The Best Season to Visit Thailand

Thailand

Thailand is a land of luxury tropical escapes, a place where sea and land are both stunning and part of every beach lover's bucket list. There's much to see and do in Thailand at any time of the year, as places like Bangkok are always vibrant no matter the weather.

Weather-wise, the best time to visit Thailand is from December to February, during the cool season. There's little rain, the humidity goes down and temperatures are in the upper 20s, rather than the usual mid-30s. You will have to deal with tourists, however, as this is the Europeans' favorite time to visit Thailand.

Best Season to Visit Thailand

Thailand has three official seasons: hot, cool, and wet. With just a few exceptions in certain areas of the country, the seasons are well defined, and the weather is exactly as you would expect within each season. This makes it easier to plan a trip based on your needs, whether that means lots of sun, lower prices, or just the perfect timing for diving and snorkeling.

Hot Season

Temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius during this season (which runs March to June), making this a difficult time to do anything except jump into the water. This means the hot season is a great time to snorkel, swim, or even kayak (with breaks for a swim) but sunbathing, jungle trekking, or anything that requires spending a lot of time on land will be quite unbearable. April is the hottest month but also the month with one of the biggest festivals in Thailand–Songkran, the Thai New Year, is celebrated for a period of three days in mid-April.

Wet Season

The Monsoon rains arrive in most of the country around June and last until October, with slight variations. For example, in Phuket, the rainy season runs from May through October while Krabi sees most of its rain between May and November. In most of the country, September and October are the wettest months, when the humidity is high, rains can be torrential, and floods can happen not only in the countryside but even in Bangkok.

If you arrive earlier in the season, however, you'll probably only see rain in the form of short and heavy afternoon showers, where you can head indoors for a few hours without much disruption. Rainy season can feel very hot, as the daily rains cause an increase in humidity, and it sometimes feels as if temperatures are in the 40s. On the plus side, this is a great time to travel if you're after discounts and deals, as both hotels and flights are cheaper during the wet season.

Cool Season

The cool season runs from November to February in most of the country (till March in Krabi and till April in Phuket), and it's the most popular time for international visitors to make their way to Thailand–which translates to big crowds everywhere and higher prices. Temperatures during this time average around 28-30 degrees Celsius, and humidity drops down to 70-80 percent, which feels like quite a relief compared to the rest of the year.

Hotels in Thailand

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