Thailand

Thailand | What is the best travel period for Thailand?

Travel period Thailand
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Written by Thousand Travel Miles

Are you or would you like to go to Thailand? Super cool and definitely a good idea! It's just nice if you have good weather. Thailand, like many other Asian countries, has a tropical climate. This means it is humid but also warm all year round. The average temperature is around 30 degrees. However, there are some differences in the climate if you look at it from the north to the south. Below you can read all about the differences and discover the best travel period Thailand.


Discover the best travel period for Thailand

The best travel period for Thailand are the cooler months in the dry season. These are the months November to March. However, you can also tour Thailand just fine in the other months but should expect higher temperatures or a few rain showers.

travel period Thailand overview scaled

Best travel period Northern Thailand

The north of Thailand generally has a little less rain than the south. It can get incredibly hot during the day, but cool down nicely in the evening. Temperatures range between 25 and 35 degrees all year round, with peaks in March and April. The best travel period for northern Thailand is between November and March.

janFebMarAprMayJunjulAugSepOctNovDec
Average temperature323334353534333232323131
Rain / Precipitation (mm)71944912464404005553205541

Best travel period Central Thailand

The climate in central or also called Central Thailand is actually pretty much always the same. The temperature is slightly above 30 degrees and most rain falls in the Dutch summer months. You should then expect heavy but short rain showers at the end of the afternoon. The dry months are November to February. The best travel period for Central Thailand is between November and February.

janFebMarAprMayJunjulAugSepOctNovDec
Average temperature323334353535353432323231
Rain / Precipitation (mm)11294072189200250300320251459

Best travel period Southern Thailand

When looking at the best travel period for southern Thailand, it is useful to distinguish between the popular destinations in the Gulf of Thailand off the east coast (such as Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao) and the beaches and islands off the west coast of Thailand (such as Phuket, Krabi, Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta).

In the Gulf of Thailand, it often still rains well in the months of November and December. While the weather is lovely on Thailand's west coast.

janFebMarAprMayJunjulAugSepOctNovDec
Average temperature313132333535353432323231
Rain / Precipitation (mm)118514072100105118114112300407305

For the beaches and islands off Thailand's west coast, you're in the perfect place during the Dutch winter months! So it's a great destination to escape the cold.

janFebMarAprMayJunjulAugSepOctNovDec
Average temperature323334353535353432323231
Rain / Precipitation (mm)35294016930028525028832029920013

The best travel period for southern Thailand is between December and March.

Read also: 14x Great travel games for 2 people | For unforgettable moments!
Read also: Vaccinations Thailand | Complete overview with all vaccinations and inoculations

rainy season Thailand

What can I expect in the rainy season?

The rainy season in Thailand does not mean that it rains for whole days or weeks. Usually a lot of rain falls in a short period and then the sun shines. During these rainstorms, we recommend you take a break in a restaurant. So you can go out but you will have to plan your activities around the rains. Now this might not sound ideal but travelling in the rainy season has some advantages!

Advantages
- It is quieter. High season in Thailand coincides with the ideal travel period and weather conditions. So you can expect most tourists from November to February. In the rainy season, it is quieter in Thailand.
- It is cheaper. Fewer tourists means significantly lower prices for hotels and domestic flights.
- The grass is greener. Often the grass is not greener on the other side but during the rainy season, nature is a lot prettier in Thailand. Everything is green and the waterfalls are most spectacular then.

Cons
- It might also rain all day. We don't mind so much if it rains from time to time, because then we can add new tips & tricks to our blogs.
- Accommodations & restaurants closed. Fewer tourists also means that some restaurants and accommodation will temporarily close.

The perfect travel accessories in the rainy season

If you choose to go to Thailand in the rainy season, we recommend at least buying a good rain cover for your backpack or backpack. You can get it for a small amount of money and you will definitely thank us if you get caught in a tropical storm.

Extra nice! We have also developed our own Thousandtravelmiles flightbag for the backpackers among us. These are ideal if you are going on a longer trip and want to protect your backpack from water, dirt or curious fellow passengers!

Summary best travel period Thailand

Best travel period Thailand: November to March.
The best travel time to Thailand cannot be described in one sentence. Thailand is an elongated country so in this blog we distinguish between Northern, Central and Southern Thailand. The advantage of this is that you can visit Thailand all year round! 

Northern Thailand: November to March
*The rainy season is from May to September. 
*Please note that it can be very hot in the months of February, March and April.

Central Thailand: November to February. 
*The rainy season is from May to October.
*Despite the rainy season, you can still travel just fine in the months of May, June and July. 

Southern Thailand: December and March.
*The rainy season is of: May to November

General information on Thailand

Are you working on a travel plan for Thailand? Then check out our tips for vaccinations, Thai visa, daily budget and transport to and in Thailand.

Speaking of preparations, a Lonely Planet not missing. We like to discover everything ourselves or read about it on other blogs. Still, we always grab Lonely Planet for great restaurants and the lesser-known local markets. Besides, it just looks great on your bookshelf!

Don't you want to forget anything? Download our free packing lists here and travel prepared.

Thailand Bangkok streetlife

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