Есть недостатки... There are disadvantages...

We were in Thailand for the second time, the first time on Koh Samui in September 2011. Compare about. Phuket and about. Koh Samui is a separate conversation, but in short, in our opinion, Koh Samui, of course, wins (this also applies to prices, the quality of average hotels, and the number of Russian tourists, etc. ). At the Karon Whale Resort, there is no need to look for shortcomings, they can be seen immediately.
Of these: a small territory, a paid safe in the room for 50 baht per day, no hair dryer, paid WI-FI for 50 baht per hour, the most monotonous breakfasts - nothing new has appeared in 12 days, every day is the same and not very big range (on Koh Samui, also in a 3-star for 15 days of rest, breakfast was not at all tired, there was free Internet, a hairdryer, a safe in the room, a chic area with access to the sea).
From the pros: cleanliness in the rooms, a good pool with sunbeds, which were always enough, friendly staff, parking for bikes, prices for minibar products in the room are only a couple of baht higher than the store ones.

To the sea about 5-7 minutes on foot, there are many cafes of different levels and cuisines around, shops, a market 10 minutes away, which is open on Tuesday and Saturday, fruit stalls, offices selling all kinds of excursions with good discounts (by no means ! ! Do not buy excursions at the airport or on the way from it. A taxi driver brought us to a travel agency on the way from the airport, supposedly in order to sign the statement, and at that time the girl tried to frankly sell us an excursion to the Phi Phi Islands for 3900 baht per person, enticing us with a free taxi transfer from the hotel to the airport and scaring us with the fact that for the next week all the places for these excursions are sold out. Near the hotel across the road, we bought this excursion for 1200 baht per person and went the next day! )