Costs: This one is pretty nebulous at the moment. I can get an Air Thai NYC to Bangkok direct flight (17.5 hours) for about $1400. There are other flight options I am looking at via Hong Kong or Singapore, but the direct flight does appeal to me for many reasons. It would be another couple of hundred to carry onto Phuket. Diving and accommodation's would probably be in the $2K - 2.5K range with just the diving being $100 a day for a three tank dive on average. I am talking to a couple of local experts about that now. If I went that distance then I would like to stay for least 9 - 10 days of diving. Whatever pricing I get will be double checked through Wenchie to see if she can beat it with her contacts...
Concept: I am going for the diving. I know a lot of folks say to spend time doing the tourist thing in the rain forest and north country, but I can go back and do that when I am older and have an SO in my life... Yes Petra, I am talking about you... I suspect a combo of liveaboard and shore diving to see all that I can see. Weescot recommended Ko Phi Phi and the Andaman Sea. To that I will add the highly recommended Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock. One advantage to going as a group is we can hire a speedboat to take us where we want to go instead of a cookie cutter trip package.
I intend to do a middle of the road trip as far as comfort. I am not taking the cheapest, nor going with the most expensive for accommodation or LOB's. One recommended place on shore was Baan Krating. I am told the stated pricing drops in the off season.
OK, so that is where my research has led me so far. To be clear, nothing has been planned yet and I am open to suggs. Should give you an idea of what I have envisioned to this point though...
Simon,
You might want to consider a liveaboard. Though I see you have nixed it. How come? For your best diving, you gotta get away from the dayboats.
Robin