Thailand Weather: When’s The Best Time Of Year To Go To Thailand?

Filed under: Thailand Written by:Chris Mitchell.

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Thailand is famous for being hot and sunny, but it's not year-round great weather. The rainy season affects different parts of the country at different times of the year, which means you need to plan ahead to make sure you don't arrive when it's pouring with rain!

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The best time to visit Thailand is traditionally considered to be from November to February. This is the cool season, when there is little rainfall and less humidity. It's ideal for sitting on the beach, although temperatures are regularly over 30 degrees celcius. As you might expect, this is also the peak season period to visit the country. Hotel prices rise sharply over November to January, and during the two week Christmas and New Year period, they usually double again. (See my article Christmas in Thailand: Booking A Hotel Isn't Easy Anymore or just have a look at online Thailand Hotel booking pages to see what I mean).

February is a great time for budget travellers to visit Thailand - the weather is still cool but the peak season is winding down. You also have all your options open for visiting the islands of the west or east coast.

From March through to May Thailand gets scorchingly hot, with temperatures moving up to 35 - 40 degrees and humidity topping 100 per cent. The Songkran festival happens in the middle of April, a 3 day public holiday where a water fight breaks out over the entire country in an effort to cool off.

The monsoon rains traditionally begin in May and last through to October, with June through to September usually being the time of heaviest rain. However, the rains have been coming earlier in the last couple of years and beginning in April.

In the last couple of years Chiang Mai in the north has been suffering persistent smog problems brought about by stubble burning from March to May. This is a definite hazard that should be considered and avoided - head away to Chiang Rai, Pai and further afield.

The rainy season varies greatly over the country. It is not torrential rain everywhere at the same time! As Thailand is a big country, the monsoon affects different places at different times of the year. The monsoon moves from west to east over the country.

During the monsoon season of May through to October, Thailand's west coast (including Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta) can have heavy rains and rough seas. Ferry crossings can be rough and a couple have sunk in recent years.

By way of contrast, the Gulf of Thailand islands on the east coast (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao) often enjoy great weather during May to October, with rain being an occasional event rather than a persistent nuisance.

From October to December the monsoon sits over the Gulf of Thailand and there can be heavy rains and rough ferry crossings on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. It tends to ease off by December, but October and November can be pretty soggy.

The key word for the rainy season is "unpredictable". There are long bouts of sunshine during the rainy season, and then torrential downpours. It is simply impossible to say what the weather will do, even on a day to day basis. Be aware that in April and September Bangkok and Chiang Mai regularly flood in places, although this shouldn't cause too much inconvenience. Trains have been delayed and some national parks closed during rainy season however, so you need to be flexible. In short, unless you want to be permanently sunbathing on the beach, there is little reason to avoid travelling in Thailand during the rainy season if you are well prepared with good raingear and sturdy shoes. You will also have the benefit of avoiding the crowds and getting much cheaper prices during the rainy season.

You can see The Thai Meterological Department's Daily and Seven Day Weather Forecasts for Thailand (in English) online.

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Posted on April 3rd, 2008.