Best Times for Travel to Thailand

The overall best time to plan your holiday to Thailand is between November and early April, when the weather is just about perfect. 

Although Thailand has several different regions, it’s best to avoid the months from May to October. The rainy season is technically from July to October, but monsoons and storms can pop up and delay or even ruin your trip as early as May. 

Note that temperatures in Thailand reach their peak between April and May, sometimes exceeding 40C (104F), so if you’re not a fan of the heat, be sure to avoid those months.

Central & Eastern Thailand
These regions have extreme summer temperatures, typically in the mid-’90s during the hottest months of February through April. In the winter months, the temperatures are still relatively warm, settling around the high 70’s to the mid-’80s. The rainy season begins around May in this region and goes through October. The rain is frequent but only in short bursts where the humidity relieves itself for an hour.

Northern Thailand
Both the North and Northeast regions have relatively similar seasons. The winters here are significantly cooler due to the higher elevations. Temperatures in winter may even get down to freezing levels on occasion. Spring is a great time to visit these areas, as flowers are in bloom and the weather is dry and cool.

Southern Thailand
The seasons in the south are less distinct than other parts of the country. Two seasons exist, summer and rainy season. The south is divided into two distinct coastal areas: one lying to the East, which includes the Gulf of Thailand, and the other lying to the West of the Thai peninsula, including the Andaman Sea. Visiting the western areas of Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi is usually best mid-November through April.  This allows travelers to avoid the monsoons that occur during other months. Monsoons tend to make visiting islands by boat dangerous and susceptible to last-minute cancellations by operators. Visiting the Gulf of Thailand regions of Koh Samui and Hat Yai is best done from December to June. However, this region can also visit during the rest of the year so long as short afternoon showers are a welcome occurrence. The monsoons in this region are not as severe or likely to cancel the day's activities in the Andaman Sea region.

Songkran Festival
Songkran is the celebration of the New Year according to the Thai calendar. It officially starts on April 13 and lasts for three days. Leading up to the holiday, it becomes quite common to splash people with water and toss a colored powder on them. Local monks and family members are honored, and huge water fights break out in the streets. Travelers should carry a cell phone and other cameras in watertight baggies to ensure nothing gets wet.  Please keep in mind that even as a tourist, it is pretty inevitable that you will get wet during Songkran!