Hi there

I need your 2 cents about where to go in March/April to avoid the pollution (burning fields) and the heat.

A breezy town by the sea with monthly rentals but where ?

Thanks in advance

Skegness?

OP - Where have you been by the sea already?

Anywhere you liked and fancy going back to?

Skegness?

Skeggy in March.....now that IS funny.

Hua Hin, but you'll need more than 2 cents. There's a direct overnight bus from here for about 800.

Hua Hin, but you'll need more than 2 cents. There's a direct overnight bus from here for about 800.

Cha'am is nice along that coast, less crowded, not touristy and much cheaper prices.

Get on the Air Asia site and check all the cheap flights from KL at that time, direct flight from CNX to Kl and then South East Asia is your oyster

Hua Hin, but you'll need more than 2 cents. There's a direct overnight bus from here for about 800.

Cha'am is nice along that coast, less crowded, not touristy and much cheaper prices.

I agree. Cha Am is a great getaway and your stay there won't break the bank. The beaches there are nicer than Hua Hin.

I recommend Bali.

djillali.....

I have just returned from a week on NaJomtien Beach, 15 minutes South of Pattaya, 10 hours driving time from Chiang Mai.

Neat, clean 1 bedroom, shower with hot water, fridge/TV with 150 channels/new A/C cottage 200 meters from the beach on Gulf of Thailand.

1500 Baht a night (with breakfast) with a sizable discount for a 1 month booking. Be aware that March is a windy month so if your are into water sports (kite surfing, wind surfing, Hobie cats) or just happy to watch from the beach shaded by huge ironwood trees, this is the place to go.

Multiple restaurants are nearby with fresh farmed lobster, crab, grouper, etc and my favorite a Thai restaurant on the beach serving Bangkok Thai food.

Downtown Pattaya is only 20 minutes driving time away and by my recent assessment 'one big party town'. Makes Chiang Mai look like an 'old folks home'..............

Good Luck

Jolly Roger

Cummon down to Pattaya. Lots of out of town small rooms to rent if you search a bit. Rent a scooter for 200 baht a day and head south to lovely beaches for the day and return for the night life. Chase little white balls around a field at world class courses.for a reasonable cost.

I just moved up here last August from Naklua (Pattaya). March and April are no fun there. Last year was the hottest year in the ten or so my wife and I lived there. Unbearable and we lived in house overlooking the sea. I don't think there is a cheap destination nearby. When we were working we always got ten days off around Song Kran in April. A big factor in deciding where to go during those ten days was the weather and it was a Goldilock's dilemma. Cold rain in Hong Kong, Snow in Amsterdam, hot and humid even in Sapa, the mountains of northern Vietnam, hotter and more humid in Bali, after a while we gave up and stayed home. Anyone tried Kumming?

    I just moved up here last August from Naklua (Pattaya).  March and April are no fun there.  Last year was the hottest year in the ten or so my wife and I lived there.  Unbearable and we lived in house overlooking the sea.  I don't think there is a cheap destination nearby. When we were working we always got ten days off around Song Kran in April.  A big factor in deciding where to go during those ten days was the weather and it was a Goldilock's dilemma.  Cold rain in Hong Kong, Snow in Amsterdam, hot and humid even in Sapa, the mountains of northern Vietnam, hotter and more humid in Bali, after a while we gave up and stayed home.  Anyone tried Kumming?   

Kunming is good weather that time of year. High/low March C 20/5 and April 25/8. Can be windy at times but little precip or bad air. Dali is a nice town northwest of Kunming and right up next to the mountains and has a nice tourist scene and amenities. The nice thing about Yunnan province is that depending on what town you choose then a wide variety of temperatures.

The downside is high visa cost for US citizens (~4300 baht) and relatively expensive airfare. I think there might be one airline that flies one or two days direct from CNX to Kunming.

Once your there then its a good value in terms of food, internet and lodging. There is even a decent hippie backpacker scene in Dali if you like the types and good and services that they cater too. Kunming is a big city and most foreigners seem to habitate/congregate in the Green lake area.

    I just moved up here last August from Naklua (Pattaya).  March and April are no fun there.  Last year was the hottest year in the ten or so my wife and I lived there.  Unbearable and we lived in house overlooking the sea.  I don't think there is a cheap destination nearby. When we were working we always got ten days off around Song Kran in April.  A big factor in deciding where to go during those ten days was the weather and it was a Goldilock's dilemma.  Cold rain in Hong Kong, Snow in Amsterdam, hot and humid even in Sapa, the mountains of northern Vietnam, hotter and more humid in Bali, after a while we gave up and stayed home.  Anyone tried Kumming?   

Kunming is good weather that time of year. High/low March C 20/5 and April 25/8. Can be windy at times but little precip or bad air. Dali is a nice town northwest of Kunming and right up next to the mountains and has a nice tourist scene and amenities. The nice thing about Yunnan province is that depending on what town you choose then a wide variety of temperatures.

The downside is high visa cost for US citizens (~4300 baht) and relatively expensive airfare. I think there might be one airline that flies one or two days direct from CNX to Kunming.

Once your there then its a good value in terms of food, internet and lodging. There is even a decent hippie backpacker scene in Dali if you like the types and good and services that they cater too. Kunming is a big city and most foreigners seem to habitate/congregate in the Green lake area.

I've heard rumors of the CNX-Kunming flight but there has been no direct flights to China since Bangkok Airways discontinued the CNX-Jinghong route 3 or 4 years ago.

Air Asia is starting flights from KUL to New Zealand in April. That's where I'm going next year for burning season.

    I just moved up here last August from Naklua (Pattaya).  March and April are no fun there.  Last year was the hottest year in the ten or so my wife and I lived there.  Unbearable and we lived in house overlooking the sea.  I don't think there is a cheap destination nearby. When we were working we always got ten days off around Song Kran in April.  A big factor in deciding where to go during those ten days was the weather and it was a Goldilock's dilemma.  Cold rain in Hong Kong, Snow in Amsterdam, hot and humid even in Sapa, the mountains of northern Vietnam, hotter and more humid in Bali, after a while we gave up and stayed home.  Anyone tried Kumming?   

Kunming is good weather that time of year. High/low March C 20/5 and April 25/8. Can be windy at times but little precip or bad air. Dali is a nice town northwest of Kunming and right up next to the mountains and has a nice tourist scene and amenities. The nice thing about Yunnan province is that depending on what town you choose then a wide variety of temperatures.

The downside is high visa cost for US citizens (~4300 baht) and relatively expensive airfare. I think there might be one airline that flies one or two days direct from CNX to Kunming.

Once your there then its a good value in terms of food, internet and lodging. There is even a decent hippie backpacker scene in Dali if you like the types and good and services that they cater too. Kunming is a big city and most foreigners seem to habitate/congregate in the Green lake area.

I've heard rumors of the CNX-Kunming flight but there has been no direct flights to China since Bangkok Airways discontinued the CNX-Jinghong route 3 or 4 years ago.

Air Asia is starting flights from KUL to New Zealand in April. That's where I'm going next year for burning season.

A direct flight to China from Chiang Mai would be good, not a big fan of Kunming but Dali or Lijiang are favourite places of mine.

Kunming is good weather that time of year. High/low March C 20/5 and April 25/8. Can be windy at times but little precip or bad air. Dali is a nice town northwest of Kunming and right up next to the mountains and has a nice tourist scene and amenities. The nice thing about Yunnan province is that depending on what town you choose then a wide variety of temperatures.

The downside is high visa cost for US citizens (~4300 baht) and relatively expensive airfare. I think there might be one airline that flies one or two days direct from CNX to Kunming.

Once your there then its a good value in terms of food, internet and lodging. There is even a decent hippie backpacker scene in Dali if you like the types and good and services that they cater too. Kunming is a big city and most foreigners seem to habitate/congregate in the Green lake area.

The weather seems ideal. What about air pollution? The main idea is to get away from the foul air in burning season.

Gimme a P, gimme an A, gimme a T , ........

Pattaya-faya-bo-baya, banana fanna fo faya... PATTAYA!

I mean, seriously. I can visit Cha Am when I'm dead.

Gimme a P, gimme an A, gimme a T , ........

Pattaya-faya-bo-baya, banana fanna fo faya... PATTAYA!

I mean, seriously. I can visit Cha Am when I'm dead.

What's wrong with Cha Am?

Hey, I love Cha Am. Especially when ther is nobody else there.

Hey, I love Cha Am. Especially when ther is nobody else there.

I was there last in September and there was hardly anyone there. It was great.

Gimme a P, gimme an A, gimme a T , ........

Pattaya-faya-bo-baya, banana fanna fo faya... PATTAYA!

I mean, seriously. I can visit Cha Am when I'm dead.

What's wrong with Cha Am?

Well, Chiang Mai is already bordeline sleepy, but Cha Am there's absolutely nothing happening. But if you're looking for a place to read books or do Sudoku then it's great.

Personally I think I will leave Thailand altogether in March. But of course will be back in time for.. SONGKRAN!

    I just moved up here last August from Naklua (Pattaya).  March and April are no fun there.  Last year was the hottest year in the ten or so my wife and I lived there.  Unbearable and we lived in house overlooking the sea.  I don't think there is a cheap destination nearby. When we were working we always got ten days off around Song Kran in April.  A big factor in deciding where to go during those ten days was the weather and it was a Goldilock's dilemma.  Cold rain in Hong Kong, Snow in Amsterdam, hot and humid even in Sapa, the mountains of northern Vietnam, hotter and more humid in Bali, after a while we gave up and stayed home.  Anyone tried Kumming?   

Kunming is good weather that time of year. High/low March C 20/5 and April 25/8. Can be windy at times but little precip or bad air. Dali is a nice town northwest of Kunming and right up next to the mountains and has a nice tourist scene and amenities. The nice thing about Yunnan province is that depending on what town you choose then a wide variety of temperatures.

The downside is high visa cost for US citizens (~4300 baht) and relatively expensive airfare. I think there might be one airline that flies one or two days direct from CNX to Kunming.

Once your there then its a good value in terms of food, internet and lodging. There is even a decent hippie backpacker scene in Dali if you like the types and good and services that they cater too. Kunming is a big city and most foreigners seem to habitate/congregate in the Green lake area.

I've heard rumors of the CNX-Kunming flight but there has been no direct flights to China since Bangkok Airways discontinued the CNX-Jinghong route 3 or 4 years ago.

Air Asia is starting flights from KUL to New Zealand in April. That's where I'm going next year for burning season.

A direct flight to China from Chiang Mai would be good, not a big fan of Kunming but Dali or Lijiang are favourite places of mine.

Sorry, Anonymouse. When I said I heard rumors of a of the CNX-Kunming flight, I meant that it might have existed in the far distant past. The last time I heard of any plans to add flights from CNX to China was when Taksin was promoting CM as an Asian hub.

I'll gladly buy the ticket for you if there is ever a flight from CNX to Lijiang or Dali.

I'm considering a return to Baguio City Philippines [a city in the mountains of Luzon @ 1,200+ mtrs] before the insanity of songkran begins, but it's only in pencil at this point because of obligations at home.

I lived there for a couple of years before comming here and altho the city center is quite congested, it has some nice surrounding areas and also has lots of falang necessities.

Hua Hin, but you'll need more than 2 cents. There's a direct overnight bus from here for about 800.

Cha'am is nice along that coast, less crowded, not touristy and much cheaper prices.

To be fair, Cha Am is a bit of a poor man's HH and is a little featureless... perhaps a blast for the old boys reading books under casuarina trees. The most interesting thing is the Buddha image with all those hands, and it does, in fact, get very touristy with the local crowd.

I like the Dali idea, on the lake, although guy is after somewhere by sea.

How about Tioman Island off east coast of the Malay Peninsula? Monsoon would have finished by then and you could lie on the beach that featured in South Pacific. Bali Haaiiiiiiii:

Fly to KL, bus to Mersing and ferry across... also thing there's a small airstrip there.

Skegness?

Skeggy in March.....now that IS funny.

But ... but ... Skegness is so Bracing ! It says so ... on the posters !

The OP stated in his topic subject that he wanted to escapt the heat and polution. Seems that lots of suggestions were going south....closer to the equator and hotter.

Simple fact is that the only way to escape polution and heat are to go up in elevation or go north.

North makes of course sense, that why China was suggested. Any other options within reach, pleasant and affordable to stay, easily reachable and yet not too cold so that winter outfit is required?

North makes of course sense, that why China was suggested. Any other options within reach, pleasant and affordable to stay, easily reachable and yet not too cold so that winter outfit is required?

Well, there's always Mae-Salong, where the altitude & more-frequent rain/clouds may sometimes keep the air clearer, but the smoke-problem is pretty wide-spread in this part of the world. It also reaches the deep-South, places like Hat-Yai & K.L.

New Zealand.

Bangsaphan, 3 hours south of Hua Hin. Cheap accom , 300 baht for a beachside cabin,good food ,couple of bars right on the beach. Bus Chiang mai to Hua Hin ,train to Bangsaphan Yai, 3 hours, a litle bit of heaven unless you want a Pattaya style night life !....... www.bangsaphanguide.com