Thailand Weather and Climate
When thinking about coming to Thailand for the first time a popular question is what kind of weather should I expect. Will it rain? Will it be hot? Of course for all foreigners it will be hot in Thailand, but the degree of hotness is different at different times of the year and in different locations. For example, the north around Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son will always be cooler than Bangkok and the beach areas like Phuket, Krabi and Trat.
Basically there are three seasons in Thailand, hot, cold and rainy (also know as the monsoon season). What type of weather you encounter will be dependent on which season you choose to visit Thailand in and for westerners the cold season is definitely the most pleasant.
Thailand Hot Season
The hottest time of year in Thailand is from March until the middle of June. During this time temperatures in Bangkok can be as high as 98F (37C) during the day and 82F (28C) at night. This time is not particularly comfortable for westerners and some relief can be had be heading north to Chiang Rai or Mae Hong Son or by heading to the beaches of Phuket, Samui or others and simply chilling out.
It should be noted that the Thai New Year known as Songkran occurs during April and gives everyone a chance to cool off for a few days. One of the fun parts of Songkran is that everyone goes around spraying and splashing each other with water which goes a long way in keeping cool during this hottest part of the year. If you get the chance to visit Thailand during Songkran you won’t be disappointed as it is one big party and a good time is had by all!
Thailand Rainy (Monsoon) Season
If you look at a map you’ll see that Thailand is a peninsula that splits two of the worlds oceans. The Andaman Sea off the west coast of Thailand is part of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Thailand on the east coast is part of the South China Sea and Pacific Oceans. This means that Thailand is subject to two different monsoons, the Indian monsoons from the south-west and the China monsoon from the north-east.
The Indian monsoon is the heavier of the two monsoons and is the one that causes the most flooding each year. It begins in July and affects most of Thailand from the west coast (Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta) to the central area (Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Phitsanulok and Pattaya) to the north (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son) and even the northeast (Udonthani, Loei, Roi Et).
During the monsoon it is usual to have rain most every day and sometimes it will even rain for 3-5 days straight. Flooding is common in the north and northeast and even Bangkok doesn’t escape. Expect some streets to have 6 inches or more of water on them and all of the areas near the Chao Phraya River will have sandbags and flooding. The Indian monsoon finally ends in mid-September generally.
The Chinese monsoon comes from the northeast and affects Hua Hin, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao among others. It is not nearly as heavy as the Indian monsoon.
Keep in mind that Thailand is located in a tropical area. Quick thunderstorms for short times can always be possible all year round. Even if it is not during the monsoon time.
Thailand Cold Season
The coldest season (and most comfortable for westerners) is from November to February with the coldest months being December and January. During this time temperatures throughout Thailand range from 68-80F (20-27C) during the day and can go as low as 50F (10C) at night in the north of Thailand.
It is obviously during these months that Thailand sees the largest number of tourists and visitors and prices for most places will escalate sometimes by as much as 100% or more. It’s not unusual for a bungalow on the beach that costs $50 a night during the off season to rise to over $100 a night from November to March so plan accordingly.
For real time Thailand weather information visit the Thai Meteorological Department website.
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Hi Steve,
I’ve been doing a Phuket weather blog since 2006 – http://phuket-weather.blogspot.com/. Wettest months here are September and October. The low season is not as bad as all that, but the prevailing winds can make the beaches unswimmable sometimes. You’re right about hotel prices but I find that in Phuket the low season prices are much, much lower than high season. A 5000 Baht room can often be had for 1000 Baht or less in low season!
Cheers
Jamie
Phuket