weather and ideas!

[butse]

Not sure if this is the right place for this but.....
My son is getting married on 5th july and would like to honeymoon in thailand-bangkok and pattaya and maybe a trip to hong kong or singapore.
Question: Whats the weather likely to be like in bkk and pattaya and any ideas on hk or s/pore to fill 3 weeks
appreciate any help or suggestions
thanks:confused1:

[mack]

butse the short version for Pattaya in July would be very hot and humid, with occasional torrential downpours lasting around an hour, then it clears and is REALLY humid. The following is from this Web site- http://www.1stoppattaya.com/about_pattaya/seasons/

Weather in Pattaya

Pattaya lies towards the top of the Gulf of Bangkok and the influence of the sea means that the weather here differs from northern, southern and in-land Thailand. The climate in Pattaya rarely sees any large temperature differences throughout the year, the average temperature being 29C. However, the weather pattern follows a different one from the Western four seasons, and there are only three seasons here, the ‘cool’ season, the hot season and the rainy season.

Cool season

Pattaya enjoys sunshine on most days of the year. The majority of foreign tourists visit Pattaya in the cool season, which runs from November to the end of February and into March. Although it is called the cool season, expect temperatures to be in the 30s celsius (90s F) during the day and well above 20C at night. The climate is tropical and humid most of the time so you won’t need a sweater even on the coolest evenings, which occasionally dip to 22C. This is a great transition for many escaping from the Western winter, and long exposure to the sun and heat can cause initial problems until one becomes acclimatised.

Hot season
From the end of February the weather really warms up in Pattaya and becomes unpleasantly warm and sticky during the April to June period. Although the sea does help to alleviate some of the effects, the temperature can get up to the 40s and, being a coastal city, the humidity is very high. Unless you’re used to serious tropical heat, this is not the best time to visit Pattaya. The humidity is a great drain on everyone here at this time of year. Sometimes there is a bit of rain to clear the air but it doesn’t last at this time of year.

Rainy season

South Central Thailand does not usually get the full effects of the southwest monsoon that is felt by most places further north in Thailand and in the south at the end of May, but Pattaya still gets its fair share of rain at this time of year. The rain tends to come in hour-long downpours. It is rare for it to rain all day or night, but some streets flood if there is heavy rainfall, and it can take an hour or so to clear. In Pattaya very few people brave the torrential rain, but just stay where they are, wherever they are, until it stops, which is only usually half an hour or so. Rain during June, July and August does tend to dampen down the heat for a bit, but half an hour later the humidity can be unpleasant. The temperatures tend to stay in the low 30s by day and night during the May/September rainy season with high humidity readings (90 per cent). Inland, away from the sea, mosquitoes can be a problem.


butse, here's some info on the weather in Hong Kong from http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/climahk.htm


Climate of Hong Kong

Hong Kong's climate is sub-tropical, tending towards temperate for nearly half the year. During November and December there are pleasant breezes, plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Many people regard these as the best months of the year. January and February are more cloudy, with occasional cold fronts followed by dry northerly winds. It is not uncommon for temperatures to drop below 10 C in urban areas. The lowest temperature recorded at the Observatory is 0 C, although sub-zero temperatures and frost occur at times on high ground and in the New Territories.

March and April can also be very pleasant although there are occasional spells of high humidity. Fog and drizzle can be particularly troublesome on high ground which is exposed to the southeast, and air traffic and ferry services are occasionally disrupted because of reduced visibility.

May to August are hot and humid with occasional showers and thunderstorms, particularly during the mornings. Afternoon temperatures often exceed 31 C whereas at night, temperatures generally remain around 26 C with high humidity. There is usually a fine dry spell in July which may possibly last for one to two weeks, or for even longer in some years.

July to September are the months during which Hong Kong is most likely to be affected by tropical cyclones, although gales are not unusual at any time between May and November. On average, about 31 tropical cyclones form in the western North Pacific or China Seas every year, and about half of them reach typhoon strength (maximum winds of 118 kilometres per hour or more).

When a tropical cyclone is about 700 to 1000 kilometres southeast of Hong Kong, the weather is usually fine and exceptionally hot, but isolated thunderstorms sometimes occur in the evenings. If the centre comes closer to Hong Kong, winds will increase and rain can become heavy and widespread. Heavy rain from tropical cyclones may last for a few days and subsequent landslips and flooding sometimes cause considerably more damage than the winds.

The mean annual rainfall ranges from around 1300 millimetres at Waglan Island to more than 3000 millimetres in the vicinity of Tai Mo Shan. About 80 percent of the rain falls between May and September. The wettest month is August, when rain occurs about four days out of seven and the average monthly rainfall at the Observatory is 391.4 millimetres. The driest month is January, when the monthly average is only 23.4 millimetres and rain falls only about six days a month.

Severe weather phenomena that can affect Hong Kong include tropical cyclones, strong winter monsoon winds, and thunderstorms with associated squalls that are most frequent from April to September. Waterspouts and hailstorms occur infrequently, while snow and tornadoes are rare.

[butse]

Thanks mack for a very detailed and informative reply. He's living in Aberdeen in bonnie scotland but like all offspring thinks Da knows all the answers. He does thanks to all the experts on Pattaya Revealed!!

[gonzo]

Don't think I'd go to Pattaya on honeymoon personally. Would have though one of the islands where the beaches and scenery are nicer would be a better bet. Koh Chang maybe or if they want a bit more nightlife, Phuket.

[butse]

T'was me that suggested Pattaya to them. been there before and going again early may. Thought id suss out trips and such for them. They're open to all suggestions.
Thanks

[gonzo]

T'was me that suggested Pattaya to them. been there before and going again early may. Thought id suss out trips and such for them. They're open to all suggestions.
ThanksIf you've got an idea of budget I'm sure there'll be plenty on here with some good suggestions. Thailand has some fantastic top-end hotels if they really want to spoil themselves but it can be done as easily without breaking the bank.

As for taking side trips when in Thailand check out the air asia site, they're a budget airline that fly to loads of asian destinations from BKK on the cheap. I use them qute a bit myself, you get the odd delayed flight but for the money I reckon they're great. I'm thinking of a round trip, BKK-Singapore-Phuket-BKK with them in April which only works out as around £100 inc taxes http://www.airasia.com/site/th/en/home.jsp

[butse]

Thanks gonzo. They're going to be delighted with that suggestion. Im delighted. P/R has come good once more.
Thanks a million

[butterflyblonde]

Got to agree with Gonzo on this one.

I regard pattaya as a single mans playground and can't for the life of me see why couples/families would go there unless they are swinger types both into the idea of playing a few naughty games or whatever. And as for taking kids to walking st...WTF??

Places like Chiang Mai/Rai, Phuket, Samui, Krabi are far more suited to honeymooners and certainly have far more attractive scenery to look at. If they are on a budget, there are still plenty of islands that can be done cheaply if they cannot afford the top rated destinations.

[roamer]

Very late to this thread
but if your son and future wife(or anyone else) are still considering Hong Kong
here is a nice resort hotel.
http://www.sino-hotels.com/Hong_Kong_Gold_Coast_Hotel/en/default.aspx

The site is slow to load.

I`ve been there but not stayed,prefer the hustle and bustle of Kowloon,normally stay at either
Marco Polo Hong Kong,by the harbour or
the Intercontinental(formerly the Regent).

The Gold Coast site is fairly accurate,only thing I`d say is it`s more like 45 minutes to Kowloon rather than the 30 minutes they claim.
There is a bus to take you there(think free but could be wrong wouldn`t be expensive anyway),finishes about 11.00PM though,taxi after that time.

IMO a good choice for a couple(or for a relaxing singles holiday),lovely grounds, swimming pool,nice beach,good facilities.
Friends of mine stay there regularly,if you don`t mind the (simple) trip into Hong Kong central,
it`s a lovely place and better value(you`ve got to shop around for prices on the place,think my friends pay about £50/60 a night) than where
I stay.

If I was with a girl I`d probably stay there,
alone I`d choose my normal Kowloon spots.