Crystal blue water.  Squeaky soft sand.  Tropical islands covered in jungle.  This is the picture of Thailand that is commonly lusted after by holiday makers and planners.  However with over 29 million visitors a year, is it difficult to find a patch of paradise that’s not covered in crowds all vying for the same bit of sand.  Finding a beach outside of the tourist areas is off-putting if you don’t know where to go.  Also the garbage situation is horrendous; much of the coastline is incredibly dirty, full of trash spat out from the rivers from villages, or washed up by the tide, derelict buildings and shrimp farming operations running drains to and from the water.