My friend, it’s best that you don’t find out. Really. Just keep that memory.
Have a look at this link, lots of up to the moment information and you can “talk” to people actually in Thailand and in the area you are interested in.
Hope your son enjoys the expedience just don’t let him have him a credit card 
The Thai Visa forum can be useful, but take what you find with a grain of salt. I don’t participate on it because I’ve found too much misinformation there in the past, along with some serious jerks.
Watch out for Karon Beach in Phuket! Lonely Planet called it “good for families” and “one of the best places in the world to take children,” but 10 people have drowned there in recent months. Seems the deadly rip tides make even paddling around dangerous, and LP is considering dropping their recommendation. Story here.
Bumping this thread because I’d like to know what’s wrong with Patong Beach? A friend and I are considering staying at Patong Cottage for two weeks in January: http://www.patongcottage.com/
Patong is kind of a hole, and a crowded, overdeveloped hole at that. If you’re into girlie bars and lots of neon lights, that’s certainly the town for you. It’s been called “Phuket’s capital of hedonism” and “a testament to unchecked tourism.” Kind of a southern version of the Eastern Seaboard’s Pattaya. There are nicer beaches in the province, and really the surrounding provinces have nicer beaches still than anything in Phuket, such as the aforementioned Krabi and Phang-Nga provinces.
So Pattaya is similar to Patong in its crazy tourist hedonism?
It’s the other way around: Patong is similar to Pattaya, albeit on a much smaller scale. Pattaya is Sin City, THE model for debauchery throughout the entire world. No place can touch Pattaya; it’s so slimy that even I don’t like it, and I’m certainly no stranger to the Bangkok bars.
If you’re looking for a nice beach holiday, the wife and I spent almost a week on Railay Beach in Krabi province 4-1/2 months ago. Now that’s a nice place. We could easily have spent longer. It’s on a peninsula connected to the mainland, but limestone cliffs block it, so it’s accessible only by boat, giving it an island feel.
The west side of Railay – called Railay West, naturally – has the best beach, really the only beach, and so more expensive accommodation. There’s cheaper accommodation on Railay East, but there’s really no beach on that side, just mangrove orchards and such. However, it’s only a 5-minute walk between the two sides of the peninsula. And if you find yourself really hankering for an Irish pub, Ao Nang is only a 20-minute boat ride away, and you’ll find plenty there!
On Railay West, we stayed here and can recommend it highly. Swimming pool right on the beach, allowing you to switch back and forth between pool and ocean effortlessly. They offered a great deal – for every two nights, the third was free – and since this was in low season, that meant it averaged out to about 2200 baht a night (US$65), I believe, counting the free nights. Of course, you’ll be going in the high season, so prices everywhere will spike.
Check out the multi-day hiking treks out of Chaing Mai. Amazing experience.
And as everyone says, avoid all the famous tourist beaches.
Annnnnnd, He’s gone. Hope to hear from him soon. Thanks for all your help and suggestions.
Just in: Lost his camera at the airport.
Those can be good, but I would recommend going farther and taking them out of my old home of Mae Hong Son province if possible.
I hope it’s uphill from there. 
Yes, possessions often walk away in Thailand. Best to keep an eagle eye on them.
His eagle eye is PINK!
Yep 2 days in the country and he developed a bad case of Pink Eye. Today’s count of his classmates having it is 23.
Well, at least it’s only pink eye and not a certain other ailment that takes a course of penicillin to cure. ;)
Sounds like he’s having an adventure.
He is indeed. He was asked to work with the “Pros” already. Turns out his Jujitsu is outstanding. They don’t care for his kicking as much as he was taught Holland style. He is making friends as fast as ever, primarily people from GB and Australia, but he was out with 2 locals last night. His idea of drinking is 1 beer and 3 colas for the night, but he told them he was a lightweight.
I am talking to him over skype most nights. And I do worry about that other ailment.
Cool! Glad things are going okay. Siam Sam’s tales are guaranteed to drive away all but the most foolhardy of tourists.
Au contraire! 'Tis the foolhardy ones I would like to scare away, regardless of their entertainment value.