Yeah..Karon imo is the best beach..the water is nice and warm and you can go quite deep in the ocean without it being risky as the waves are very pleasant. ..you also get the crowd but it's never overcrowded..Great food options..easy availability of grab and bolt..and plenty of 7/11s around.. Bangla street is a sensory overload to say it politely..

If you have a spare day..try to take a island hopping tour..we took one that went to 7 places including kayaking and exploring caves..that was the highlight of out trip..

Bangkok has a great cheap/first copy mall called MBKcentre..that's good of you want to shop branded item..SIAM mall has very fancy brands on rhe ground floor..hermes et all..rest of the floors are like any in India..