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As my wife works in the education sector all of our travel plans have to be during school holidays. We want to return to Asia / Thailand after a 20 year break. So what would be the better weather option if there is one ie Easter (end of March / April) or the summer months (July / August)
Hi @gw57
From our own experience we went to Thailand in Easter – April 2019 with our two boys – 13 and 11 at the time. We travelled to Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai and had an absolutely wonderful time. It was very hot and humid but clear skies and was dry all the time we were there.
– Bangkok was absolutely boiling and humidity was crazy high – can be quite sapping so pace yourself
– Chiang Mai was a bit smoggy due to burning season but it didn’t affect us too much. Make sure you read up about this though.
– Phuket was just gorgeous and we were there for Songkran. This was an unforgettable and fun experience for the whole family so if you are going in Easter and the timings line up make sure don’t miss this festival.July/August – we haven’t been but I understand you are likely to encounter sudden downpours as the monsoon season is in effect but I believe these are generally short lived. I’m sure others will chip in with their own experience of travelling to Thailand in these months.
In general, spring and autumn are good to visit SE Asia. But weather can be very different on each coasts. The aim is to avoid the rainy seasons. Best to refer to below:
Have live and work Bangkok – Like others have mentioned March/April can get very hot, especially in Bangkok. August is heading into rainy season and can tend to have afternoon downpours. (Usually around 3:30pm as schools finishes 🙄). Phuket very hot in April and can be quite wet and rainy in August. (Also just as a warning Phuket has had a big influx of long term Russians since the war started).
Places we enjoy visiting are Koh Samet/Koh Chang/koh Tao/Khao Lak/Chiang Mai – For something a bit more local and less touristy try an area called ‘Prachuap Khiri Khan’ south of Hua Hin – No Chinese tour buses here 😉. (We have 2 kids under 10 so our priorities are a little different 😉).
Also – April in Songkran festival (Water festival) and is the big Thai holiday period so busy for domestic travel as well.
Feel the pain of being tied to school holidays – Me and the wife are both teachers, quit the UK 4 years ago. Work in an international school in Bangkok now. Half term this week, the beach is 40m from my bed as I’m typing this 😎.
Have visited Bangkok during the last two school summer holidays. Had no trouble with rain.
We may have been lucky though.Personally I find March/April too hot and uncomfortable in Bangkok, so if you’re the type who enjoys a lot of city exploring then August may be better. It’ll be cheaper too hotels wise. However that is really not the time to visit Chiang Mai and the north as it’ll be very wet then. I went there in March (2020 in fact!) and didn’t find the smog conditions a problem
Beach wise – Mar/April Phuket will likely be dry but very hot. August time I’d probably aim to Koh Samui or other east coast options, though I’ve been to Phuket plenty of times around then and it’s usually fine as long as you are ok with the odd shower / wetter day.
Have live and work Bangkok – Like others have mentioned March/April can get very hot, especially in Bangkok. August is heading into rainy season and can tend to have afternoon downpours. (Usually around 3:30pm as schools finishes 🙄). Phuket very hot in April and can be quite wet and rainy in August. (Also just as a warning Phuket has had a big influx of long term Russians since the war started).
Places we enjoy visiting are Koh Samet/Koh Chang/koh Tao/Khao Lak/Chiang Mai – For something a bit more local and less touristy try an area called ‘Prachuap Khiri Khan’ south of Hua Hin – No Chinese tour buses here 😉. (We have 2 kids under 10 so our priorities are a little different 😉).
Also – April in Songkran festival (Water festival) and is the big Thai holiday period so busy for domestic travel as well.
Feel the pain of being tied to school holidays – Me and the wife are both teachers, quit the UK 4 years ago. Work in an international school in Bangkok now. Half term this week, the beach is 40m from my bed as I’m typing this 😎.
Small world….. my son also teaches at an international school in BK !
A very useful thread – out of interest, what is the Winter holiday period (later December, early January) likely tbe be weather-wise?
A very useful thread – out of interest, what is the Winter holiday period (later December, early January) likely tbe be weather-wise?
This will be peak season offering the best weather of the year. Mostly sunny, very little rain and not too hot.
A very useful thread – out of interest, what is the Winter holiday period (later December, early January) likely tbe be weather-wise?
This will be peak season offering the best weather of the year. Mostly sunny, very little rain and not too hot.
And as I’m discovering the most expensive time of year! I’ve booked accommodation for Dec in Khao Lak and the prices were a bit of a shock to what I was originally expecting. If going over Dec peak period (i.e. school holidays) I would advise you get booking accommodation ASAP!
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