I often have workshops organised in Bangkok so what I normally do is to set up a month or so of computer work to do afterwards on the beach.  Here are a few places I’ve been:

Bangkok

Great for shopping, partying with friends but probably not the best place to work.  Finding apartments can be very difficult and hotels are usually quite expensive.   You could go and stay in some of the cheaper hostels, but make sure your computer is locked up.  WiFi is available in lots of places, either by buying a card or sometimes it’s free.   If I were you though I’d head out to one of the paradise beach areas.

Phuket

I’ve tried Phuket twice but never found anywhere really cool.  Expedia once had a great deal on the Dusit Laguna hotel which was fabulous, but there was nowhere cheap to eat nearby and hotel food got very expensive very quickly.  The hotels around Karon beach were cheaper but never had an atmosphere of getting some work done.  Krabi, another place popular in the tour books, was also similar.

Koh Samui

This is probably my favourite beach location to go to.   It’s cheaper than Phuket and I think the beaches are much nicer. Bangkok Air have regular flights that are easy to book online.    If you want to rowdy nightlife then Chewang beach is probably for you, but I prefer to head up to the North of the island where it’s much quieter.  You can pop out for a beer in the evening, but you can also get lots of work done during the day.

Here’s where I stayed the last time I was here, the Panalee resort:

I certainly think Thailand should be on any location free lifestyle list!