We have kids which binds us to longer trips in the summer only. Would Tokyo/thailand be good for two weeks in the summer or would Australia/new zealand be better in summer? Those are our next two "big trips" with the family.

You can do parts of Thailand in the summer, be sure to research the area you are targeting. We do Koh Samui in July each year and have only had a few days we got rained on hard enough to ruin any plans. Surprisingly the crowds are pretty light then and prices are lower.

Japan would be a fantastic trip for your family in the summer. This is already on my summer 2026 plans. Japan was is hot destination topping the top 10 destinations I plan to travel for. If you are not working with a travel advisor my contact info is in my bio. I wanted to leave you a pic my clients in Japan .

Why only some parts? I have no idea.

My daughter works in Thailand and when we visit, we do krabi, Bangkok, Chang mi areas. The air quality is really poor and poor Mosquito control in the poorer areas keep me in the tourist parts of Thailand. My husband ventures out into all parts of the country. I am fine with the beaches and the cities.

I have not done Japan yet, but have done Thailand , Australia and NZ

Was in Australia and NZ from sept to Christmas this was 20 years ago . September in Sydney you needed a jacket in the evening. The beaches were a bit chilly. We got to Auckland NZ around thanksgiving and had to use our jackets again went south over 4 weeks and always had a jacket nearby. Will be cold in Aus/NZ
Northern Australia will be warm. The whitsunday island were awesome especially if you could do a 213 day sailing trip


Have not done Thailand in the summer but it can be rainy. We have kids and went during Christmas . July is rainy season runs into October. I would do all 2 weeks in Thailand and pick 3 places to go.
We were in Thailand for 16 nights and needed more time. .

May thru October is the rainy season for many of the popular areas in Thailand.

Summer is low season in Thailand so you can get good deals on hotels. It is rainy season, but it's not bad to the point where it will interrupt your trip. Sep-Oct is peak rainy season.

FYI, Thailand is reinstating the TM6 form starting in May, but it will be an online form instead of the paper cards they used to hand out on flights. You can fill it out startring 72 hrs before arrival. Also, visa free stays are being shortened to 30 days instead of 60, but you can always do a 30 day extension at the local immigration office.

I travel to Thailand every summer (except the covid years). I think it's a great time to go as crowds are low and prices are too. You will get some rain in the afternoons, but it usually passes quickly. I went once in December/January, and there was a huge difference in number of tourists/prices.

I'm actually moving to Bangkok in July. Looking forward to it!