Need advice on Thailand in June & Intrepid Travel
 

Hello,
I have a daughter who is teaching in Shanghai, and my husband, myself and our other daughter are hoping to visit her in June when she is through teaching. The four of us would also like to travel somewhere in Asia after spending a couple days in Shanghai. We've already been to Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Suzhou, Hangshou & Hong Kong so would like to go someplace different. Thinking of Thailand but I'm concerned it might be unbearably hot and humid in June. Would appreciate opinions from other travelers. We are looking at tours by Intrepid Travel. Has anyone traveled with them before? Thanks for any advice/help!

ttt
Hello, if anyone has the time, I would love to hear from travelers who have been to Thailand and hear what they have to say about going there in June. Would it be unbearably hot & humid? Thanks.

Well it depends what you call 'unbearably hot and humid', that is really down to you, we live in Bangkok and yes, it is hot, that is to be expected. Out of the city though fresh air and sea breezes help a lot. Hotels/Vehicles are a/con and if you wear sensible clothing and don't spend too much time in direct sun it is manageable.
If you want a 'cool' beach area try around Cha Am or Hua Hin which has an almost 'Mediterranean' type climate, June should be balmy blue skies with maybe patchy white cloud and a constant breeze from the sea. I would not spend too much time in Bangkok once you have seen what you want to see, maybe the area around the River Kwai would suit if you want some jungle time.

Yes it will be hot and humid. That is a given for Thailand that time of the year. But if you have spent some time in that climate before, it should not be a problem as long as you limit your time outdoors, or plan accordingly. We've brought our two kids to Thailand for the entire summer the past few years while my wife teaches in Bangkok and after a while we all get used to it..somewhat. There are plenty of places with AC, and those that are not we tend not to go to for long periods. Traveling north to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai can be cooler, but it will still probably be humid.
For us, Thailand in June and July is great because the kids don't miss school and there are generally less tourists so the northern cities and seaside destinations like Krabi, Phuket and Ko Samui are much less crowded. Unlike a recent posting on Rayavadee, we stayed there in July and had no problem with crowds. The Railay beaches were virtually empty and snorkling around Phi Phi was very pleasant. The weather may be inconsistent in July, but that's part of the adventure.

Thanks to JamesA and dywong for your helpful information.

If you don't mind, I have another question. Do you know of any cities/locations north of Beijing that would be interesting to visit? I assume northern China would be cooler in June than Thailand.

Has anyone traveled with Intrepid Travel before?

Thanks.

I took a trip with Intrepid during February 2003 to Vietnam and Cambodia. I think that it is a great organization that provides very good tours at a good price. There is a nice mix of structured time and free time. You have organized tours to all of the most important attractions and they try to use interesting travel methods such as motorcycles, boats and cyclos. The accomodations are usually rather basic, but this isn't exactly Paris so it is not a big deal. They also have a strong commitment to being ecologically aware and giving back to the local communities where they provide tours. There were a couple of people on my trip who had used Intrepid previously in Thailand and they were very happy with the trip.

As for Bangkok/Thailand in the summer. I have never been during that time of year. I have only been during the "winter", if you can call it that. Bangkok is HOT in the winter. I cannot even imagine how hot it must be during the summer. However, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai had much better weather. I would suggest staying in Bangkok for only a couple of days and then going to the North or to the beaches to beat the heat.

By the way, I do not think you really need a tour in Thailand. It is amazingly easy to get around on your own.