The parties are fairly commercialised these days, but still worth the journey. First you ought to get the Insight Guides guidebook to the area you are going. Take a look at budget plan travel guides like "Lonesome Planet" or "Let's Go" or "Journey Advisor". There's stacks more to Thailand than simply Bangkok, Phuket and Ko Samui. Transport, hotels, and meals are lumped into one easy package on a cruise.