On our way home from a business trip in India in late August, my husband and I are planning to stop in Thailand for about 9 days. I would appreciate itinerary ideas. I know we need to spend a couple of days in Bangkok. Should we then just go to the north and spend time there or should we also go south? We don't have much time so we don't want to spend all of our time en route somewhere. I know the beaches are beautiful, but we will be there during the rainy season.... Any advice would be appreciated.

i would suggest a few days at say hua hin south of bangkok (look at the hyatt) and about 5 days in bkk...i would split my bkk time at the beginning and end of my trip..

There is no season when all of Thailand is rainy. Take a look at www.weatherbase.com

I'd say to choose two places, either a few days in the north or a few days at a beach and the majority of your time in Bangkok. I think trying for three places will make it a trip of transits rather than an experience of Thailand. Bob's suggestion of Hua Hin is a good one.

Thank you for your input. Do you think spending time at the beach is better than seeing the north? I'm afraid if we just go to the beach area, we won't feel like we've seen much of Thailand. I had not heard of Hua Hin, so I will take a look at it. We were looking at Chiang Mai or possibly Ko Sumia. But I'm only going off what I have read so far. I do hear from people who have been that Bangkok is wonderful, even though it is crowded and dirty! I just don't want to go to a beach area and feel like I could be anywhere. I do want to get some feel of Thailand outside of Bangkok. I've heard that Phuket is nice, but given that we are going in August, I've also heard that it is best if we stay on the eastern coast if we are going to go to a beach area. Where will we see more of the culture?

If you go to the beach it will be Thai Lite. The beaches are designed primarily for western tourists. If you don't mind the rain, Chiang Mai will provide a much better representation of Thailand. If you do go to m a beach, i would recommend Ko Samui for August. Bangkok Air is the only carrier from BKK.

If you want to go to the north, I'd recommend the Golden Triangle area over Chiang Mai, but I'm not fond of CM. Some people love CM, others of us yawn. So if you don't feel the need to go to a beach, I'd opt for somewhere else that will give you more feel for the culture.

So are you saying that all of the beaches are more for tourists than anything else? If so, and with our limited time, it sounds like we need to go north. We do want to experience the country and not feel like we have been a just another beach resort. You say if we don't mind the rain, how much rain are we talking about in Chiang Mai in August? We were thinking of staying at the Four Seasons.

Thanks Kathie. What is it about the Golden Triangle that you like? What should we see there?

I'm someone who loves the north (Chiang Mai as well as the more rural parts) and think the south could be virtually anywhere. I love Chiang mai and consider it a highlight but it really depends on what you are interested in. If you want a more rural experience where you can do some treking and visit hilltribes the Golden Triangle area is for you. But if you want someplace where you can walk around, do a lot of shopping and not stay at a resort, chiang mai may be better.

i suggested hua hin because it is close and easy and cheap to get to....it is less foreign tourist orientated than say samui or phuket....you would not feel that you were at malibu, miami, key west, jersey shore at any thia beach location...

chiang mai is just another big city imo...i have been there 3 times and just cannot warm up to it...it is the only place in thailand that i feel that way about....

Gloria
As a North Thailand lover, can you please give me your opinion -- would it be too much for us to see a little of both Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai? I'm interested in Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle for the rural experience, etc. It seems that Chiang Mai has a little bit of both, with the city there as well. I'm looking to stay at the Anantara in Chiang Rai and the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai.