depends if one is here long term of just a few years. Assimilation takes time and many miss the goods things from back home. In my opinion it's all about balance and Thailand is perfect for that as it offers a variety of life styles and you can enjoy a hybrid of Western and Thai here
Out of those 3 locations i would spend less on Phuket and more time at Krabi. 2 days at Phiphi is about right, any longer can get pretfy repeitive and you'll be sick of the backpackers
exactly, but then the point that they are able to retire stands. I taught in China for a few years, it was fun in my 20's but i didn't do it for the sport of it haha. Hard work!