There’s no question about it: the shimmering sands and lapping seas that beckon from the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Pha Ngan just off the coast from the city Surat Thani are the closest many visitors to the Land of Smiles will get to bona fide tropical paradise. No wonder then, that booming crowds of sun-seekers and hedonists looking to bucket up under the full moon or kick-back on the beaches of Chaweng make their way to this regional capital every year.

There is no shortage of Surat Thani tour guides who can organise snappy speedboat connections from the city to the hotspots in the Gulf. If you do however choose to linger a while and take in the sights here, then there’s a fantastic Thai night market to explore on Tri Anusonn Road. Go on over to find steamy pots of peanut pad noodles, earthy local drinking dens and loads of stalls touting everything you could ever possibly need for the islands, from hawaiian shirts and sandals to neon paint—the usual.