When is the best time to visit Thailand?

You can visit Thailand all year round and delve into the country’s exciting culture and history ranging right from temple visits to tuk tuk rides or Thai food experiences.

But when is the best time to go to Thailand?

In this blog post, you will find our guide to the best time to visit Thailand – and five reasons why you should travel in other periods.

When is the best time to travel to the different regions

For many, it is best to visit Thailand during the periods when the weather is ‘best’, which, for most people, is when it rains the least. In Thailand, this is during the ‘cold period’, or the dry season, when the weather is warm (although cooler than in other months) and there is very little rainfall. (You can read more about all seasons and the weather in Thailand month by month here.)

However, Thailand is a very large country, stretching over 1,650 km from north to south and almost 800 km from west to east, which means that the weather and seasons may vary from north to south.

So when is the best time to visit the different parts of Thailand? And are there any advantages of travelling outside the dry seasons?

Below you will find our guide to when it is best to travel.

Please note that you can travel to Thailand all year round. The guide below is based on the general view of when it is best to travel.

When is the best time to go to … Northern Thailand?

It is best to visit Northern Thailand between November and February, when the weather is pleasant and dry.

The dry weather in the cold season is favourable for hiking in, for example, Doi Inthanon National Park, where the paths will be more easily accessible than during periods with more rainfall. It is also a good time to explore the many sights of Chiang Mai, the cultural capital of Northern Thailand, and if you are dreaming of doing the Mae Hong Son loop by car, the weather is also pleasant and clear, making it ideal for enjoying the stunning views from the many vantage points.

When is the best time to go to… Bangkok and Central Thailand?

It is best to visit Bangkok and Central Thailand between November and February.

It is the cold period (dry season) in these months in Bangkok and Central Thailand, for example the historic town of Sukhothai, the beautiful Khao Yai National Park and islands such as Koh Samet, Koh Kood and Koh Chang). The temperatures are pleasant and not as intense, and there is very little rainfall, which, for many people, is ideal for sightseeing, hiking in national parks or island hopping as well as for enjoying a beach holiday.

When is the best time to go to … Khao Sok National Park?

Khao Sok is one of the exceptions to the best time to travel being during the dry season.

Because, yes, the dry season between December and March is a good time to travel if you want to experience the amazing wildlife or go hiking. The animals are easier to spot when they cannot hide, but instead gather at the fewer water sources, and the paths become easier to walk on when they are dry.

But if you want to experience the national park at its most beautiful, it is better to travel during the rainy season from April to November, and perhaps especially in the second half of the period, when there has been continuous rainfall in the national park for a couple of months. The rain helps breathe life into nature, which becomes greener and lusher, and it also contributes to raising the water level in waterfalls and rivers. However, hiking can become a muddy pleasure, and, in some cases, the hikes cannot be completed.

When is the best time to go to … the islands in Southern Thailand?

The vast majority of the islands generally offer a unique beach holiday throughout the year! However, many people also prefer to visit these islands during the dry seasons.

The best time depends on which coast and which of the many Thai islands you are dreaming of visiting. Because Southern Thailand does not have a dry season at the same time in the entire region.

On the west coast of Southern Thailand, where you will, for example, find Phuket, Krabi and Koh Yao Yai, the dry season is from December to March, and your beach holiday will be characterised by lovely warm weather with only little rainfall.

On the east coast of Southern Thailand, where you will, for example, find Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, the dry season is from January to September.

When is the best time to go to … Thailand?

The best and most popular time to visit Thailand is from November to February, when it is dry season in most of the country. Both in Northern and Central Thailand, as well as on the islands on the west coast of Southern Thailand, it is dry season with pleasantly warm weather and many hours of sunshine.

The months are very popular, and you may experience that there are many visitors during these months. For some travellers, it may therefore be an advantage to visit Thailand outside the dry season, when it is typically low season.

Five reasons why you should travel in the low season

The ‘best’ time is, of course, a broad concept. There is, in fact, no decidedly bad time to visit Thailand. It all depends on your personal taste.

Here are five advantages of travelling outside what is usually regarded as the best time – that is during the low season.

1) You still get nice weather: Even if you are travelling outside the dry season (and possibly avoid the months in which it rains the most), you are likely to have good weather. Rain will most often come as short, but intense, showers that are replaced by sunshine and good weather. In fact, the rain helps lower the humidity, which can become very high in some months.

2) The sights are less crowded: When there are fewer travellers, there are also fewer visitors at sights such as the Grand Palace in Bangkok and on the beautiful Thai islands. On some islands, you may even find that you have the beach all to yourself.

3) It is cheaper: When you travel in the low season, the price of your tour will typically be lower. In our experience, it is cheapest to travel in May-June and again in September-October. Although the months of July and August are also in the rainy season, demand, and consequently also prices, increase during the summer holidays.

4) The natural surroundings are more beautiful: Water breathes life into the landscapes, and where the vegetation in some places becomes colourless when it does not rain, the landscapes become greener and lusher when it does. The rain also fills rivers, which is ideal if you are going canoeing, and waterfalls, which appear dramatic and even more beautiful.

5) It is good for the local communities: When we travel throughout the year, instead of concentrating our travel activities around a few months, this eases the pressure on the travel destination, and the locals’ income is spread over a longer period. This results in employment throughout the year rather than just for a few months, and it provides better economic stability because the locals are not dependent on the income earned from a few months, but instead receive income throughout the year.

So when should you go?

Thailand can be experienced throughout the year, and the different seasons each offer their own special charm.

Regardless of when you choose to travel and what you want to experience, Thailand offers great travel experiences and memories for life. We therefore recommend that you travel at the time of year that best suits precisely your travel wishes. And remember that while it may not be the ‘best’ time in the traditional sense, there are plenty of good reasons to travel outside the most popular periods.

If you are still in doubt, our travel specialists are ready to help you find just the right time for you.

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller