Thailand in September?

bainbridge · 8 Dec 2022 at 13:49

According to the internet, September is one of their rainiest months of the year, but a good holiday there can still be had, usually with a short heavy shower in the afternoon and it still being warm.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

Due to me changing jobs, the only week off the GF and I can get that coincides is in mid September.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a sunny warm September destination?

ChrisD. · 8 Dec 2022 at 14:02

My mate lives there, I asked him similar as I saw a load of deals, he said don’t waste your time.

bainbridge · 8 Dec 2022 at 14:17

ChrisD. said:
My mate lives there, I asked him similar as I saw a load of deals, he said don’t waste your time.

What reasons did your mate give for not going at this time?

ChrisD. · 8 Dec 2022 at 15:45

He just said only go if you like getting wet.

SixTwoSix · 8 Dec 2022 at 15:55

I did Thailand in September back in 2006 and over 3 weeks, we had 3 totally rained out days, maybe half the other days had sporadic showers. However their showers are blink and you miss them and dried off in little time.

SixTwoSix · 8 Dec 2022 at 16:02

Another thought, we went to an island in Komodo National Park in Indonesia for 10 days of a 3 week break in September 2016 and there wasn't even a hint of rain, worth considering and some of the best water you're likely to see in south east asia outside of remote Phillipines islands.

Hades · 8 Dec 2022 at 16:05

I've been in rainy season. I can't recall whether it was September though. When it rains its like someone has instantly turned a tap on. Then a short time later straight off. I would prefer to go in non rainy season but would still go in rainy season if that was the only free time I had.

Rotty · 8 Dec 2022 at 16:39

Varies a lot by area, Phuket is def a non starter, we go to SE Asia in Jan - Mar each year but do have an extra trip in September booked for next year, I'm prepared to take the risk

Vandle · 8 Dec 2022 at 21:35

When it rains it properly rains mind, not like rain in the UK. If it s a short shower then its dry usually within the hour however roads can flood pretty easy due to poor drainage and Phuket is particularly susceptible to this. We had three heavy days in a row one year I was there and its thoroughly miserable, you really cant do much but sit in your hotel room. If you have a couple of bars in short walking distance they may be open but its a chore getting there.

Raymond Lin · 8 Dec 2022 at 21:38

SE Asia rain at the rainy season is like stepping into a shower with clothes on. UK rain (most of the time), you don’t even need an umbrella.

Not only it’s rainy season, it’s typhoon season too i think.

I mean, it’s an experience!

soundb0y · 8 Dec 2022 at 21:38

We did 10 days end of Sept 2019 on Koh Samui.

TBH the weather was pretty crap. Mega storms for 2 or 3 of the days which lasted until early afternoon.

Not a huge amount of sun.

Didnt ruin the trip but it could have been better, but I assume thats why it was cheap. The trip itself that is, we found nothing over there was actually that cheap as we'd imagined.

wez130 · 9 Dec 2022 at 02:58

I did a week in Bangkok in September on my way to NZ in 2017, it rained every day, but short heavy showers and some spectacular thunder storms, mainly early evening. It wasn't wet all the time, and when it wasn't raining, it was always sunny.

Lima · 9 Dec 2022 at 08:08

7 years ago we had our honeymoon in Thailand around the first week (possibly second week) of September. It was about 50/50 warm weather with rain showers / sunny with a bit of cloud and baking hot. We spent several nights in Bangkok and and about 9 nights in koh samui.

Is it a perfect dream holiday time to go - no
Is it still decent if the deal is good - yes as you will still have a blast.

MikeTimbers · 9 Dec 2022 at 10:49

Lived there for over two years and the rainy season really isn't that bad. It's very humid, often overcast but the rain is generally relatively short-lived, then it steams, then it's dry. I was in the South-East near Rayong.

bainbridge · 9 Dec 2022 at 19:13

Thanks for sharing your experiences folks, I want to take her somewhere warm outside Europe, but money is fairly tight. It's a compromise but it sounds like a good holiday there can still be had.

sanaxe1 · 9 Dec 2022 at 22:33

Did 16 nights from September 4th this year. The weather was great we Had 2 hours of rain the entire time.

teenwolf · 9 Dec 2022 at 22:46

Who cares when you go ladyboys are a go go

weringo · 9 Dec 2022 at 23:46

Thailand is cheap even in dry (peak) season so I wouldn't bother going in September when there's a good chance a lot of your holiday could be ruined.

What about Sri Lanka instead? In terms of variety of stuff to do its similar to Thailand, just as cheap, but you will get decent weather at that time. Edit: ignore that - apparently now is not a great time to visit!

SixTwoSix · 10 Dec 2022 at 07:49

bainbridge said:
Thanks for sharing your experiences folks, I want to take her somewhere warm outside Europe, but money is fairly tight. It's a compromise but it sounds like a good holiday there can still be had.

Have you looked at Vietnam, we managed a decent holiday there for 10 days in 2015 when we didn't have a great deal to spend and i'd say it's better than Thailand in almost every way.

bainbridge · 10 Dec 2022 at 08:15

SixTwoSix said:
Have you looked at Vietnam, we managed a decent holiday there for 10 days in 2015 when we didn't have a great deal to spend and i'd say it's better than Thailand in almost every way.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll certainly check out Vietnam. I also had a look at holidays in Komodo national park, and ended up being directed to some general holidays in Bali, the cheapest being about 2k for 2 people, but I didn't check if that included us being fed.

Regarding Vietnam, is it fairly westernised outside the capital? My only experience of the east is 3 weeks in Cambodia 4 years ago, which I really enjoyed, but it's a developing country and I know that my GF wouldn't have liked it there.