Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SeoulShakin]

I have a three week vacation in August, and would like to go to Thailand. Anyone been there then? Is it really rainy there at that time? Thanks!

[lawyertood]

Weather in Thailand
�Rain - June to October*
*South - Rain; May to November, some rain in dry season

What to Expect During Thailand's Rainy Season
No rain for a week at a time
Night rain and clear days
Torrential rains that last 30 minutes to 2 hours, then clearing and sun
Overcast days with little to no rain
Two to three days of partial day rain in a week is, especially later in the rainy season


from http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand-travel-information/weather.htm

Pretty much true from my experience

[VanIslander]

killer riptides I hear

the worst time of year to swim in the sea there

Warning from the British Consulate regarding Thailand:

[Drew345]

The heaviest rains are Sept and October, so August is not the worst of the rainy season.

Average Rainfall in August:
Bangkok: 190 mm
Seoul: 230 mm

Average high temp in August:
Bangkok: 32 mm
Seoul 30 mm

So in August Bangkok is slightly warmer, but not as wet as Seoul; that makes them about equal. All things being equal, get to Thailand.

The Phuket side (Andaman sea) will have the Southwest Monsoon in August. The Koh Samui side will be drier.

Of course, winter is the best time to go to Thailand, but August is actually not that bad. The hot season is over and the heavy rains haven't yet begun.
Drew

[Tony_Balony]

I rave about the wet season and how it does nature good as well as provide some dramatic scenery. I recommend a natural setting as well as an open mind about such experiences. I've made recommendations on this topic in this forum. I stand by them.

[oxfordstu]

August isn't that bad. I'm going to Thailand then as well. The Samui side will definitely be drier, in fact some bungalow operations dub this time the "high season" and hike up their prices. The Phuket side will be wetter, but expect it to rain on and off and then stop for a few hours. But during the night it's the worst - some of the most violent monsoons I've ever experienced. You should be fine - September and October are the worst months; it can rain all day and night sometimes.

[SeoulShakin]

Ok I didn't know about the Koh Samui side being less rainy. I thought about landing in Phuket, and wandering over to Koh Phi Phi.

But perhaps the other side would be less risky in terms of weather. So would landing in Phuket or Bangkok be easier to access the Koh Samui side of things? Any islands on that side people can attest to being a good place to go?

This seems to have altered the plan a bit... for now I guess I just need to know which airport will have the easiest access to those islands. I've never been there before, and I'm traveling alone, so this will all be new to me.

[Drew345]

When you land in Phuket you are at the mercy of a pretty pricy Taxi "set Price" mafia. And they really only go to Phuket Island. To land there and go directly off Phuket Island would be a little tricky. You would probably have to spend a night there on Phuket, not so bad except for the taxi mafia and first night commission price.
If you land in Bangkok, the taxis go to town by meter, much cheaper. You can take a train / boat combo to get to Samui, Phang Ngan, or Tao. Problem here is to be very careful on the train. Even though everyone knows there are theives on that train route, still bags get snatched most every night (from 2 girls last time I took that train). Seems like the train staff is conveniently unobservant. The buses on that route aren't much safer.
Sorry about the glum stories. Samui is a beautiful place, once you get there. It is just such a heavily travelled toursist route (BKK - Samui) that of course some people take advantage of the toursts.
You might check the Bangkok Airways flights from Bangkok to Samui. Check the website. If you take the last flight (or first) you get a discount. There is a terrible airport tax at the Samui airport (terrible because Bangkok Airways owns the airport), but you only pay that tax on departure. So fly down from Bangkok, and then take the train back. Yeah, that would be a good way.

[oxfordstu]

Yeah the first flight to Samui from BKK is at 6 am, the last is at 9 or 10pm. 2,000 baht one-way. Otherwise, it's 3200 baht one-way. If you're going to Samui, defintely don't stay there. It's over-commercialized and tons of tourist wander around thinking they've found "the real Thailand." Take a boat to Koh Phangan - much better IMO as long as you stay out of nasty Haad Rin.