Last updated on July 11th, 2023 at 08:28 pm
I have recently travelled through Thailand for the full month of June and made a list of my top places that I visited. If you are visiting Thailand in June, then you should be aware that it is the start of monsoon season. Monsoon season in Thailand falls around June to October. So, the weather can be unpredictable in June. Keeping this in mind, I have outlined some of the best places to visit in Thailand in June & during the rainy season.
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1. The Gulf Islands
One of the best places to visit in Thailand in June is the Gulf Islands. These islands include Koh Samui, Koh Tao & Koh Phangan. Koh Samui is the biggest island and Koh Tao is the smallest.
The monsoon season hits the gulf islands a bit later than the rest of Thailand. Generally, between October and December is when the rain starts. These islands are a great option for the best weather in Thailand in June.
I will go through Koh Tao & Koh Phangan in a bit more detail. We went to these two islands as they were the most recommended. Koh Samui, the biggest of the islands is another option. Although I have not been, it offers dreamy beaches, viewpoints and temples.
Koh Tao
What to do in Koh Tao:
Koh Tao has some great beaches and viewpoints, but what I loved the most was the snorkelling. It was the best snorkelling I have experienced in South East Asia. I would highly recommend doing the full day snorkelling tour – it is so worth it. We got to see turtles and many varieties of fish. Plus the water was so clear!
The snorkelling tour included 5 stops and was only 650 baht. We booked it with an agent near Sairee beach. The 5 stops included Nangyuan island, Mango Bay, Hin Wong, Aow Leuk & Shark Bay.
Where to eat in Koh Tao:
- Breakfast at munchies house – smoothie bowls and chicken rolls are yummy
- Dinner at Centrico for great Mexican food
- Dinner at the Lazy Bar for a wide variety of tasty food
- Grab some drinks at the local for a great atmosphere and events most nights of the week
Koh Phangan
What to do in Koh Phangan:
The highlight of Koh Phangan were the beaches up the North of the island. Mae Haad & Chaloklum Beach were my favouirtes.
Also, if you are into partying, Koh Phangan is well known for its full moon party on Haad Rin beach. It also hosts half moon party’s, so this is a good choice for all you party-goers. Stay down the south of the island near the liveliness if this is for you.
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2. Koh Sok National Park
Koh Sok National Park is a great place to visit in Thailand in June. You can stay on floating bungalows on the lake, where you can enjoy kayaking and swimming. You need to book a tour to stay on the lake in Koh Sok. We went in June & the weather was average. We had some rain showers, but you don’t really mind it. If you are swimming, kayaking or on a boat, you will probably be wet anyway.
Koh Sok National Park Tour
We chose the 2 day, 1 night tour. We booked it at the accommodation we stayed at which was called ‘Khao Sok Bed & Breakfast’. It cost 2700/€72 baht each plus a 220 baht/€6 National Park fee.
Tip: We found it much cheaper to book the tour when we arrived at Koh Sok compared to booking online. We landed in Koh Sok, shopped around for good prices, stayed one night, then went on the tour the next day. If you are looking for a better price than online, but still want to book in advance, I would suggest ringing around some accommodation in Koh Sok village to get prices and book that way.
Extra Tip: Make sure you ask about the rooms and check if there is a private or shared bathrooms and if you have a room to yourself. Because there is a big variety in accommodation types & you want to stay somewhere that will suit you.
With the tour we booked, we had private accommodation. For me, the nicest part of the trip was staying in the floating bungalows and being able to swim and kayak on the lake.
The tour itself was nothing special – it included a visit to a cave and a hike to a waterfall. You can chose to skip the hike to the waterfall if you wish, we skipped it and are glad we did.
The tour includes transfer from the hotel, a boat to the floating bungalows & food for the 2 days too. If you have the time and budget I would recommend staying a night or 2 longer.
3. Bangkok
Next up is Bangkok. I would recommend spending about 3 days here. When we went in June the weather was pretty good & it was super hot and humid here. Even if it does rain, most activities are indoor, making it a good destination during the rainy season.
What to do in Bangkok:
There are many temples worth seeing. In one day you could see the Grand Palace, Wat Pho (the reclining buddha), Wat Arun & Wat Saket. Wat Samphran (the dragon temple) is a really cool temple too that is not very touristy. If it is ancient temples that takes your interest, then Ayutthaya is the place to go.
If you want to do some shopping, there are so many huge shopping centres in Bangkok. I discovered Fortune Town and it is an excellent choice for buying technology. I bought a camera and lens here and got a great deal. Even though, I did a bit of shopping around in other shopping centres, Fortune Town was the cheapest by far.
Tip: If you are considering purchasing technology, ask them do they take part in the VAT back scheme for tourists. If they do, you can claim the VAT back at the airport, when you are departing Thailand, making it an even better deal.
Check out the markets in Bangkok. If you are visiting on the weekend, head to Chatuchak market. Or opt to see one of the floating markets.
A favourite of mine in Bangkok is Lumphini Park. A nice place for a stroll, you can even see great big monitor lizards here.
Next, you will probably want to take a walk down Khoasan Road at night to see the night life – it is hectic here but an ideal location if you love to party.
4. Chiang Mai
Northern Thailand was my favourite including Chiang Mai & Pai. The weather was fairly good for us, there were a few showers but plenty of sun too. There is a lot of nature her, no beaches, making it a good place to visit if there is some rainfall.
What to do in Chiang Mai:
If you are looking to see some elephants, you should check out Elephant Nature Park. I did a lot of research on the most ethical and this kept coming out on top. We went on the full day tour and it really was a great experience. The elephants get to roam free and you get to watch them go about their day. For more information, I made an Instagram reel about the tour, check it out here.
There are lots of temples to see in Chiang Mai. Doi Suthep is the most popular and you can get a nice view over Chiang Mai from here. On the way to Doi Suthep, you can stop at Wat Pha Lat and hike some of the Monk’s Trail. Other temples to see in the centre include Wat Phra Singh & Wat Chedi Luang.
Definitely go check out the markets in Chiang Mai. If you are there at the weekend, hit the Saturday night market & Sunday night market. If you are only there during the week head to the night bazaar.
Another popular thing to do in Chiang Mai is a cooking class. Or a day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park, if it is some trekking you are after.
Where to Eat in Chiang Mai:
- Bella Goose for breakfast
- Rad rabbit vegan pizzeria for yummy vegan pizza
- Brewginning for great coffee
- Khun kae juice bar for delicious smoothie bowls
5. Pai
I really loved Pai and it is a great place to visit in Thailand in June. We spent 2 days and I think it is a good amount of time.
What to do in Pai:
If you wanted you could see all the main attractions in 1 day. There are full day tours for 600 baht or half day tours for 300 baht you can do. Or else you can rent a scooter and go see the sights on your own time. We chose the scooter and went ourselves. Our accommodation rented us a scooter for 150 baht.
The main attractions here and the ones you should not miss are Pai Canyon and Bamboo Bridge. The others that are worth a mention are the Chinese village, Yun Lai viewpoint & the White Buddha.
Where to Eat in Pai:
- Have a walk through the night market & stop for some food
- Get lunch at Cafe de Pai
- Coffee in love for coffee with great views of the mountains
I hope you enjoyed this post on 5 best places to visit in Thailand in June. If you found it useful, share it with your friends. Plus, don’t forget to subscribe for more travel tips! If you do find my content useful, you can buy me a coffee here, thank you!
Thanks for reading,
Lisa
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