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Climate - Thailand


Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine

Flag - Thailand

Map - Thailand

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Index


  • Introduction
  • 1- North - Lampang
  • 2- Bangkok and surrounding areas - Pattaya
  • 3- The rainy coast
  • 4,5 - Peninsular Thailand - Ko Samui, Phuket
  • 6- Mountains
  • Cyclones
  • El Niño and La Niña

Introduction



The climate of Thailand is tropical, with three distinct seasons:
- a hot season from March to mid-May;
- a rainy season due to the southwest monsoon, which generally runs from mid-May to October;
- a dry and relatively cool season from November to February, when the north-east monsoon, coming from the Asian continent, prevails. However, the relatively cool season is felt in the north and in inland areas, while on the coasts and in the south it's hot even in winter.

In the southern peninsular region, where beaches and renowned resorts are found, the rainy season has a different pattern than in the continent, which will be discussed later.
The map below shows the climate zones of Thailand, based mainly on the rain pattern.

Thailand - climatic zones

1- The north



Thailand - inland plains

In the northern inland plains, and in the valleys of the north-western hilly area, the climate is hot for most of the year, except in winter, when it's sunny during the day but a bit cool at night, especially in December and January (and a little less in February), when night-time temperatures drop to around 16/17 °C (61/63 °F) in the center and to 14/15 °C (57/59 °F) in the north.

Lampang

When cold air masses arrive from China, in northern cities such as Chiang Mai, Lampang and Udon Thani, in December and January the night temperature can drop to around 5 °C (41 °F) and in some cases even below. However, by February the daytime temperature begins to rise, and often reaches 34/35 °C (93/95 °F), and then between March and May it rises up to 36/38 °C (97/100 °F), with peaks above 40 °C (104 °F).
In Lampang, a city located in the north-west at 240 meters (790 feet) above sea level, the highest record is 43.5 °C (110.5 °F), set in April 2016. Here are the average temperatures.
Lampang - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January153223.5598974.3
February173525.6629478.1
March203728.6689983.5
April233830.87410187.4
May243630.1769786.1
June243429.4769484.9
July243428.8759283.9
August243328.4759183.2
September243328.3749283
October223327.4729181.4
November193225.6669078.1
December163123.3618774
Year21.133.927.4569.993.181.5

The monsoon rains in Lampang go to mid-May to mid October. Annual precipitation in the plains and valleys of the north is between 1,000 and 1,500 millimeters (40 and 60 inches), with a similar pattern: scarce and rare rains from mid-November to April and heavy rains during the monsoon period, with a peak in the first part (May) and in the final one (August and September). Here is the average precipitation in Lampang.
Lampang - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January30.11
February90.31
March2513
April652.67
May1606.315
June1204.715
July1355.317
August1857.318
September2108.318
October1003.911
November301.24
December70.31
Year104541.1112

The amount of sunshine in Lampang is very good in the dry season, from December to April, when clear skies prevail, while it's not high in the monsoon period, from June to September, when there are several cloudy periods.
Lampang - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January9275
February9260
March9.5295
April8245
May6.5200
June5155
July4120
August4120
September5145
October6185
November7215
December8255
Year6.72460

The best time in this area corresponds to the months of December and January, since it often happens that in February the heat is already intense, especially in the south-central part of the plain.

2- Bangkok and surrounding areas



Thailand - Bangkok and surrounding areas

In the southernmost part of the plain, the climate is similar, but winter is warmer, and cool periods are very rare and less pronounced. Here too, the hottest time of the year runs from late February to mid-May, before the monsoon. Here are the average temperatures in Bangkok, the capital.
Bangkok - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January233328749182.4
February253429.2779384.6
March263530.5799486.9
April273631.5819688.7
May273531809587.8
June263430.2809386.4
July263429.8799285.6
August263329.6799285.3
September253329.3789284.7
October253329779184.3
November253328.9769284
December233227.7749081.9
Year25.433.729.577.892.785

Throughout the year, 1,650 mm (65 in) of rain fall. The wettest months are at the beginning and the end of the monsoon, namely May, September and October. Here is the average precipitation.
Bangkok - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January130.52
February200.82
March401.64
April903.57
May2509.816
June1556.116
July1756.917
August2208.720
September33513.221
October29011.418
November5026
December60.21
Year165065130

The best time in Bangkok is from December to mid-February, since it is the least hot and outside of the rainy season.

Pattaya

South-east of Bangkok, Pattaya has a climate similar to that of the capital, but it is located in a stretch of coast (which goes down to Sattahip) relatively sheltered from the summer rains: from June to August, an average of about 100 mm (4 in) of rain falls per month.
Here is the average precipitation.
Pattaya - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January150.62
February140.62
March552.24
April652.66
May1505.912
June1204.712
July953.712
August1003.913
September2058.117
October2158.517
November702.86
December80.31
Year111043.7106

Of course, we are still in a hot and muggy season, when there's not much sun, and sometimes tropical storms and typhoons can affect the area (see below), in short, the weather from June to August is not so inviting, but if you are lucky it may be acceptable. The rainiest months in Pattaya are May, September and October, that is, the beginning and the end of the rainy season. The best time here is from December to February, with March and April still dry and sunny, but a bit hot (though not as hot as in the interior).
Here are the average temperatures.
Pattaya - Average temperatures (1981-2010)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January233126.8738780.2
February243127.8768882
March253228.6788983.5
April263329.6799185.3
May263229.4809084.9
June263229798984.2
July263128.7798983.7
August263128.6798883.5
September253128.1778882.6
October243127.6768781.7
November243027.1758780.8
December223026.2728679.2
Year2531.328.0576.988.382.5

The coastal stretch to the south-west of Bangkok, down to Ao Noi, is quite sheltered as well, in fact the rainfall in summer is not copious, and the total annual precipitation is about 1,000/1,200 mm (40/47 in).

3- The rainy coast



Thailand - southeast coast

South-east of Pattaya, starting from Rayong, the summer rains are more abundant, and they are plentiful in the easternmost portion (see Chanthaburi, Trat, Koh Chang), where summer is definitely not recommended. In Rayong, 1,700 mm (67 in) of rain fall per year, and in Koh Samet 1,340 mm (53 in), while in Chanthaburi, precipitation reaches as high as 2,800 mm (110 in), and in Trat up to 3,500 mm (138 in).
However, here too the winter is dry and sunny, and here too the best time is from December to February; in March and April, it's warmer, but the weather is sunny, despite the first short pre-monsoon showers.

4,5 - Peninsular Thailand



In Peninsular Thailand, the climate is hot all year round. The increase in temperature between March and May is not as intense as in the continental region, so these months are only slightly warmer than the rest of the year: highs are around 33/34 °C (91/93 °F) instead of 31/32 °C (88/90 °F), although sometimes it can get very hot here as well. Additionally, in the peninsular area, the rainy season occurs at different times depending on the side. Let's see when.

Thailand - east coast

Along the east coast, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam), from Chumphon to the border with Malaysia, the summer monsoon is not felt in a particularly intense way, so much so that in summer, which is considered high season, the area is frequented by many tourists. On the contrary, the so-called retreating monsoon, in the early months (October to December), when the sea is still warm and able to provide energy and moisture, brings heavy rainfall, sometimes torrential.

Ko Samui

Here is the average precipitation in Ko Samui, an island located in the Gulf of Thailand. As you can see, in summer the rains are quite frequent but on the whole they are not abundant, while they become definitely abundant in October and November.
Ko Samui - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January853.311
February552.26
March803.16
April853.39
May1556.116
June1254.914
July1154.514
August1104.315
September1204.716
October31012.220
November50519.919
December2108.314
Year196077.2159

Sometimes the rains continue until the beginning or the middle of January, so in this area, which also includes Pattani and Songkhla, the best time is from the middle or the end of January to April (with a preference for February, since here too March and April are a bit hot).
Here are the average temperatures in Ko Samui.
Ko Samui - Average temperatures (1981-2010)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January242926.6768479.9
February252927.2778581
March263128.1788782.6
April263229799084.3
May263329.2789184.5
June263229789084.2
July253228.6779083.6
August253228.6779083.6
September253228.2778982.8
October243027.4768781.3
November243026.8758580.3
December242926.6758579.8
Year253127.976.987.782

Despite the different rainfall pattern, the (relatively) cloudiest season is June-October on the east coast as well, although there's not much more sun even from November to January.
Ko Samui - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January6.5200
February7.5215
March7.5240
April6.5200
May6190
June5150
July5155
August5150
September5145
October4.5145
November6175
December5.5175
Year5.92140

In Ko Samui, and in general in Thailand, the sea is warm all year round, as you can see from the water temperature near Ko Samui.
Ko Samui - Sea temperature
MonthCelsius (°C)Fahrenheit (°F)
January2882
February2883
March2984
April3086
May3086
June3086
July3085
August2985
September2984
October2984
November2984
December2883
Year29.284.5

Thailand - coast of the Andaman Sea

Along the west coast, overlooking the Andaman Sea (see the Similan Islands, Phuket, Krabi, the Phi Phi Islands, Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe), summer is very rainy, since the monsoon hits the coast directly from the sea, while there's little rain from December to March.
In addition, during the summer monsoon the sea can be rough, and reaching the islands by boat can be difficult.

Phuket

Here is the average precipitation in Phuket: as you can see, from December to March, rainfall drops below 100 mm (4 in) per month.
Phuket - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January351.44
February401.63
March7536
April1254.915
May29511.619
June26510.419
July2158.517
August2459.617
September32512.819
October31512.419
November1957.714
December803.18
Year221087160

Here are the average temperatures in Phuket. As you can see, the temperatures in winter are a little higher than on the east side, because the winds blow from the mainland (or rather, from the interior of the peninsula).
Phuket - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January233327.7739181.9
February233428.4739383.1
March233428.9749484
April243429759384.3
May243328.6769183.4
June243228.2769082.8
July243228.1768982.6
August243228768982.3
September243127.6758981.7
October233227.5748981.5
November233227.6749081.8
December233227.4738981.3
Year23.632.52874.690.582.5

The amount of sunshine on the west coast is quite limited in the May-October period, while the sun often shines from January to March.
Phuket - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January7.5235
February7.5215
March6.5205
April6185
May5150
June5150
July5150
August5150
September3.5110
October4.5145
November6175
December6.5200
Year5.72070

So, on the western side the best time is from late December to March; in April, pre-monsoon showers are more frequent than elsewhere.
Phuket

6 - Mountains



Thailand - mountainous areas

In the western part of Thailand, along the border with Burma, and in the north along the border with Laos, there are mountain ranges, with peaks exceeding 2,000 meters (6,500 feet). Above 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), the climate is cool in winter, with mild days and cold nights, and comfortably warm in the rest of the year. In mountainous areas, the monsoon rains are generally more intense, and even in the period before the monsoon, some showers may occur in the afternoon, so this area is usually covered by rainforests. In the valleys between the mountains, major rivers such as the Mekong and the Salween flow, which afterwards reach the plain.

Cyclones



Let us talk now about tropical cyclones. Cyclones coming from the Pacific Ocean, known as typhoons, follow a trajectory from east to west: when they pass to the north, they affect the continental part of Thailand after releasing the bulk of energy over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, however, they can still bring heavy rains. When they follow a more southern trajectory, they can affect more directly the peninsular part of Thailand. They generally affect Thailand from June to December, although they are more frequent from September to November.
On the other hand, cyclones coming from the Indian Ocean, follow a trajectory from east to west, or from south to north, and affect the Andaman Sea in the early stages of their formation, or they can hit the continental part of Thailand after having affected in a more direct way Burma (or Myanmar). They are rarer than typhoons, and are formed more easily between April and December, with two peaks at the beginning and at the end of the period (April-June and October-December). However, given the warm sea, they can in theory form all year round, especially in the southern part.
In general, Thailand is not hit as hard as other countries of Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines or Vietnam. In particular, Peninsular Thailand is located in an area fairly sheltered from tropical cyclones, and in recent decades it has been directly affected only from mid-October to around December 20 (but in 2019 a tropical storm, Pabuk, affected the area in early January). However, a typhoon that hit this area in a particularly hard way was Gay, which affected the Gulf of Thailand in early November 1989; another one was Forrest in mid-November 1992.
If it were not for the risk of cyclones, November would already be a good month in many parts of the country.

Cyclones and typhoons in Thailand

El Niño and La Niña



The climate of Thailand is affected by the cycle, called ENSO, that includes the periods of El Niño and La Niña.
In particular, during El Niño years, the December-February period is drier than normal in the part of Peninsular Thailand exposed to the rains (the eastern one), while the rest of the country, which in this period is normally dry, becomes hotter than normal.
On the contrary, in La Niña years, the December-February period may be rainier in Peninsular Thailand, even in areas that are normally dry. For example, in January 2012, a weak La Niña year, 325 mm (12.8 in) of rain fell in Ko Samui (which, however, is on the east side, which in this period is still quite rainy), and up to 475 mm (18.7 in) in Krabi. In March 2011, a moderate La Niña year, things got much worse, in fact there were floods in the south of the country: 435 mm (17.1 in) fell in Krabi, of which 185 mm (7.3 in) fell in a single day, 230 mm (9 in) in Ko Lanta, 375 mm (14.8 in) in Phuket, 560 mm (22 in) in Songkhla, 785 mm (31 in) in Surat Thani, and up to 1,135 mm (44.7 in) in Ko Samui! Especially in the last two weeks of the month, the rains occurred almost daily, and some tourist resorts were closed. In January too, however, it had rained enough: 135 mm (5.3 in) in Krabi and 290 mm (11.4 in) in Ko Samui.

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