8 full days and 6 partial days.

Samui and kpn are in rainy season in December. Perhaps skip them.

I am going to samui for the FMP's on the 25th and 31st. cant skip those, rain or shine.

you are right about the half days though - I shall have a "1/2 day" during the afternoons of the FMP's, a similar 2nd half in Krabi (but I am staying at Ao Nang - so Rilay, Phra Nanag will be close) and will reach Phuket from Samui at 3pm.

That last trip will be on the 1st of jan (after FMP earlier) and instead of sleeping till 3, I shall also be travelling simultaneously.

The two 1/2 days (or afternoons) in Samui will be spent doing ATV trip of Samui and bicycle trip of Phangan.

A lot. I'm not expecting bamboo huts on the beach in Koh Samui for $5 like I used to enjoy...

There are still some wooden bungalows on some beaches on Ko Phangan . There are also still some old style bungalows on the islands of Ko Payam (Phayam) and little Ko Chang off Ranong on Andaman side , although would be very hot and humid at March and starting to rain by April.
Any beach can be kid friendly , as you may remember even back in the 'backpacker' era some people took young children to stay in the Samui huts. You never know if you stay in a resort some children might say - "Daddy I don't like all this gentrification , can't we stay in a bungalow ! "

Songkhla is quite a moslem town - there are long beaches but no beach resorts as far as I know. If people go on the beach, they remain clothed head to toe, in the moslem way.

Most of the guesthouses are in town - a 20 minute walk to the beaches on the East side. But, again, you wouldn't sit out in a swimsuit.

There is a big, faceless 'corporate' hotel near to the famous mermaid statue at Samila beach. That's all I can think of actually on the coast. I forget the name and it doesn't show up on googlemaps. (edit: I guess it is the BP Samila Beach hotel - 1600B+ in the LP guide)

You are probaby better-off heading to the islands (Samui etc), or to Khanom or Sichon (100km North from Songkhla).

I have friends who flew from UK with a different airline and it wasn't till they got to Thailand they found out that they could have been stopped at check in. They had no visa ad return flight was much further out than 39 days. And they didn't know they could extend. They were meeting family and staying put on Koh Samui so felt no heed to do any research.
Like them, you may not be asked. These days its no big deal to book a ticket online if necessary.

That sounds like fun. Fly to Krabi one night, eat a curry then sleep and check out 6.30am next day and go to Samui.

@Mp63: Thanks, taking the bus sounds good. I forgot that the two regions are really not that far away from each other.

@forum2233:
Wow this sounds not so good! I mean the off season part. So would you recommend me to do route 1 then ( see links above) to see the two regions in May instead of July and, thus, see more people and have nice weather? Or are Krabi und Koh Samui not that worth seeing anyway and it doesnt matter?

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your reply.

I am aware of the visa situation, it won't be an issue for my route, by land or air.

I'd like to be away form home for 6 months (ish) a month in Thailand, 1 week in Laos, 3 weeks in Vietnam, 2 weeks in Cambodia, 1 month in Malaysia, 1 week in Singapore, 2 weeks in Indonesia (Bali), 3 weeks in the Philippines and 1 month in Japan. I have a budget of around £9,500.

I've never been Travelling before so I do not have a firm idea of what want to see/do. Generally, I'm interested in history, different cultures, anime, food, meeting new people and animal welfare. I'm basically open to suggestions, I have been to Bangkok, Ko Samui and Singapore before but I was young and only there for a short amount of time.

Again, thanks for your advice/tips.

Hannah

But you don't get it, it is a pointless day trip! As you are going to Samui anyway just stop on the way it is on the same train line. As that to Surat Thani or Chumphon.

I am going to be in Thailand from 24th dec to 6th jan. The Lanta bit, I shall visit after new years FMP@samui