These days, untouristed beaches are few and far between, so we can all see the appeal of a story like ‘The Beach,’ which follows a utopian community on a remote Thai island untouched by tourism. The real-life inspiration for Alex Garland’s best-selling book, however, was the undeveloped paradise of Ang Thong National Marine Park, a stunning 42-island archipelago off the east coast of southern Thailand and most easily reached from the laidback island of Koh Samui.