Thailand in October
 

My fiancee and I are planning our honeymoon and considering Thailand. Our travel will be in the last half of October. We are anticipating a few days in Bangkok, a few days in the South (recommendations would be welcomed), a side trip to Ankgor Wat (or some other "adventure"), and a brief layover in Tokyo. What kind of weather could we expect? Thank you, in advance, for you response. Jim.

Bangkok is fantastic. Look into Phuket. Very tropical and great hotels. Why are you planning to fly all the way up to Japan? Have you thought about Hong Kong? Better shopping, better food, and everyone speaks English. Plus the weather will be warmer.

we always go in the fall...this past year we went on oct 26..it rained some the first few days, but that is not always the case....you should be ok...go as late as you can....we actually prefer mid-november, but you will be fine...<BR>bkk hotels: we prefer the marriott resort and spa, next the peninsula (maybe more than you want) and the jw marriott...the resort and spa simply has the best pool in bkk..<BR><BR>this time we also went to hua hin, which is 2.5 hours drive south of bkk...we also stayed in the marriott there which is also very nice...they are both 4-5 stars but more relaxed than some others...perfect for a relaxed honeymoon...the pool is the center of all activity at both and the hua hin has a fabulous beach steps from the pool..<BR><BR>many people like ko samui, but we have not been there...forget pattaya...karbi is nice as are the phi phi islands...chaing mai in the north is great too..<BR><BR>we wwent to angkor wat for 2.5 days...that is the minimum to plan for i feel....its very difficult to see it all in a short time...you need a guide and driver ---this is a must to see things....$20/each per day, but well worth it....bangkok air from bkk is great...they have a nyc office and internet booking....we stayed at the angkor village<BR>have a blast

No doubt about it, Phuket is a great island and has some great hotels for a honeymoon, like the Amanpuri. However, take a look at worldclimate.com, and you will see that October is the tail-end of the monsoon season, with an average rainfall of 12 inches. That being said, it could be a very dry month and you may get little rainfall. If you are going at the very end of the month and over into November, you might have better luck, although the rainy season really doesn’t end until December. It is really hard to predict. <BR><BR>Hua Hin mentioned above is also prone to rain in October and November so bear that in mind.<BR><BR>If you don't need a beach, you might consider northern Thailand (Chiang Mai area) as October is also the last month of the rainy season, the historic rainfall levels (5 inches) are less than Phuket and would be more manageable. This should be the same for Ankor Wat if you decide to go there. This is also the last month of the rainy season in Bangkok, but I have been to Bangkok in virtually every month of the year and you can always get rain, and its pretty much always hot and humid. (This does not mean you won't enjoy Bangkok, as you will regardless of heat and humidity.)<BR><BR>If you want a beach, Bali might be a better choice weather-wise (and is also a truly magical place). The main problem with Bali is that unless you can get a direct flight (4 hours) it can take up to 8 hours to get there from Bangkok. It is worth it IMHO, but may not be to you.<BR><BR>I assume your layover in Tokyo is only for a few hours. If not and you have a few days, I would agree with the above poster that you consider going to Hong Kong and then on to Bangkok. You could also consider skipping Thailand and going south to Bali from there instead. There are many more direct flights from Hong Kong to Bali. If you are considering Indonesia, then a trip to Borbadour in Jogyakarta (island of Java next to Bali) would be a fantastic substitute for Ankor Wat. You may have security issues with traveling in Indonesia, so I leave that to you.<BR>

I tend to agree that Hua Hin is easy and very low rainfall at any time, dry now through to end October.

We just got back for Thailand and Angkor Wat in February. I would highly recomment Angkor Wat. It is amazing. We only spent 2 nights there and wish we would have spent 3. Also, if your looking for a relaxing place with awesome scenery I would highly recommend Krabi. We stayed a Rayavadee. You get your own 2 story villa. The location is beautiful, 3 beaches set in between limestone cliffs. There are also excursions you can take during the day to the surrounding islands. The island were the movie the Beach was filmed is one place you can go to. We also went to Phuket and stayed in a pool villa at Banyan Tree. The room was awesome but the scenery in Phuket doesn't compare to Krabi. We booked out trip through Asian Affair Holidays which is connected with Singapore Airlines. The trip went so smoothly. We had our own private guide in Bangkok and Angkor Wat, all transfers, and a tour included during each part of the trip. I would definately use this company again. They were all very professional and spoke English very well. Hope this helps. Again, we have traveled extensively and this was the best trip we have been on!!!!! Good luck.