Was In Angeles for New Years of 2005 and had an awesome time. In my opinion Angeles is where you go if you just want to party your a$$ off. In phuket you have the beach, food, culture, etc...... however Angeles is all about drinking, partying, and girls. So as long as your not expecting great food or a resort type of atmosphere you will have a blast. For hotel reccomendations I stayed at the Orchid in
http://www.orchid-inn.com/
I thought the hotel was a great choice for location and also the staff is very nice. For instance there are not to many ATM's on Fields Ave so if you need money at night the front desk will let you use your credit card to get cash. Also they were very quick to bring extra towels or whatever else you might need. In all Angeles is worth a visit because its a non stop party and the fact that you only pay barfines for the girls and only have to tip them a little in the morning helps too.