Thanks! Good info. We're already psyched for the elephant refuge camp, sounds amazing - good to know we need to book early. I'll look into Koh Rong - was thinking of doing a day trip to Phi Phi so that's good to know - will look at Ko Lanta instead. We definitely enjoy a crazy night or two but like the chill stuff just as much, so we're splitting our Phuket week into Patong and a cliff resort off the beaten path.
Ended up going with stops in Dubai and Bangkok to start for a couple days each, then Siem Riap, Chiang Mai, and Phuket for longer stints. As long as we survive the heat it should be a great trip. Now just looking at activities and day trips.