BEST TIME TO VISIT THAILAND: MONTH-BY-MONTH GUIDE

 

Thailand is undoubtedly one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. The country offers lush landscapes featuring farming villages, ancient temples, breathtaking coastlines, beaches, lagoons and much more. This tropical destination has something to offer to people of all ages. When deciding to go to Thailand, the first thing that comes to mind is; weather. Though its always hot in Thailand, its climate consists of three main seasons: hottest season (March to May), monsoon season (May to October) and the coolest season (November to February). According to tourists, the best time to visit Thailand is from November to February when its not too hot and not too cold. However, this is the peak season for tourists which means, prices are higher than usual.

Don’t worry if you don’t want to visit Thailand in the peak season. Weather is not really bad in the rest of the months but it does vary from city to city and in islands. To help you in knowing what’s the best time to visit Thailand, we have made a month-by-month guide which will tell you about the country’s weather in every month. Through our guide, you can plan your trip better according to your choice of weather.

January

January is the best time to visit Thailand as compared to other months. The weather is just perfect in the start of year with no or less sign of rain specifically in the most famous destinations including Phuket, Maya Bay, Koh Samui, Koh Lanta and Krabi. You can even visit cities such as Bangkok in this time of year without having to worry about sweating as the temperature is very pleasant making it easier to walk around anywhere. The only drawback of visiting Thailand during January is the price hike. As it’s the peak season for tourists, everything is expensive as compared to the off-peak season. It is recommended to book your hotels in advance in order to avoid unavailability due to crowd. The average temperature in January rises up to 32 C degrees in majority of the parts of Thailand during January. However, the night time temperature drops down to 22 C degrees.

February

In February, weather in Thailand is slightly hotter than previous month but its still pleasant enough to roam around the places with ease. The average temperature of Thailand during this month remains between 23 C and 33 C degrees. February is start of hot weather in Thailand when crowd begin to decrease as days pass by. You can plan your trip in this month and enjoy the sunny weather all over the country. You’ll also get to celebrate the Chinese New Year Festival in February but make sure to book your accommodation prior to traveling as prices tend to increase because of festival.

March

For all those who love hot weather, you must visit Thailand in March as this month offers about 9 hours of sunshine with temperature settle somewhere between 24 C and 33 C degrees. During this month, temperature will rise and you might need an umbrella to protest yourself from harmful sunrays. Though roaming on islands can be a bit easier because of beaches and fresh air, it will be hard to travel around Bangkok or other cities by foot. It is recommended to get into taxis that are mostly air-conditioned.

April

If you are planning to visit Thailand in April, expect the temperature to be around 40°C. Though the prices of hotels will be much lower than the peak-season, hot weather is something that is not bearable for those who are coming to Thailand from cooler countries. The best part about visit Thailand in April is its festival “Songkran” which is celebrated to mark the beginning of Thai New Year. In this festival, people get together and celebrate by throwing water on each other. Sounds fun right? If you also want to be a part of this fun festival, you can visit Thailand in April.

May

May marks the star of rainy season in Thailand with average temperature of around 30 C. If you are a monsoon person, then you can plan your vacation to Thailand during May. As the days pass, the rain increases making it difficult to roam around the cities. On the other hand, visiting island are more fun during May as compared to big cities. Rainy season during May is not that intense in many parts of the country. But it gradually increases by the end of the month.

June

June is the peak month of rainy season. You’ll not only experience a lot of rain but the temperature also drops a bit. During this month, it is recommended to visit parks which offer lush greenery after dew drops. If you cannot travel in the cities during monsoon, visiting islands such as Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan is also a good option. Temperature usually remains between 25 C and 33 C during June in most of the areas of Thailand.

July

In July, there is more rain as compared to previous months in most of the parts of Thailand specially Koh Phi Phi and Phuket with temperature staying between 26 C and 33 C just like in June. In few destinations, it may rain hard making it difficult for the tourists to travel around. Before you plan your trip to Thailand in July, make sure to check the weather forecast. The intensity of rainfall can vary from place to place. However, you’ll still be able to enjoy your stay at main islands of Thailand.

August

Visiting Thailand in August is a BIG NO for those who are planning to see islands in the Andaman Sea. Though the temperature stays at highest of 33 C, August is a month of intense rainfall in Thailand which sometimes also cause floods. If you are visiting the country during this month, make sure to keep an umbrella with you or wear a rain cape. When its heavy rain, its difficult to roam around in most of the areas in Thailand.

September

Thankfully, temperature drops a bit in September with average of around 29 C and rain is decreased in majority of the places. September is the best time to visit Chiang Mai and its surrounding areas. However, if you are planning to see Bangkok during this month, you have to think again as there are always chances of rain in the city and also in Andaman Sea.

October

October is the best time to visit Bangkok as the rain is almost over but not in the islands. A few islands such as Koh Tarutao are closed in October and they reopen in November after the rainy season is over. If you want to enjoy cooler temperature and less rainfall, heading to north of Thailand is also an amazing idea as you’ll get to see a lot of attractive places including temples, parks and mountain ranges. Temperature in October settles between 26 C and 32 C degrees across the country.

November

November is undoubtedly the best time to visit Thailand where there is little to no rain and winter has just started. You can visit almost all the major attractions of the country during November including the islands of Andaman Sea. As it’s the start of the cold weather, you’ll see less crowd in the cities as well as in islands. If you want to enjoy some time on beaches, then November is the best time to visit Thailand when temperature goes up to 31 C and it may drop down to 24 C in the evenings.

December

December is the season of perfect weather in Thailand which is also the peak season. You’ll see Thailand is fully packed with tourists from all over the world during this month. As there is no rain and temperature is bit cooler, Thailand becomes an ideal place for vacation in this month with average temperature staying between 23 C and 31 C degrees. From Phuket to Bangkok to Koh Samui, you’ll find pleasant temperature in almost every part of Thailand in December with a lot of crowd obviously. Like January, you’ll experience a price hike on hotels in December due to increasing number of tourists.

CONCLUSION – BEST TIME TO VISIT THAILAND:

So, in our opinion, the best time to visit Thailand is from November to February as there is no to very less chance of rain and weather is pleasant all over the country. However, if you don’t want to travel in the peak season when the country is too much crowded, you can visit at other time of the year but remember, you might experience a lot of rain. The best way to plan your trip is to check the daily forecast of the place you want to visit in Thailand and plan your tour accordingly.

On the other hand, we don’t recommend you to travel in September and October as you might end up sitting in your hotel doing nothing due to heavy rainfall almost everywhere around the country.

So, what are you waiting for? If you haven’t planned your trip to Thailand yet, start now. Thailand is an ideal destination to spend your vacation with your loved ones.

Before you start packing your bags now, to catch the next flight to Thailand, make sure to visit the German website Backpackertrail there you can find even more details about Thailand.

We wish you an unforgettable vacation to Thailand!

 

 

Teresa Martinez

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