Back to the beach

Golden sands, aqua-park fun and a floating bar beckon on Thailand's Koh Samui Island.

It has been a tumultuous year for Thailand after much political unrest in early 2014. Protests rocked Bangkok, then martial law followed after the military seized control of the country in May.

These events disrupted tourism nationwide. For instance, Koh Samui island, off Thailand's east coast, is unlikely to beat the 1.5 million tourist arrivals it achieved last year.