Thailand help?

[hilz22]

Hi

Looking for advice?
For this summer we are thinking of Thailand. We have 2 boys 13 and 9, will there be enough to keep them entertained?
We are looking at August in Phuket. Any ideas on weather?

Many Thanks

H x

[Tink75]

Hi

We've been to Thailand before (pre kids) are off again at Christmas with our two children - they will be 11 and 8 when we go. Can't wait!

Thailand is a fantastic place to take children as on the whole the people are sooo friendly and genuinely love children. You do have to pick your resorts obviously as some are more suitable for couples. Trips etc can be tailored to children quite easily. We are going to do 4 or 5 including an overnight stay in a treehouse or a raft lake house - haven't decided yet and I have no issues about taking the children.

One thing I will say, for the time of year you are looking, you need to look at the other side of the country to get the best weather - the west side isn't as good - better in our winter (hence we are going then!). Koh Samui and the likes on the east side have better summers.

If you'd like any further info just ask!

Oh and most places in Thailand aren't malaria prone and so you don't always need malaria tablets (you do need to check this with your GP/Travel clinic) although you do need a strong repellant and take precautions like spraying room and wearing long sleeves/trousers etc - I'd particularly recommend the latter for children.

[tracy99]

Personally I wouldn't visit Phuket in August,because as said above the weather,would let you down & for me,that would totally spoil my holiday,but for some people,they get on with it & make the most of it,so it depends on how you personally deal with the rain.
Excellent advice above from tink,on looking at other parts of Thailand,at that time of year,as Phuket is driest probably between Nov-may.

Thailand as said,is great for children & there are lots of trips,that are child friendly,but for me,Phuket would not be my choice of resort with children.i just think the adult scene is a lot more,in your face in Phuket,where as we are returning to khoa lak 1st March,for the 2nd time & I can honestly say,it is like being a million miles away from the likes of Bangkok,Phuket & pattaya.the adult scene just doesn't seem to have reached khao lak & I hope it never does.

We were going to stay a couple of nights in Phuket,before flying home,but hubby has said he doesn't want to,so we are just going to get the local bus or a driver to visit the market & the big Buddha.
We are also looking at the tree house or floating raft hut,for an overnight stay,but my husband said I won't last the night,so undecided at the minute.

We were in Australia just before Xmas & we had a big log cabin booked for 2 nights,in the national park where they film I'm a celebrity,well I only lasted a night & got up & left the next morning.my imagination was running wild,regarding spiders,snakes etc,so maybe I'm not cut out for a tree house lol,but I keep thinking,what a great experience!
Let us know,wha you decide
Tracy x

[hilz22]

Thanks very much guys, how bad is the weather in Phuket?I have a great price for a really lovely hotel.
If it's just a few rain showers we will risk it however if it is rain all day everyday then we won't.
Thanks for the information about kids that has helped lots.
H x

[Tink75]

I've never been at that time - always gone in our winter, so you'll have do to some googling. I think the fact that the prices drop quite dramatically in our summer, as opposed to the prices on the East side which increase dramatically probably tell quite a story, but I'm no expert. Our prices for this Christmas are steep and while I would have loved a pool room, there's no way we could find the extra £1400-1700 they wanted. In summer however, the cost would have been no issue as the room is much, much cheaper.

Also, if you like the sea and want to swim, it will probably be a no-no in the summer on the West, it's very choppy and not recommended to go in the sea at all. As an example, in Khao Lak there are lots of dive companies who do tours to many of the best dive sites in Thailand - however, they tend not to run from May - October because of this reason. Some restaurants close too but I am unsure if this will be the case in Phuket as it's more touristy.

I suppose it depends how bothered you are about rain and humidity. Obviously the rain makes it much more humid.

If it were me I'd pay the extra and visit the other side of the country in our summer but then that's me, I just want to be guaranteed (as much as you can be!) good weather and being able to get out on trips and in the sea etc makes a holiday for us. I think Hua Hin looks great for families and I think there is a train you can get to Bangkok if you wanted to visit - it takes a long time but is do-able.

Have a look on the likes of trip advisor - there will be a Phuket forum where you can search for tips on weather etc.

[Guest]

Rain is usually in the mornings:
August lies within the monsoon season in Phuket and it does not seem to deter any tourists visiting the area. Many come for the night life and spend the days lazing on the beach after the morning rains have gone. Average rainfall drops slightly this month from July to 260mm and will increase towards the end of the month to the September high of 400mm. The rain will fall on an average of 19 days .

[LRMD]

We've been to Phuket twice, only ever been in January time when weather is nice so don't know what August would be like. I'm sure you will enjoy it though, Thailand is great for culture, temples, beaches, food and people!

[Ben1993]

We're going in July, I've read about the weather and understand what we're getting ourselves in for but it was still worth it for us. A friend who went last July said it will likely rain every day but not all day, we can live with that. Hoping to relax and get a massage or go for food during the showers etc.

[hilz22]

Thanks for all the advice, we decided to risk it, meh if it rains it rains I am sure there will be plenty to do

[Minnie4Mickey]

I spent a couple of months in Thailand back in 2014, we were in Phuket in August and spent about 7 nights there. The weather was perfect! There was a massive storm the night we arrived, but it was still warm, just heavy rain and lightening. It also rained another day around lunch time, but this didn't bother us at all. I would say the weather was better in other places we stayed, such as Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, but over all it was a great trip and I loved it.

I would recommend that you try and see some other areas of Thailand, especially Koh Phi Phi, it really is a beautiful country and Koh Phi Phi was stunning. It is really easy to get from place to place in Thailand and booking bus/coach or boat transfers.