Phuket is one of Thailand’s most accessible tourist destinations, with direct flights from UK airports. It’s also home to one of the seediest places outside of Bangkok in the form of Patong Beach. That’s possibly worth a day or two if downing rum in strip bars are your kind of thing, otherwise you’ll want to head slightly further south to the beach at Karon.
It’s a chilled out town, with not a whole lot happening in the evening, but the waves can get pretty rough. Last time I went there weren’t really any beginner boards to hire, so unless your pretty decent even standing up on the rough swell can be a challenge.
Unfortunately, the rest of Thailand isn’t great for surfing, so if you’re heading down to Krabi or Phuket and want to catch some waves, then this is your best bet.