You made me to take a mental note of this island, close to Bangkok and all. Next time I visit Thailand, this will be on my list.
As you, I also like to feeling a place can give when being together with not too many people in the same area. As you said, without knowing, you see the same people over and over throughout the days. This automatically creates a bond and can give the feeling of a small local community. The feeling of familiarity, albeit being in a 'strange' place, ie not at home.