I’ve spent time in Bangkok during the rainy season and during peak season months.
“Should I come during the rainy season?”
– a common question I get.
Many assume that this period is to be avoided at all costs and that you should only visit Bangkok during peak season.
Today, I want to shed some light on what the rainy season really looks like and give you my thoughts – including some ideas on what to do if it happens to rain during your night out.
The first thing I want to do is put “rainy season” into perspective.
Maybe you are thinking this means heavy rain every day, all day long.
The reality is that while it does rain almost every day, it does so for only a very brief period. Let’s say an hour or so and 2 hours later all the puddles are gone.
It’s like it never actually rained.
You might be at the mall, or eating, or gym and that whole rain event has taken place without you ever knowing – you are ready to head out at night and tell yourself,
“Damn, nice weather. I’m gonna get my d*** wet tonight!”
In other words, the rain season is usually a non-issue. If you wanted to go during May – October, but were a bit hesitant … maybe reconsider.
I’m not saying this is the ideal time to go, but if the rain is the only reason you’re not going in off season, then you can still go.
I also want to point out that while daily rain is over quickly (as I’ve said an hour or so), it does sometimes rain for longer but again, that’s rare. Let’s say once every 2 weeks.
Best month to visit? It depends …
Ask yourself what you want to do & whether you are outside a lot – especially during the day.
If you do a standard single men’s vacation – bars, massages, nightlife – then the worst case scenario would be that you can’t do people-watching while sipping a beer … and you can’t sit outside at Route66.
That’s pretty much it, really.
Walking the streets, exploring nightlife on foot, you would simply push back a day.
Anything else in regards to nightlife: clubs, beer bars, strip clubs, massage places – business as usual. Inside.
If you usually eat outside at the food stalls, go to the food court at Terminal21, MBK or Siam Paragon. Pay a few Baht more and get a taxi instead of a motorbike taxi.
Big malls, MRT & BTS are either connected via tunnels or sky-walks – it’s very rare that you are walking “out in the open”, so to speak.
With that being said, here are a few suggestions that you can apply.
1.) Nana Plaza > Soi Cowboy
If you want to sample a variety of bar/gogo bars, go to Nana Plaza instead of Soi Cowboy.
You can walk around, even have a beer and watch the crowd without getting wet.
Nana Plaza (officially Nana Entertainment Plaza; shortened to NEP), occupying a three story red-light district building is home to beer bars and strip clubs (so called gogo bars) with both regular Thai girls and ladyboys.
2.) Siam + Skywalk = Endless Options
If you simply want to walk around in the evening or visit some malls, the Siam area, I highly recommend.
There’s the skywalk that connects a ton of different malls all of which you can go without a single drop of rain touching your skin.
Also, no crossing the street or waiting at a traffic light required.
3.) Order Food Online
Online food delivery in Bangkok is quite easy. I’ve used Foodpanda a handful of times and had no issues.
You go to their website or use the app, choose a restaurant or fast food chain and within an hour the motorbike taxi is at your place.
4.) Girls to your room
An option – it’s not something I recommend because higher risk, but if you decide to stay in your room (whether it be due to rain or other reasons), escorts are available.
By the way, when I say “risk“, I don’t mean that they’ll steal all your stuff but rather you not knowing in advance what she actually looks like (pictures might be outdated), if the two of you “click” and what mood she is in.
Those are all “risks” that can easily be mitigated by simply going out to bars and seeing the girls in person before you make any payments.
On most dating sites (such as ThaiFriendly) you will also find girls that will come to your room for money. Not hookers per se but regular girls looking to make some extra cash.
How to spot a hooker on dating sites?
Easy to tell if they mention massage, freelancer, short time in their profile … another tell-tale sign would be very revealing pictures.
I’ve done this a few times for 1,000 Baht ($30 USD) and in this case found it more appealing then going for a professional escort.
The way I did it was I tried one girl and then asked her if she has friends that are also looking for extra cash … and to send me pictures.
An alternative would be ordering a Bangkok escort online (e.g. via Smooci). It’s cost more than the freelancer from dating sites, but escort girls are generally more attractive.
In conclusion, I am not saying you should or shouldn’t come to Thailand during the rainy season. My goal here was to provide you with the best and most realistic information possible, so you can make that decision yourself.
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