Chiang Mai / Phuket / Bangkok (Thailand)

Trading Europe for the Thai Rainy Season

After a magical stay in the southern Japanese islands, we made a major audible: we ditched our original plan to summer in Europe. We already had refundable flights booked from Bangkok to Amsterdam and were entirely prepared to explore the Netherlands and the Basque region of Northern Spain. However, since we were already in Southeast Asia, we decided to lean into the rainy season and stay in Thailand for the summer months.

The payoff? Far fewer tourists, a beautifully relaxed vibe, and accommodation prices slashed by more than 50% compared to the high season.

We split our four months in the Land of Smiles into three locations: one month in Chiang Mai, one month in Bangkok, and two months exploring the island of Phuket.

Slow-Rolling Through Phuket, Thailand

I’ve traveled to Southeast Asia numerous times over the last 30 years, but I had never spent the summer months here.  Many fellow travelers assured us that the low season was a fantastic time to visit—boasting significantly lower prices and smaller crowds. They weren’t wrong.

Because the island of Phuket is so large, we decided against hunkering down in just one spot for our two-month stay.  Instead, we elected to experience four distinct beach areas, splitting our time between extended stays in Kata/Karon, Surin, Patong, and Nai Harn.

Visiting during the low season does have its trade-offs. You have to expect heavy rainfall at times, and larger storms can stir up the sea.  But during our first month, the sun was out every single day.  Nothing beats hanging out on vintage Thai beaches with that unique Southeast Asian beach vibe and flawless blue-green water.  It is a true beach-lover’s paradise.

The Phuket Beach Breakdown

• Our Favorites: Surin Beach and Nai Harn Beach took the crown for us.  While we didn’t stay in the northwest section of the island, we visited Banana Beach and Nai Thon Beach.  Both are beautiful, relaxing havens situated a blissful distance away from the madness of Patong and Kata/Karon.  Karon Beach was once my absolute favorite beach on the island and was the beach I hunkered down on during my first visit to Phuket in 1992.  However, it has become a bit too developed nowadays.

The Beach Club/Restaurant Breakdown

• The Glam Scene: If beach clubs filled with glamorous, hipster travelers from around the globe is your scene, this northwest coast is the place to be. Check out Carpe Diem, and Catch.
• The Chill Vibe: For beach restaurants complete with the obligatory DJ and nightly fire show, the popular ones include: Hugo Hub, Nomad, Kalido, Lazy Coconut, Nora, and Rava.
• The Ultimate Relaxation: For a proper hippie beach atmosphere, we loved Smigo’s Bar & Restaurant for dinner. It features a strategically placed on-site cannabis bar right next to a row of massage tables. Food, weed, a massage, and the beach—the ultimate superfecta.

The Low-Season Reality Check

When the first heavy rains finally rolled in, they brought a frustrating downside: plastic debris washed ashore. It was deeply disturbing to see.

Locals claim the plastic drifts in from neighboring countries like Indonesia, where garbage thrown into the ocean is carried to Thailand by strong summer currents.  I can’t vouch for the validity of that, but regardless of where it originates, seeing polluted beaches is heartbreaking.

Years ago, Phuket’s beaches underwent a massive cleanup initiative by the Thai military and local authorities.  They removed vendors renting out ugly plastic loungers, umbrellas, and makeshift shops selling cheap trinkets.  It was a brilliant move that revitalized Phuket’s sweeping sandy coastlines, making them cleaner and accessible to everyone.

I just wish local authorities would take that initiative one step further and prioritize collecting the plastic debris that washes ashore.  Tourism is the lifeblood of Thailand’s economy, especially on the southern islands.  I cannot wrap my head around why the local government doesn’t have a dedicated cleanup program in place.  It’s like running a five-star restaurant and not washing the plates properly.  It seems so easy to implement, and leaving it undone is completely inexcusable.  If I ever strike it rich and become a mega-millionaire, a charity I would fund will be a small army dedicated to keeping these beaches spotless year-round.

Fortunately, most high-season tourists (November through April) rarely see ocean debris on the shores.  That festive holiday period brings clear skies, calm seas, and lower humidity—though prices skyrocket and the island gets incredibly crowded.  Barbie and I will gladly take the sporadic low-season rain, fewer crowds, and massive discounts.  That’s just how we Flashpackers prefer to roll.

Bangkok: Coming Full Circle

Following our two months in Phuket, we returned to Bangkok—our favorite city in the world—for a few weeks. The sheer scale of development in Bangkok over the years is staggering. It is an endlessly entertaining city with a never-ending list of things to do.

This time around, we checked out the brand-new mega-malls of One Bangkok and the impressive Dusit Central Park, which features a fantastic outdoor sky deck looking out over the city skyline and Lumphini Park. (for more detailed Bangkok scoop, check out previous posts on this blog)

We also tackled an incredible full-day walking excursion.  We started in Chinatown, wound our way down ‘instagram famed’ Song Wat Road, and explored the vibrant street art alleyways of Talat Noi.  Despite being thoroughly exhausted by the heat, we pressed on.  We hopped on a local boat down the Chao Phraya River, heading toward our old backpacking stomping grounds: Khao San Road.

We ended up sinking into the plush, comfy couches at the Khaosan Cannabis Dispensary, a living room-style lounge sitting directly in front of the historic Khaosan Palace Hotel.

This spot brought my travel journey entirely full circle. The Khaosan Palace was the very first budget hotel I stayed in when I was backpacking around Thailand all the way back in 1991, back when Khao San Road was a true, gritty travelers’ enclave.  The dispensary visit injected us with the perfect energy boost to backtrack to Chinatown and partake in the nighttime street food festivities with the masses.  It was a fabulous, action-packed day, and a route I highly recommend!

Next Stop: The Land Down Under

Our summer in the Land of Smiles has officially come to an end.  We are now heading to the Land Down Under to explore the beaches of Australia for the next three months. Because the seasons are flipped, we are trading the Thai rainy season for a proper Australian summer.