Looking at going out to thailand next year will be 6 of us 23-25 wheres the best place to go? looking at going for 2 weeks? and around december time so were there for new years
Depends what you want. Score the importance of nice beaches, beer, Thai girls, mountains, cities out of 10 and there's a few Lifers here than can help you.
For beer and parties head south to Koh Phangnan, Ko Phi Phi and Kao Tao which is a bit more chilled.
Limit your time in Bangkok and don't bother with Phuket unless you're going to non-touristy areas. I arrived in Patong, walked around, booked a bus out, dosed up on valium then left the next morning.
I didn't see any beer in a bag but had soft drinks like that a couple of times.
Beer is plentiful in Thailand, so that's not a problem. It is usually a bit stronger than the UK though, so be careful!
For beaches and mountains, Ko Chang is a nice island. It's quite laid back; one end of the island has a busier (but not manic) beach and at the other end very quiet beaches.
Red Panda has suggested good beer and parties places. You might add Koh Samui to that, but, personally, I feel it has been spoilt. The main beaches Chaweng and Lamai were once really nice but now they are just several miles of bars, restaurants and shops. There are, however, some nice quieter beaches.
I again agree with Red Panda about Phuket - the non-touristy bits are quiet nice, but it's not my favourite island. Pattaya is also a party town but it is wall-to-wall bars and girlie bars. It's quite hard to chill out there (unless you know where to go) and you feel as though you have to have a good time, if you get what I mean. Ko Samet is near Pattaya (about 1 hour) and is a lovely, a small and peaceful island which I like for a couple of days.
On the city front, Bangkok is much more like any other city these days, but, for the first time visitor, I think it holds some interest even if the traffic can get you down. In the north, Chiang Mai is a really nice city - very different to Bangkok with a bit of everything - beer, bars, restaurants, mountains - and, a laid back city, but no beach. If you really want to travel around and seem some spectacular mountains, there's some amazing areas in the north like Mae Hong Sorn, Pae etc. which are amazing though not so exciting on the beer front.
Finally, for beaches Krabi and Phi Phi should be on your list. There is a real mix of fairly lively to quiet places and some nice day trips on boats you can take between islands.
Just got back from Thailand, do not miss out on Bangkok its a mad city, just limit yourself to a few days there thou, pretty sure that city steals your soul if you stay too long...
I went to Thailand last December for just over five weeks. Bangkok is great for one maybe two nights max. Spent xmas on Kao Tao, was a good laugh but just like another day. New years eve was koh samui for a few days, the place was a dump, full of white trash getting pissed. I'm not a snob but this was like a tropical Bexleyheath Broadway.
Highly recommend doing an open water padi course in Kao Tao, met loads of great people and it was a nice chilled night life.
Also went Cambodia, northern Thailand and Laos. If you can stretch to three weeks you can do quite a bit.
Beer in Thailand is not regulated (so I was told) so it may say 6% but its more likely 12%. Its great!
Be warned though book your hotels for the smaller islands before you go as most sell out. On Kao Tao I was spending loads.
Note that Crystal dove resort give free accommodation if you are learning with them. Great value for money.
Sleeper train to Chiang Mai - find a guest house in the city centre, go trkking in the jungle/visit the hill tribes and spend a few days chilling out.
Or go to Kanchanaburi - in western Thailand, stay on a floating hotel on the River Kwai, see the bridge, the Hellfire Pass Museum, the Tiger temple and much more.
Bangkok has a bad rep amongst a lot of people but personally I think it is one of the most amazing cities in the world - something for everyone. Just make sure you get off the Khao San Road, this is not Bangkok!
New Years on Koh Phangnan is expensive and really not that great.
Recommend Koh Samet and Koh Chang and agree with other comments regarding Phuket and Samui - the main areas Patong on Phuket and Chaweng on Samui could be the Costa Del Sol - not a very Thai experience. However there are some nicer areas on the islands such as Nai Yang or Cape Pawa on Phuket.
Other places to go instead of Phuket and Samui are Koh Lanta, Krabi (Railey Beach) and Koh Lipe.
Been to Koh Lipe (Koh Turatao park),that was some experience but more for the backpacker than full on party hedonist.That's got to be Koh Samui or Phangan. Was there prior Tsunami. The inhabitants (sea gypsys) all have bamboo houses and live in the area that's like a billiard table so i'd hate to think what happened there that day. Magic place though,snorkelling/canoeing/general beach bumming and bungalows on stilts on the shore (cheap as chips). You can get boat trips to the adjacent park islands just for the day or the opposite extreme where you live off the land for up to 4 days !! (Inspired by 'The Beach' no doubt) The food was ace as well,(Thai food is crap in UK) don't expect fish though(to eat that is) it's a marine national park.
First the bad news: you are there at the most expensive time of year. But you should get the best weather.
A group of six, aged 23 to 25 with beer as you number one priority.
I'd suggest in just two weeks that you stick to Bangkok plus one area or you'll spend too much time travelling. As you want to go to Koh Phangan then, like some other posters above, I'd recommend three nights in Bangkok when you arrive. By all means stay on Khao San Road but get away from there to see the best of Bangkok. And as for the suggestion of Patpong; forget it. It ain't what it used to be. Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza are better for the seedy entertainment, albeit much pricier than it used to be.
After Bangkok go to the three islands, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. All different from each other. Koh Tao is a budget diving place in particular so gets a fairly young crowd and is quite laid back. Koh Phangan will be packed at New Year so if you want to go book accommodation early. Samui has several different beach resorts and if it's nightlife you are after then Lamai or Chaweng, despite the over-development, will be the best places for you. Lamai has a much better beach.
The alternative would be Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and Koh Phangan. A bit more travelling involved. Phuket is fine, though transport is very expensive. I'm in Karon Beach though I think Patong might be more up your street. Phi Phi is now a backpackers party island, though the scenery in the surrounding islands is still spectacular. A bit of rock-climbing near Krabi then across to the other side for Koh Phangan.
I would recommend booking your accommodation in advance for all these places at that time of year as it is peak season.
it all depends on what your looking for. good beaches ---loads all over good food--as above ---not so many street vendors these days (shame) but they were brill as well. Clothes----- of course its knock off heaven----but get your whistles made there and its still great for all sorts of gear (not up your hooter gear) Naughty stuff---of course its all over the gaff.
lived there for 3 years 1989 --1992. Still go back most years. Best tourist place for me is Krabi----stunning. Dont fly there in monsoon season !!
Different parts of Thailand have different wet seasons - some places have two wet periods. It's worth checking this out by Googling around as some places can be non-stop rain at times.
Tel, have a look at Thai Malaysia Addick's advice and google specific places as it really is variable. It also changes annually. This year it seems to of started about 6 weeks later than last year in Bangkok. The thing about the monsoon season is that it really does not affect whole days but only a few hours max and you can normally predict the hours 3-5pm or at night.
Monsoon season well and truly here in Phuket. Storms and floods yesterday and today and expected all week.
Generally speaking, and it does vary from place to place and year to year, the monsoon season is generally from the end of April/early May until sometime in November. But we have had rain into late December and even early January a couple of times in the past few years. And believe me, what Bangkok Dave said about the bad weather not affecting whole days, is not the case down south where we often have periods of a few consecutive days of cloud and rain with no respite.
I recommend Krabi and Railay too. can get boats to Phi phi from there i think and other places. Whenever I went I always went back there. Totally chilled.
Only did one full moon party on phangan but It was an experience. Was on Koh Samui for a New Year's Eve once which was one of the best ever but I'm talking 1994 here and I hear its changed drastically. there's even a Burger King there now I hear. Sad.
Comments
beer 10
mountains 8
girls 3
cities 5
and ideally would like to be at koh phangan for the 4th january 2015
Limit your time in Bangkok and don't bother with Phuket unless you're going to non-touristy areas. I arrived in Patong, walked around, booked a bus out, dosed up on valium then left the next morning.
I didn't see any beer in a bag but had soft drinks like that a couple of times.
For beaches and mountains, Ko Chang is a nice island. It's quite laid back; one end of the island has a busier (but not manic) beach and at the other end very quiet beaches.
Red Panda has suggested good beer and parties places. You might add Koh Samui to that, but, personally, I feel it has been spoilt. The main beaches Chaweng and Lamai were once really nice but now they are just several miles of bars, restaurants and shops. There are, however, some nice quieter beaches.
I again agree with Red Panda about Phuket - the non-touristy bits are quiet nice, but it's not my favourite island. Pattaya is also a party town but it is wall-to-wall bars and girlie bars. It's quite hard to chill out there (unless you know where to go) and you feel as though you have to have a good time, if you get what I mean. Ko Samet is near Pattaya (about 1 hour) and is a lovely, a small and peaceful island which I like for a couple of days.
On the city front, Bangkok is much more like any other city these days, but, for the first time visitor, I think it holds some interest even if the traffic can get you down. In the north, Chiang Mai is a really nice city - very different to Bangkok with a bit of everything - beer, bars, restaurants, mountains - and, a laid back city, but no beach. If you really want to travel around and seem some spectacular mountains, there's some amazing areas in the north like Mae Hong Sorn, Pae etc. which are amazing though not so exciting on the beer front.
Finally, for beaches Krabi and Phi Phi should be on your list. There is a real mix of fairly lively to quiet places and some nice day trips on boats you can take between islands.
Well, that's probably bamboozled you!
Highly recommend doing an open water padi course in Kao Tao, met loads of great people and it was a nice chilled night life.
Also went Cambodia, northern Thailand and Laos. If you can stretch to three weeks you can do quite a bit.
Beer in Thailand is not regulated (so I was told) so it may say 6% but its more likely 12%. Its great!
Be warned though book your hotels for the smaller islands before you go as most sell out. On Kao Tao I was spending loads.
Note that Crystal dove resort give free accommodation if you are learning with them. Great value for money.
Enjoy
Or go to Kanchanaburi - in western Thailand, stay on a floating hotel on the River Kwai, see the bridge, the Hellfire Pass Museum, the Tiger temple and much more.
Done.
New Years on Koh Phangnan is expensive and really not that great.
Recommend Koh Samet and Koh Chang and agree with other comments regarding Phuket and Samui - the main areas Patong on Phuket and Chaweng on Samui could be the Costa Del Sol - not a very Thai experience. However there are some nicer areas on the islands such as Nai Yang or Cape Pawa on Phuket.
Other places to go instead of Phuket and Samui are Koh Lanta, Krabi (Railey Beach) and Koh Lipe.
A group of six, aged 23 to 25 with beer as you number one priority.
I'd suggest in just two weeks that you stick to Bangkok plus one area or you'll spend too much time travelling. As you want to go to Koh Phangan then, like some other posters above, I'd recommend three nights in Bangkok when you arrive. By all means stay on Khao San Road but get away from there to see the best of Bangkok. And as for the suggestion of Patpong; forget it. It ain't what it used to be. Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza are better for the seedy entertainment, albeit much pricier than it used to be.
After Bangkok go to the three islands, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. All different from each other. Koh Tao is a budget diving place in particular so gets a fairly young crowd and is quite laid back. Koh Phangan will be packed at New Year so if you want to go book accommodation early. Samui has several different beach resorts and if it's nightlife you are after then Lamai or Chaweng, despite the over-development, will be the best places for you. Lamai has a much better beach.
The alternative would be Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and Koh Phangan. A bit more travelling involved. Phuket is fine, though transport is very expensive. I'm in Karon Beach though I think Patong might be more up your street. Phi Phi is now a backpackers party island, though the scenery in the surrounding islands is still spectacular. A bit of rock-climbing near Krabi then across to the other side for Koh Phangan.
I would recommend booking your accommodation in advance for all these places at that time of year as it is peak season.
good beaches ---loads all over
good food--as above ---not so many street vendors these days (shame) but they were brill as well.
Clothes----- of course its knock off heaven----but get your whistles made there and its still great for all sorts of gear (not up your hooter gear)
Naughty stuff---of course its all over the gaff.
lived there for 3 years 1989 --1992. Still go back most years. Best tourist place for me is Krabi----stunning. Dont fly there in monsoon season !!
Both can be early or late
I have visited Thailand in October when the monsoon should be over but was in full fury.
i would say august september is the monsoon season
Lads holidays surely should be
beaches n/a
beer 9
mountains n/a
girls 10
cities n/a
Generally speaking, and it does vary from place to place and year to year, the monsoon season is generally from the end of April/early May until sometime in November. But we have had rain into late December and even early January a couple of times in the past few years. And believe me, what Bangkok Dave said about the bad weather not affecting whole days, is not the case down south where we often have periods of a few consecutive days of cloud and rain with no respite.
But at lease it's warm rain!
Only did one full moon party on phangan but It was an experience. Was on Koh Samui for a New Year's Eve once which was one of the best ever but I'm talking 1994 here and I hear its changed drastically. there's even a Burger King there now I hear. Sad.