Thailand in the summer- advice

[Marcie101]

Hello. We are considering going to Thailand next summer. We know it's the rainy season but we don't know whether that means rain all day or just for half an hour a day. How humid is it and are there tons of mosquitoes? And do you get enough sunshine? We are hoping to go to Bangkok, Chang Mai and Kho Samui. Thanks so much for any advice you can give. X

I've been to Thailand in the summer and it's been fine. It's rained occasionally but the rain is torrential for a short time rather than our British drizzle. It is possible that it'll rain enough to spoil your holiday but it's a very slim chance. We're going next summer too but not booking accommodation beyond bkk until we're there. That way we can see what's going in weather wise

I spent six weeks in Thailand over an August and September spread across the north, Bangkok and islands. When it rained, it really rained but it was hot enough that things dried up quickly. Certainly wasn't enough to ruin the trip.

I used to live in Asia so visited Thailand a lot, especially Ko Samui and Bangkok (both easy weekend break destinations from where I lived). In summer rain tends to be sudden torrential downpours that might last an hour or so, and then clear up (until the next afternoon). It can be very cloudy/overcast for much of the time. Still nicely warm but 'lacking sun'. There are sunny outbreaks but if you want sun all the time, you need to go at a different time of year.

I went to Koh Samui in July. The rain was short but torrential, I've never seen rain like it! Was either sunny, or overcast ( but warm ) Was incredible sitting on the beach early evening watching the thunder and lightening. I just wore Deet and long sleeves in the evening to deter the mosquitoes. I did have to have a combined cholera, typhoid and diphtheria vaccination beforehand. Thailand is beautiful , pp are friendly and the food was delicious and cheap! Go, you won't regret it. Def take some v light waterproof jackets tho!

We went to Phuket in July a few years ago. We had hot sunny weather for the majority of the fortnight. Occasional short heavy downpours and 1 full day of rain. We had no problem with mosquitoes. I'd go again in a heartbeat, it was a brilliant trip.

Thanks so much. All really helpful! Looks like we will go and actually booking things as we go seems like a really sensible idea. Thanks a mil everyone. X

We got back on Saturday, stayed in Bangkok and Ko Samui. Barely saw any rain. The gulf side of Thailand where Ko Samui is situated is warm and sunny in July/Aug. You are more likely to see rain on the Phuket side.

We did a very similar itinerary last year, though we went to Khao Sok national park instead of Chiang Mai, and we did both Samui and Phangan. We actually preferred Koh Phangan to Koh Samui as it was a bit less developed and more relaxed. There was an absolutely amazing snorkel beach club there at a place called Koh Raham, which was a total win with our whole family. The night market was absolutely fantastic as well for evening meals. We rented motorbikes at about £4/day to get around the island.

One thing to be aware of that totally caught me off guard on our last trip is that late summer/early autumn (August-October) season is box jellyfish season in the gulf of Thailand. I freaked out halfway through our trip after coming across a beach sign and doing some googling. At very least, you should carry vinegar with you at the beaches. Resorts should have some on hand, but more remote places might not. They are more jellies prevalent after big storms, so maybe give the sea a miss for a day after one of those.

Brilliant and helpful. Thanks so much re all the tips for locations and jellyfish!! Really helpful x