I went in the middle of August and the weather was not too bad but maybe we were lucky. It is steamy and hot of course but I can only remember one night of getting completely drenched while eating outside and we were there almost a month. We were sitting at table under an umbrella but that does no good when the water is pouring down from all sides. Other than that it was the occasional shower here and there but when it starts to pour get off the street quick.
I checked out prior to booking the implications of going during monsoon season. Basically, it rains in the early morning or late evening for an hour or two, but is sunny during the day (most of the time). It is actually more refreshing than going at other times because the rain washes the pollution out of the air.
Monsoon season is not so bad anyway. It's still shit hot (that's good by the way), the rain is warm and it's often a real sight to see how hard it comes down. Go for it I say. But to the OP, unless you're a sex-tourist I wouldn't bother going to Pattaya, especially if you're got your girl with ya - she'll be horrified about what she sees (and will feel very out of place) unless she likes a bit of asian-cunny
I agree, Pattaya is gross and unless you're looking for paid sex then maybe a 1 or 2 day stay is all you need to see it. Though it is fun to see all the rejects from around the world. I've been there during 2 rainy seasons. It ain't bad at all. It's refreshing actually. You'll still get plenty of sun.
Don't you guys know candletrader's MO? Pattaya is going to be the highlight of his tour! LOL, I don't care what he does, just so long as he puts safety first.
Whatever helps put money into their economy As for Koh Chang, I'd skip it. It's a huge island but there isn't much on it... the beaches are just okay. Time would be better spent on the islands in the south east like Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan. And from there you can visit smaller private islands as those bigger ones have a lot of tourists on them. Here's a pic of me.