Koh Samui and Bangkok with 7 and 5 year olds

[mermaidgirl]

Just booked a holiday to Bangkok and Koh Samui with the family for August. Anyone have any hints and tips and what we can do there? Any help and advice appreciated!

Both are great for children, we have been twice with ours (first time with 3 year old twins and second time with twins aged 6 and 2 year old - souvenir of our first holiday with the twins!)
In Bangkok there is a great childrens museum place where they can have masses of fun playing shops and dressing up as firemen. Ours also loved Siam City (think this is right) shopping centre and food court. A river cruise is a great idea too as are trips on the sky train.
We loved Koh Samui but avoid Chaweng, very touristy and ugly. We took a car and drove round the island, beautiful especially in the south. There is a cinema and bowling alley as well as a big children's play area in the tesco lotus shopping centre. Our children loved Big Buddha and pottering on the beach and pool. We took a boat over to Koh Phaneng but weren't very impressed but the journey was fun. Have a wonderful time, even the airport at KS is amazing!

Thanks so much hollypocks! We are all really looking forward to the trip!

Have a great time, it is an amazing country.Takes lots of sunscreen as Koh Samui very hot but there are Boot's stores if you run out of supplies!

Our kids were 4, 8 and 13 when we went to Thailand. Having been there before I was afraid Bangkok might be a bit "in your face" for them so booked a really fab hotel so they could chill out if they needed to. It turned out to be a really good idea; they did like it but in small doses. It's hot, noisy and very busy and little blonde girls can get a lot of attention which is well meaning and friendly, but not all kids like it. A boat trip down the river is lovely, mine loved the Koh San Road - backpacker town but the mix of exotic/familiar worked for them, we ate there a few times. The Grand Palace and Golden Buddah are worth a visit. Top tip would be get a hotel with a pool so you can do a mix of sightseeing and relaxing.

We went to Koh Tao as I find Samui too touristy - it was really funny, the backpackers thought what the hell are they doing here with three kids, the locals absolutely loved us. We rented a small villa with our own pool within walking distance of the beach and all had a great time. Thais love kids, it always surprises me that more people don't take kids there (outside of the resorts).

Quick questions did you bother with malaria tablets? or just take a chance. Is Oct a good time to go?

oooh - there is also a butterfly farm on koh samui which might be fun for a few hours!