Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and have found past posts extremely helpful.

I will be in Beijing in early April and plan to stop in Thailand for two weeks before returning to the U.S. I will be traveling with my brother who is meeting me in BKK - we are in our mid-twenties and would like to have an amazing time...I know I'm running out of time to plan, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on my plan as of now:

First, Spend the first 3-4 days experiencing Bangkok.

Then, fly to Chiang Mai and spend 3 days there (hopefully doing a 3 day trek with http://ChiangMaiTours.com/trekking.html)

Lastly, fly from CM to Southern Thailand -- most likely Phuket - although I'm open to other ideas.

A few questions:

1.By arriving in Thailand on April 19 and departing May 4, I know this is cutting it close to the rainy season -- should I switch the order of the trip and start at southern Thailand beaches/islands? Will the weather be good this time of year in Phuket with clear waters?

2. To get around these three places, I think we are going to purchase the Star Alliance Thailand Airpass - which offers 3 flights for about $150 and then $50 for each subsequent flight -- seems like a good deal, right?

3. We are really hoping for a less tourist/luxury/shopping experience and more of an outdoors/cultural/adventure type experience.... Does my plan reflect this desire? (we do plan to splurge in BKK though and stay at a nice hotel)

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated!!

Take a look at www.weatherbase.com for historic weather information. In April, historically it's been less rainy in the Koh Samui area than in Phuket. Early Arpil should be ok either place.

Your cultural experiences will be in Bangkok and the north. Basically, it looks like you've divided your time one week at a beach and one week for Bangkok/the north. That's fine if that is what you want, but remembr that you'll get little exposure to the Thai culture at the beaches which are basically international resort areas.

The airpass may or may not be a good deal. If you opt for fly to Koh Samui, only Bangkok Air flies there, so you'd be better off with their Discovery Pass (as they fly to CM as well). And if you are willing to fly one of the budget airlines, you can pay even less - no airpass, and there are downsides to the budget airlines, but it's something to consider.

You may want to consider whether the CM area is the best place to do your trekking. There are other options: the Golden Triangle area, or Pai or Mae Hong Son, for instance. The CM aera is the most touristed, so it's harder to get to palces that are "unspoiled." Do a bit of research on the north and see what you think.

For airfare - we did AirAsia all around Thailand - Phuket, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai - all for about $35-$40 total per person for 3 flights. I was really, really nervous about flying a super low budgt airline, but clearly, I survived... and my only bad story is that our flight out of Chaing Mai to Bangkok left 20 minutes EARLY! Who knew.

$30 total for 3 flights? Not per flight? You must not be including taxes..

I agree. Before buying a pass, check out all the discount airlines and other passes available like Bangkok Airways Discovery Pass that Kathie mentions because they're the only ones that fly to Samui. Discount airlines to check would be Air Asia, Nok Air, OneTwoGo, etc. I didn't like Air Asia due to hassle with luggage weight restrictions (it's only 15kg per person and they're strict). Loved Bangkok Airways. They feed you even on the 20 min flight!

If you have time, go to Ko Phi Phi instead of staying in Phuket. But it really depends on what type of beach experience you want. Phi Phi is an all-walking island with gorgeous views. It's charming. Phuket overall has a lot of resorts, and Patong Beach there, though great for swimming, has lots of sex trade. If you want a more unique non-resort experience, you should consider Koh Phangan (30 min ferry from Samui) or Phi Phi.

btw, here's a good site that outlines discount airlines in Asia: http://wikitravel.org/en/Discount_airlines_in_Asia

Matt
April is the month for Songkran (?). I don't know the exact dates. It is the water festival, when everyone is spraying everyone else with waterguns, buckets of water, etc. Have never been to it myself. DS has, and he says it is lots of fun. It is a good way to cool off, since April is the hottest month.

Thanks for all your help. I think we are set on Bangkok and the south. However, I really wanted to spend a few days in the North (Chiang Mai) but I emailed with a trek company and they said April would not be a good month to do a trek since it will be very hot and there will be no water for rafting.

Has anyone been to the Northern region during April? Does this mean that we should go to CM? I had really wanted to experience true Thai culture and do some outdoor backpacking/camping -- any other alternatives (within Thailand and perhaps a neighboring country) for elephant riding, trekking, camping, hiking, rafting, etc.?

Thanks!