Winter
Dec → Feb31 to 32°
nights 22 to 23°
- 4 rainy days · 24 mm
- 10.3 h of sun
- sea 29°
When is the best time to visit Thailand?
In short: November to March, during the cool dry season: Bangkok tops out at 31 to 33 °C, has only 4 to 5 rainy days a month from December to February, and the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi) is in full season. In summer, Koh Samui and the Gulf of Thailand are the better bet, as their heavy rain comes mainly from November to January.
- Andaman Sea beaches: From November to April in Phuket, Krabi and Koh Phi Phi; from May to October, the south-west monsoon makes the west coast rainy and the sea rougher.
- Islands of the Gulf of Thailand: Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are best visited from February to June and remain an option in summer, when the west gets the monsoon.
- The northern mountains: From November to February around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai: nights dropping to around 10 °C and seas of mist at sunrise.
- Loy Krathong: In November, at the full moon of the 12th lunar month, illuminated krathong float on the rivers and canals, from Sukhothai to Bangkok.
- Songkran, Thai New Year: In mid-April, around 13 to 15 April, the country celebrates the new year with great jets of water, at the hottest time of year (34 °C in Bangkok).
Best avoided: September and October, at the peak of the monsoon (293 mm and 26 rainy days in September in Bangkok): a rough Andaman coast, local flooding and railway lines sometimes cut for several days.
Sources: tatnews.org, diplomatie.gouv.fr, diplomatie.belgium.be
- Jan31°recommended
- Feb32°recommended
- Mar33°recommended
- Apr34°fair
- May34°fair
- Jun33°fair
- Jul32°fair
- Aug32°fair
- Sep31°not recommended
- Oct31°not recommended
- Nov31°recommended
- Dec31°recommended
RecommendedFairNot recommended· afternoon temperature
The weather in Thailand, month by month
The table of records, month by month
| Month | High | Low | Sunshine | Rainfall | Rainy days | Sea | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 22° | 10.3 h | 24 mm | 4 d | 29° | ✓ |
| February | 32° | 23° | 10.6 h | 30 mm | 5 d | 30° | ✓ |
| March | 33° | 26° | 10.8 h | 44 mm | 8 d | 30° | ✓ |
| April | 34° | 27° | 10.9 h | 84 mm | 11 d | 32° | |
| May | 34° | 27° | 10.1 h | 158 mm | 20 d | 32° | |
| June | 33° | 26° | 9.4 h | 145 mm | 23 d | 31° | |
| July | 32° | 26° | 8 h | 195 mm | 25 d | 30° | |
| August | 32° | 26° | 7.9 h | 187 mm | 26 d | 30° | |
| September | 31° | 25° | 8 h | 293 mm | 26 d | 30° | |
| October | 31° | 24° | 8.8 h | 241 mm | 22 d | 30° | |
| November | 31° | 24° | 9.8 h | 72 mm | 11 d | 30° | ✓ |
| December | 31° | 23° | 10.1 h | 19 mm | 4 d | 29° | ✓ |
The four seasons in Thailand, in figures
What the 2015-2024 records (Bangkok) show, season by season, to compare at a glance instead of reading twelve rows of a table.
Spring
Mar → May33 to 34°
nights 26 to 27°
- 13 rainy days · 95 mm
- 10.6 h of sun
- sea 31°
Summer
Jun → Aug32 to 33°
nights 26°
- 25 rainy days · 176 mm
- 8.4 h of sun
- sea 30°
Autumn
Sep → Nov31°
nights 24 to 25°
- 20 rainy days · 202 mm
- 8.9 h of sun
- sea 30°
Book early for November to March
The timing is right, so it is right for everyone: in these months the best places to stay and the small-group tours go first. Here is where to start.
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What to do in Thailand, month by month
EventsSongkranAprilLoy Krathong and Yi PengNovemberPhuket Vegetarian FestivalSeptember to OctoberChiang Mai Flower FestivalFebruaryDetails ↓
favourablewith compromisesunfavourable
Beach & swimming: good conditions all twelve months.
Diving & snorkelling: good conditions all twelve months.
- Towns & culture: January, November, December
Grid derived from the records (temperature, rainfall, sea), not from an opinion.
What's on in Thailand, month by month?
What comes back every year, and when. These events fill the hotels and push prices up: something to aim for or to avoid, depending on what you want.
- AprilSongkran big crowds
The Buddhist New Year is celebrated with buckets of water in the streets of Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya, in mid-April.
- NovemberLoy Krathong and Yi Peng big crowds
Rafts of flowers and candles float off on the water and lanterns rise over Chiang Mai, at the November full moon.
- September to OctoberPhuket Vegetarian Festival
Processions and trance rituals follow one another around Phuket's Chinese temples for nine days, in late September or October.
- FebruaryChiang Mai Flower Festival
Flower-decked floats, orchids and marching bands cross Chiang Mai's old city on the first weekend of February.
Travelling off-peak
When to visit Thailand, region by region
A country's best time is an average, and it hides big differences. Here is what the records say for each area, month by month: ✓ for a recommended month, ~ for a fair one, a dot for a month to avoid. Hover over a cell for the temperature.
| Area | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇹🇭 Bangkok | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | · | · | · | · | · | · | ~ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 🇹🇭 Phuket and the southern islands | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | · | · | · | · | ~ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 🇹🇭 Chiang Mai | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | · | · | · | · | · | · | ~ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 🇹🇭 Koh Samui | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | · | · | ~ |
Month by month, in detail
January
Recommended31°22° at night
- 24 mm · 4 d
- 10.3 h
- sea 29°
High season, book early
February
Recommended32°23° at night
- 30 mm · 5 d
- 10.6 h
- sea 30°
High season, book early
March
Recommended33°26° at night
- 44 mm · 8 d
- 10.8 h
- sea 30°
Busy, without the crush
April
Fair34°27° at night
- 84 mm · 11 d
- 10.9 h
- sea 32°
Busy, without the crush
May
Fair34°27° at night
- 158 mm · 20 d
- 10.1 h
- sea 32°
Low season, lower prices
June
Fair33°26° at night
- 145 mm · 23 d
- 9.4 h
- sea 31°
Low season, lower prices
July
Fair32°26° at night
- 195 mm · 25 d
- 8 h
- sea 30°
Busy, without the crush
August
Fair32°26° at night
- 187 mm · 26 d
- 7.9 h
- sea 30°
Busy, without the crush
September
Not recommended31°25° at night
- 293 mm · 26 d
- 8 h
- sea 30°
Low season, lower prices
October
Not recommended31°24° at night
- 241 mm · 22 d
- 8.8 h
- sea 30°
Low season, lower prices
November
Recommended31°24° at night
- 72 mm · 11 d
- 9.8 h
- sea 30°
High season, book early
December
Recommended31°23° at night
- 19 mm · 4 d
- 10.1 h
- sea 29°
High season, book early
Read the twelve months in detail
January. 31 °C in the afternoon and 22 °C at night. Rain stays light: 24 mm over 4 days. Plenty of sunshine: 10.3 h a day on average. The sea is at 29 °C, a proper swim. High season: book early.
February. Real heat: 32 °C at the warmest of the day, 23 °C at night. Rain stays light: 30 mm over 5 days. Plenty of sunshine: 10.6 h a day on average. The sea is at 30 °C, a proper swim. High season: book early.
March. Real heat: 33 °C at the warmest of the day, 26 °C at night. Expect 8 days of rain in the month (44 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 10.8 h a day on average. The sea is at 30 °C, a proper swim. Busy season, without the crush.
April. Real heat: 34 °C at the warmest of the day, 27 °C at night. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (84 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 10.9 h a day on average. The sea is at 32 °C, a proper swim. Busy season, without the crush.
May. Real heat: 34 °C at the warmest of the day, 27 °C at night. Frequent rain: 158 mm over 20 days. Plenty of sunshine: 10.1 h a day on average. The sea is at 32 °C, a proper swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
June. Real heat: 33 °C at the warmest of the day, 26 °C at night. Frequent rain: 145 mm over 23 days. Plenty of sunshine: 9.4 h a day on average. The sea is at 31 °C, a proper swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
July. Real heat: 32 °C at the warmest of the day, 26 °C at night. Frequent rain: 195 mm over 25 days. Expect 8 h of sunshine a day. The sea is at 30 °C, a proper swim. Busy season, without the crush.
August. Real heat: 32 °C at the warmest of the day, 26 °C at night. Frequent rain: 187 mm over 26 days. Expect 7.9 h of sunshine a day. The sea is at 30 °C, a proper swim. Busy season, without the crush.
September. 31 °C in the afternoon and 25 °C at night. A very wet month, 293 mm of rain over 26 days. Expect 8 h of sunshine a day. The sea is at 30 °C, a proper swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
October. 31 °C in the afternoon and 24 °C at night. A very wet month, 241 mm of rain over 22 days. Expect 8.8 h of sunshine a day. The sea is at 30 °C, a proper swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
November. 31 °C in the afternoon and 24 °C at night. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (72 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 9.8 h a day on average. The sea is at 30 °C, a proper swim. High season: book early.
December. 31 °C in the afternoon and 23 °C at night. Rain stays light: 19 mm over 4 days. Plenty of sunshine: 10.1 h a day on average. The sea is at 29 °C, a proper swim. High season: book early.
Same season, other ideas
Their best time overlaps with this one: worth comparing before you book.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Thailand?
November to March, during the cool dry season: Bangkok tops out at 31 to 33 °C, has only 4 to 5 rainy days a month from December to February, and the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi) is in full season. In summer, Koh Samui and the Gulf of Thailand are the better bet, as their heavy rain comes mainly from November to January.
Which month should you avoid in Thailand?
September and October, at the peak of the monsoon (293 mm and 26 rainy days in September in Bangkok): a rough Andaman coast, local flooding and railway lines sometimes cut for several days.
What is the hottest month in Thailand?
April, with 34 °C on average in the afternoon and 27 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Bangkok).
What is the coldest month in Thailand?
January, with 31 °C at best during the day and 22 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Bangkok).
What is the driest month in Thailand?
December: 19 mm over 4 days of rain, against 293 mm in September, the wettest month.
Which month has the most sunshine in Thailand?
April, with 10.9 h of sunshine a day on average. Note that this counts clear skies, not the length of the day.
When can you swim in Thailand?
The water never drops below 22 °C: from 29 to 32 °C depending on the month (warmest in April), measured in 2023-2024 on the nearest coast (Krabi).
Plan this trip
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🗓️ Best time to visit: all our destinations→
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