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My wife and I (mid 20s) are just back, and would throughly recommend spending 5 nights in Bangkok (with a full day trip to Ayutthaya), and then head to an island. I'm not to sure about the seasons, but the weather in July in Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand was beautiful. Koh Samui was wonderful - very relaxing, great value, and as busy or as quiet as you decide.
Have fun. The Thai people are the most fantastic you are likely to meet anywhere, very kind, humble and wlecoming. Thailand is not called the Land of Smiles for nothing....
There are some lovely beaches in Koh Pha Ngan (on the East coast of the peninsula) if you get away from Hat Rin (where the full moon parties are held, I'd avoid those they are way overrated). A bit of a bumpy ride across the middle of the island though!
Do you fancy learning to scuba dive? It is a great way to spend a few days, or you can just do one day closely supervised even if you've never done it before. Koh Tao (2 hr boat trip from Koh Pha Ngan) is the cheapest and best place to do it (they all cost the same but I recommend Ban's diving school).
Until last boxing day I would have recommended Koh Phi Phi as well (on the west coast of the peninsula), it was so beautiful, but was pretty much destroyed by the tsunami. Actually it is probably more beautiful now but I don't know what the tourist situation is like. Some lovely boat trips to be had, you can hire a boat for just the two of you with a 'driver' and chug around the islands, do a bit of snorkelling.
There are some other islands on the west side which are also supposed to be gorgeous.
I recommend picking up a Lonely Planet, it is very good for thailand because so many people go there. It will be able to tell you what places are best, if you are willing to go off the beaten track a bit or just want to stay in a hotel and relax the whole time. Some of the places I mentioned above do have more of a backpacker / do it yourself mentality than Koh Samui, it all depends what you are into!
I've only been south but been to:
Koh Samui - More westernised than other places. Like Ibiza but in Thai and 10000x better. Very close to Koh Phangnan
Koh Phangnan - Hat rin a must see, especially for full moon parties. You only have to be here for one night and leave the next day. Other side is lush......Bottle Beach etc
Koh Chang - Not that far from Bangkok. very serene but can be upbeat.
Koh Lanta - Not fully developed when I went 5 years ago so quite quiet. Also, parts of here will still be Tsunami damaged.
Koh tao / lak are beautiful and good for diving
Hope this helps!!
I would reccommend a few days in Bangkok, simply to get orientated with the heat and the culture. There are tons of things to see and do, even the obligatory shopping. You should then head south to Phuket as there are some beautiful bays like Kamala and Karon which was relativiely unaaffected by the Tsunami but still evidence in place which just highlights the reality of it all. Phi Phi is probably even more beautiful and the ideal place to chill out for a couple of days, accommodation is very basic tho as they haven't started rebuilding many of the big hotels but it just adds to the ambience of the place which is chilled out and extremely friendly.
ENJOY :)
March is a good month to go (unless you're an albino!) as it's hot, dry and not so humid.
Just one point, have you booked your flights yet, as if you go in the middle of April it will coincide with the Thai New Year, which is amazing!!! Basically it's about three days of non stop partying with water fights being the key componant.
As others have mentioned, the islands are great, Ko Samet is another option is you want somewhere a bit more laid back, it's also only about 3 hours from Bangkok by bus.
If you want more than sand, sea and sun, consider a trip up north to Chiang Mai. Lovely little city and great for treks up into mountains, etc.
Enjoy
Just one point, have you booked your flights yet, as if you go in the middle of April it will coincide with the Thai New Year, which is amazing!!! Basically it's about three days of non stop partying with water fights being the key componant.
As others have mentioned, the islands are great, Ko Samet is another option is you want somewhere a bit more laid back, it's also only about 3 hours from Bangkok by bus.
If you want more than sand, sea and sun, consider a trip up north to Chiang Mai. Lovely little city and great for treks up into mountains, etc.
Enjoy
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