Which Thai beach in August?
 

If I was to take the family to Thailand in the summer, which beach/island would be recommended to avoid the worst of the rain?

Looking at the stats, Hua Hin seems like the best bet, but the 3hr drive from Bangkok doesn't really appeal with the kids.

(I'm still unable to forget a trip to Penang* one September where it rained pretty much non-stop for the duration of our stay....)

Thanks in advance.

* yes, I know that's Malaysia, not Thailand...

Most 'nice' beaches in Thailand are going to be a 3+ hour drive from BKK anyway, unless you plan to fly and then it will be over 3 hours with airport security/flight/etc. You could always get unlucky and have torrential downpours anyplace at that time of year, but more likely short spouts of bad weather. We love Pattaya, but the beach is not something we would swim in and not a place we would take kids, but we do not have any thankfully. Hua Hin is nice and we enjoyed the Hilton there.

OK to answer your question finally...I would avoid the Andaman Coast, as the weather will be better in the Gulf of Thailand. I would probably head towards Koh Samui with a family in tow.