Thailand: Weather, Best time to go, Where to go?

Best time to go to Southeast Asia?

When is the best time to go to Thailand?

Throughout the year, the Siamese temperatures range, on average, between 26 and 34° C during the day. The climate in this country is subtropical. Thus, the weather in Thailand is largely influenced by the monsoon phenomenon. This generates significant disparities in terms of heat and rainfall in the northern, central and southern parts of Thailand.

Therefore, when should one visit Thailand? Overall, if one decides to visit between the months of December and March, bad weather won't generally be an issue anywhere. However, if you're hoping for a seaside sunny holiday in the summer (months of July-August), focus on the Gulf Islands rather than Phuket.

So, when is the best time to go to Thailand? Here's some more information to help you in your decision:

• In Thailand, the weather is at least tolerable in January, February, March, October, November and December
• The best months to go to Bangkok are January, February, March, November and December
• On average, the warmest months in Bangkok are January, February, March, April, May and June
• October is the wettest month in this city
• The cities with the best climate are Chiang Mai and Lamphun, with good weather at least 8 months a year
• The sea temperature is suitable for swimming all year round in Ko Samui

For information about the climate and the weather city by city in Thailand for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:

Month	Average temp.	Rainfall	Our opinion	View Details
JanuaryJan.	22°C to 31°C	53mm	tolerable to perfect*	Thailand in january
FebruaryFeb.	25°C to 34°C	28mm	tolerable to perfect*	Thailand in february
MarchMar.	28°C to 36°C	83mm	tolerable to good*	Thailand in march
AprilApr.	30°C to 37°C	134mm	bad to good*	Thailand in april
MayMay	30°C to 36°C	241mm	bad to good*	Thailand in may
JuneJun.	28°C to 33°C	255mm	very bad to good*	Thailand in june
JulyJul.	27°C to 33°C	295mm	very bad to good*	Thailand in july
AugustAug.	27°C to 33°C	294mm	very bad to good*	Thailand in august
SeptemberSep.	28°C to 32°C	312mm	bad to good*	Thailand in september
OctoberOct.	27°C to 32°C	223mm	tolerable to good*	Thailand in october
NovemberNov.	25°C to 32°C	119mm	tolerable to perfect*	Thailand in november
DecemberDec.	21°C to 31°C	65mm	tolerable to perfect*	Thailand in december

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When to go to Thailand by city

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Climate and Weather in Thailand

The climate in Thailand is tropical and alternates mainly between two seasons: the dry season and the wet season, often called the green season. Their periods vary by region of Thailand and you can feel the difference if you are in the south towards Phuket and Phang Nga, or in the northern side of the peninsula towards Mae Hong Son. Avoid the months of September and October because although typhoons are rare in the Gulf, their occurrence is still a possibility!

The Climate in Northern Thailand

The climate in northern Thailand, towards Siem Reap which is the city welcoming Angkor to Cambodia, resembles that of Burma and the town of Loikaw.

Unlike the southern side of the country, there are three well-defined seasons, with a more stable weather forecast. Typically in the north, it will feel colder in the winter and hotter in summer.

The dry season runs from November to May with very high temperatures. This heat can at times become unbearable between the months of March and May. Fortunately, the temperatures become cooler again at night, especially in the mountainous areas. Then follows the cold season from November to February that brings a very fresh breeze and finally, the wet season between the months of May to November, which is shorter than that of in the south.

The Climate in Southern Thailand

There are only two seasons in southern Thailand, around the area of Phuket. However, the seasons are not the same as those on the southwest or southeast sides of Thailand.

In fact, the wet season lasts from April to October in the west and rather from September to December in the east. Regardless of the area in the southern part of the peninsula, there is without a doubt more rain than in the north!

The Climate in the Gulf of the Siamese Islands

In the Gulf Islands like Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, the climate is pleasant throughout the year, with mild and warm temperatures without it being too stuffy. There are three seasons, including:

- The hot season from February to May,

- The end of the rainy season between September and November, with a few timely and large tropical showers,

- The so-called "fresh" season from October to January.

Thus, during the rainy season between the months of May and October, it remains possible to visit the west coast of Thailand. If the rain is falling heavily, it is usually very short and quickly gives way to the sun. The most popular time to visit the west coast of Southern Thailand is from the month of November to the month of April.

The Climate on the East Coast

The east coast of Thailand, especially towards the area of Pattaya, enjoys a mild weather between the months of June and October, with a particularly pleasant microclimate. Throughout this season, the temperatures are high and rainfall is mainly occurs at night.

The Climate in Central Thailand

The climate in central Thailand also gives pride of place to humidity and moisture throughout the year. Between December and March, the temperatures are very high and it is not until evening that the temperature drops significantly.

Rainfall usually begins around the month of May or June and the monsoon season usually extends until the month of October, coupling rainfall with high temperatures.

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Temperatures and rainfall in Thailand

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Thailand and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ko Samui, Koh Chang and Pattaya, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities..

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Where to go in Thailand?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities	jan.	feb.	mar.	apr.	may	jun.	jul.	aug.	sep.	oct.	nov.	dec.
Bangkok	33°C	35°C	35°C	37°C	35°C	34°C	32°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C
Chiang Mai	30°C	35°C	37°C	40°C	37°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	33°C	32°C	31°C	29°C
Ko Samui	30°C	30°C	31°C	33°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	31°C
Koh Chang	33°C	34°C	34°C	35°C	34°C	32°C	32°C	33°C	33°C	34°C	34°C	34°C
Pattaya	32°C	32°C	33°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	33°C	33°C	32°C
Phuket	32°C	33°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	33°C	32°C
Ayutthaya	34°C	37°C	38°C	39°C	37°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	33°C
Chiang Rai	30°C	35°C	37°C	39°C	36°C	33°C	31°C	32°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	30°C
Hua Hin	31°C	33°C	34°C	35°C	35°C	34°C	33°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	32°C
Khao Lak national Park	32°C	33°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	31°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	33°C	32°C
Koh Lanta	32°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C
Koh Phangan	30°C	30°C	31°C	33°C	33°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	31°C
Koh Phi Phi	32°C	32°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C
Koh Tao	30°C	30°C	31°C	33°C	33°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	31°C
Krabi - Ao Nang	32°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C
Sukhothai	32°C	36°C	38°C	39°C	37°C	34°C	32°C	32°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	31°C
Burinam	31°C	35°C	36°C	37°C	35°C	34°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	31°C	31°C	30°C
Chanthaburi	33°C	33°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	32°C	33°C	33°C	34°C	34°C	34°C
Khao Sok National Park	32°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C
Khao Yai National Park	34°C	36°C	37°C	37°C	36°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	34°C	33°C

Legend:

perfect weather

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather

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Map of Thailand

Click over cities for information about the weather.

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About Thailand

What can I do in Thailand?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife

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