Rainy Season
 

How rainy is the rainy season in thailand? does it rain every day? is it a bad idea to travel to thailand during rainy season

Very rainy.
Yes, for an hour or so.
Definitely not.

one hour doesn't sound so bad. why do all the travel books say to avoid rainy season?

There are some islands that are hard to get to (some impossible) in the rainy season. It's not the best time for a beach holiday, although places like Samui still get 5 to 7 hours of sun a day during the rainy season.

Airlines charge more during the off-season, so it can be expensive to get here. But OTOH hotels charge less, so it's cheaper to stay.

what month did you have in mind....late august and september are the worst, but still manageable, depending on where you are...

This is my exact question. We are thinking of Thailand for our honeymoon - late September. Bangkok & some beach time, though we aren't sure which island/s yet. I'm from South Louisiana where we get thunderstorms most afternoons in the summer. Is this the same kind of thing??

Take a look at weatherbase.com and worldclimate.com for average rainfall. Louisiana's heaviest rainfall is 6 inches (in March), Phuket's heaviest is in September and is 16 inches; that is a lot of rain. While it may only rain for an hour or so each day you could easily have heavy clouds all day. You could also have rain for an entire day or more. Phuket does not get hurricane winds like the southern US, but it does get monsoon winds and while they are not of hurricane force, they will affect the currents and the clarity of the water, esp for diving. I personally would not pay for Phuket in August and September, even at "discount' prices; you will have paid a lot to fly and for hotels for an OK beach and possible rain, and some choppy waters for going to outlying islands where the good beaches and snorkeling and diving are. There is a reason hotels are discounted, it is the off season....

Bali is a better choice IMO for August and September. Virtually no rain.

The EAST coast of Thailand (i.e. Gulf of Thailand) or the east coast of Malaysia would be OK in Aug/Sept; there is a little rain, not nearly as much as the Phuket side. The winter monsoon is approaching, but has not arrived and generally you will find sunny days and good weather. (Wetter months there are from November through end March, just when Phuket is excellent.) Bali of course is driest in Aug/Sept

whirlwind, look under the post "Ive Just won a trip to Thailand", I have put in some thoughts and facts about the 'rainy season' ( note that different places get different weather )