Koh Samui - upmarket with chic boutique hotels and exclusive property developments, the beaches are world class. Try Chaweng.
Koh Kham - a miniature island. There is only one bungalow resort in operation. Full of day trippers in the afternoon. Well worth a visit for the sun-drenched sandbar.
Koh Phanagan - Rustic huts and poort roads, a lack of an airport and a fast speedboat crossing from Samui sums up this island. Famous for the legendary full moon parties.
Koh Phi Phi - Best known as the location for the film The Beach. Take a steep trail to the island viewpoint is a sunset ritual. Best to visit as a day trip from the mainland town of Krabi. Good watersport options.
Koh Samet - Very close to the Thai capital, which makes it everyones favourite side trip with the good bus and ferry connections. On weekends there can be crowds of locals.
Koh Chang - often touted as the next Phuket, which may put off some potential holiday makers but it is the second-largest island in Thailand. Jungle-clad hills occupy more than 70 per cent of the island, which make for some great and demanding hiking trials.
Koh Lanta - A good place for mountain bike trails in the rainforest interior and if you are in to pot holing head for the Khao Mai Kaew Cave complex. The beaches have very white sand, with the busiest at Hat Khlong Dao.
Koh Sichang - Very different from the nearby Pattaya is diminutive Koh Sichang. The island is free from cars and the loud music from beachside bars is also absent. A Chinese temple surveys the island from its position on a hill.
Koh Tarutao - An island for naturalists, divers and adventures who are drawn to the unspoiled group of 50 islands that make up the Koh Tarutao National Park.
Koh Tao - nicknamed Koh PADI due to the huge number of scuba-diving certificates issued on the island, it is where underwater explores arrive in droves. Accommodation is plentiful on Koh Tao.