Seasonality
When to go where in Thailand
Thailand is not one season. It is at least two, running in opposite directions, and a month that is perfect on one coast can be the wettest of the year two hundred kilometres away. Below is the best window for every one of the 77 provinces, month by month.
The thing that catches almost everyone out
The Andaman coast — Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga — and the Gulf coast — Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao — have their good and bad months at roughly opposite times. It is why a trip planned around “the dry season in Thailand” can still land in rain.
Southern provinces in season in July
Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Yala
Southern provinces in season in November
Chumphon, Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket, Ranong, Satun
Two lists, barely any overlap. If your dates are fixed, let them choose the coast rather than picking the island first and hoping.
Month by month
Provinces listed are in their stated best months. Everywhere else is still open, still worth visiting, and often cheaper and emptier — being out of season describes comfort, not viability.
January
77 of 77 provinces in seasonNorth
Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kamphaeng Phet, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Uttaradit
Northeast
Amnat Charoen, Bueng Kan, Buriram, Chaiyaphum, Kalasin, Khon Kaen, Loei, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Yasothon
Central
Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Chai Nat, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Uthai Thani
West
Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ratchaburi
East
Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Prachin Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat
South
Chumphon, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phang Nga, Phatthalung, Phuket, Ranong, Satun, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Trang, Yala
February
56 of 77 provinces in seasonNorth
Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kamphaeng Phet, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Uttaradit
Central
Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Chai Nat, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Uthai Thani
West
Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ratchaburi
East
Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Prachin Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat
South
Chumphon, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phang Nga, Phatthalung, Phuket, Ranong, Satun, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Trang, Yala
March
20 of 77 provinces in seasonWest
Prachuap Khiri Khan
East
Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Prachin Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat
South
Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phang Nga, Phatthalung, Phuket, Ranong, Satun, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Trang, Yala
April
2 of 77 provinces in seasonSouth
Satun, Trang
May
0 of 77 provinces in seasonNo province lists this as a best month. It is the heart of the southwest monsoon over most of the country.
June
0 of 77 provinces in seasonNo province lists this as a best month. It is the heart of the southwest monsoon over most of the country.
July
7 of 77 provinces in seasonSouth
Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Yala
August
7 of 77 provinces in seasonSouth
Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Yala
September
2 of 77 provinces in seasonSouth
Phatthalung, Surat Thani
October
41 of 77 provinces in seasonNorth
Nan
Northeast
Amnat Charoen, Bueng Kan, Buriram, Chaiyaphum, Kalasin, Khon Kaen, Loei, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Yasothon
Central
Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Chai Nat, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Uthai Thani
West
Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi
November
69 of 77 provinces in seasonNorth
Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kamphaeng Phet, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Uttaradit
Northeast
Amnat Charoen, Bueng Kan, Buriram, Chaiyaphum, Kalasin, Khon Kaen, Loei, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Yasothon
Central
Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Chai Nat, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Uthai Thani
West
Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ratchaburi
East
Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Prachin Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat
South
Chumphon, Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket, Ranong, Satun
December
69 of 77 provinces in seasonNorth
Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kamphaeng Phet, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Uttaradit
Northeast
Amnat Charoen, Bueng Kan, Buriram, Chaiyaphum, Kalasin, Khon Kaen, Loei, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Yasothon
Central
Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Chai Nat, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Uthai Thani
West
Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ratchaburi
East
Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Prachin Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat
South
Chumphon, Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket, Ranong, Satun
Provinces that share a season
Across all 77 provinces there are only 9 distinct seasonal patterns. If you know one province works for your dates, everything in the same row does too — which is the quickest way to find an alternative when somewhere is full or overpriced.
21 provinces: Amnat Charoen, Bueng Kan, Buriram, Chaiyaphum, Kalasin, Khon Kaen, Loei, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nan, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Yasothon
20 provinces: Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Chai Nat, Kanchanaburi, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Ratchaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Uthai Thani
16 provinces: Bangkok, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chumphon, Kamphaeng Phet, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Uttaradit
10 provinces: Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat
5 provinces: Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, Yala
2 provinces: Phatthalung, Surat Thani
1 province: Ranong
1 province: Satun
1 province: Trang
What this does and does not tell you
- •Best months are a judgement about typical weather, not a forecast. They describe an average year, and any given year can ignore the average entirely.
- •Out of season is not closed. It usually means afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain, and it comes with lower prices and far fewer people.
- •This page says nothing about crowds or price, which move on a different calendar entirely — late December is peak dry season on the Andaman coast and also the most expensive and most crowded week of the year.
- •Some provinces are large enough to contain more than one climate, so a single row flattens real differences within them.
Once your dates are closer
Seasonality is the long view. A few days before you travel, live conditions matter more than the average year.