Thailand recommendations please?!

[jaydee1]

DH and I have to use up 3 weeks' holidays, so are taking the plunge, and planning a trip to Thailand with our (extremely active) 16 month old DS in April / May.

I"m finding it impossible to find any companies/hotels which offer decent toddler-friendly accommodation. What we'd ideally love would be to get a two-bed place near / on a beach (resort villa, house rental, hotel room - whatever) with good child-care facilities (either getting our own babysitter or having a creche / minder on site).

We don't particularly want to go to one of the huge could-be-anywhere resorts, but this is starting to look like the only option (and even then nearly all of them only have kids clubs for over 3s). I've looked at all the usual family-friendly websites, and they're all great for Europe / Caribbean, but not so great for Thailand.

Has anyone done anything similar in Thailand, any hotel / resort / travel company recommendations??

We're choosing Thailand cos we're likely going to meet up with friends up in Chiang Mai for a few days. But if any of you have any recommendations which would fit the bill in South East Asia - Malaysia etc - I"d love to hear them. Basically we have to take holidays now and we're set on sitting on a beach in Asia (two weeks of getting DS to spit out hot sand...)

Thanks!

We went when dd was exactly the same age but we just travelled as the mood took us. I bought a Lonely Planet guide and we had a lot of fun planning a rough itinerary.

We booked somewhere the first night and just meandered (as we always do)
Very easy and pleasan and relaxed (well as relaxed as one can be with a toddler).

I'd love to do that but DS is really very full on (complete strangers come up to me in shops and comment on his "energy"...) and I don't think that free-and-easy would make for a happy trip for any of us. He's also pretty routined - in a Rainmanesque sort of way - and falls apart completely when moved out of his comfort zone. So we're tied to staying in one or two places I think. Shame tho, it's such a lovely idea.

If the kid is full on, he will be full on wherever you are.
Don't see the point myself of travelling halfway across the world to be 'tied to staying in one or two places'.

I've full on kids.
We just get up and go.

You might be happier staying home maybe.

You could try Le Meridien at Khao Lak but I am not sure what age the childcare starts from but sure you could have a babysitter. Fab place to potter and flights from Phuket to Changi Mai

Try Long Island Resort in Koh Samui we stayed in their beachfront cottages. Or Lamai Villas on Koh Samui which have two bedrooms and their own swimming pool but are very close to the beach. You will be fine any where I went with my very full on daughters one is Autistic but both are really hyper. We didn't neet any organised activities they just swam and played on the beach all day with other children and the locals. The area has probably changed as they were building a big hotel on the beach.

Other places I would recommend are the Zeavola on Phi Phi or on Koh Lanta Relax Bay. We wouldn't go to the North with the children because of the Malaria and we didn't want to have to give them tablets. It's something you should think about.

Have fun.

Koh Lanta for kids i would probably recommend, phi phi and phuket too full on and pretty tacky in my opinion, Ao Nang good base for trips etc. My favourite place has to be Railay , i love it, not great for kids though!!