| The joys of Thailand's eastern seaboard are notorious - an area on the opposite coast to that hit by the recent tsunami - and most people think of Pattaya but OutUK correspondent Robin Newbold went a little further afield to the island of Samet and discovered what's become the weekend getaway for gay Bangkokers and their foreign admirers. | |
| Koh Samet is easily accessible from Bangkok, about a three-hour drive, and is a world away from a lot of the Kingdom's less salubrious tourist resorts not only because Thais come to take their holidays here but also because the area's been designated as a national park and there's a moratorium on building new developments. |  One of the many pleasant sights to be found at Hin Khok beach where lads in Speedos abound. Photo:Robin Newbold. |
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big hotel chains that have laid claim to large swathes of Samui and Phuket are
happily not in evidence and most resorts are more homely than their five-star
cousins - what they lack in amenities they make up for in character and value for money.
Though not everyone will be able to do without a Jacuzzi in the bathroom, the rustic nature
of the bungalow developments dotted along every beach seem all part of the island's lazy charm.
GET LAIDThe first thing you'll want to do on arrival is collapse into a deck chair and breathe in the warm, tropical air. | |
| It's probably best though to do a bit of legwork and find somewhere to stay if you haven't made plans already - Samet gets incredibly crowded at the weekends and on public holidays so it often pays to book ahead. There are actually zillions of places to lay your weary head but we've narrowed it down to just three. |  Morning rush hour at Tubtim where the lack of people indicates those sleeping off hangovers. |
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Firstly, Tubtim resort on Tubtim beach has been dubbed Silom-Soi-4-On-Sea
after the popular gay street in Bangkok because it's become so popular with the capital's
gay community and you're bound to bump into someone you know or who you'd like to
know better. The bungalows are a bit hit and miss, there are some good ones and some
bad ones, so it's best to look at what they're offering you first and maybe ask to
see another room if you're not satisfied. Though at between 500-1,500 baht a night (12-32 pounds)
you're getting a bargain whatever happens. The beachfront restaurant with its fantastic
food - think a lavish meal for two with a bottle of Thai whisky for under a tenner - makes
up for the achingly slow service and the iffy bungalows and it's probably why most people stay here.
The beach is very pleasant too, great for swimming, and as there are only a couple of resorts,
at either end, it never gets overly crowded.
Second choice and a short walk from Tubtim is Jep's on Hin Khok beach. This is a favourite haunt of Lonely Planet readers but the bungalows (from 600 baht per night) are comfortable and cheap and some of those Speedo-clad Australian backpackers happen to be very attractive. But the real draw here is the beach, which is almost certainly the best on the island with its powdery white sand stretching out into an azure sea and framed at one end by the legendary mermaid statue. | |
| Apart from Jep's the beach is mostly free of other resorts along its perimeter making it a wonderful spot, particularly at night-time when under the twinkling stars it's incredibly romantic. But be warned, there's a myth tied up with Samet: if you go with a lover you'll have great sex but as soon as you leave the relationship's doomed. |  A long tail boat on shore - Photo: bluebossa |
| Third choice is the more developed Wong Deuan beach which is a 30-minute walk from Tubtim. The bungalows (2,000 baht per night) here are bigger, more upscale and stylishly glass fronted allowing the lush tropical light to filter in. Look out for the Naga Bar with its sprinkling of cool. Sit under the stars and stare out into the ocean as DJs spin the latest grooves, well, latest for Thailand, but it's all very pleasant and with cocktails at under two or three quid a throw it can get a little hazy after a while. | |