In the winter? during the hot season? Or maybe even during the holiday season? In the vast majority of cases, the response is… Always!
When is the best time to travel to Thailand?
This is one of the questions asked most often. When you are able to is always the response that I provide. The vast majority of us are completely powerless to choose when we travel because we are dependent on time off from work or the school holidays for our children. However, this post is intended for those of you who have the ability to choose when you travel or who are interested in delving a little deeper into the weather in Thailand and becoming familiar with what to anticipate during each season.
Winter is the best time to go on vacation!
There is no question that the winter, which begins in November and continues until March, is the ideal season to travel. This is the “cool” season (since in life, everything is subjective…), with temperatures averaging between 20 and 25 degrees, moderate humidity, and very little precipitation. There is no necessity to bring long clothing with you, with the possible exception of one warm shirt to bring with you to the high peaks in the north, where the temperature will be a little bit lower. Dressing in shorts and sandals will bring about the desired results in a significant manner. A further benefit of the winter season is that, contrary to popular belief, you won’t run into very many tourists in Thailand. This is due to the fact that there are no holidays celebrated anywhere in the world during this time, with the exception of the time period that begins before Christmas and continues on until after New Year’s, which is when the demand is at its highest and the prices for video games skyrocket. I shall discuss how the islands in the Gulf of Thailand respond differently to the rainy season at the conclusion of this piece. These islands are located in the Gulf of Thailand.
Christmas or New Year’s vacations
This is the best time to go sightseeing in Thailand! No more rain is falling on the islands, and it is no longer too hot to spend time outdoors. The northern regions are flourishing, and there have been no fires (the burning season will start a little bit later).
The beginning of the Burning Season in Chiang Mai has not been given a specific date yet. Dates might be different depending on where you are. You will first experience the heat in January, and then in February, the heat and pollution will become more uncomfortable for you. When the temperature reaches an all-time high in March, and visibility begins to decrease as a result of the haze, things will begin to go from bad to worse. Avoid traveling to Chiang Mai in the month of March if you value your health and want to steer clear of the hazardous air there. And if it rains, you could be in luck since farmers postpone the burning if it rains in February, although this happens very seldom. If it does rain, however, you might be in luck.
When exactly does Chiang Mai’s Burning Season come to an end?
In the same way that there is no official date for the season to begin, there is also no official date for the season to conclude. Midway through April, just in time for the water celebration celebrating the Thai New Year, the heat begins to subside. At the time of the water festival, the normally calm and quiet city of Chiang Mai transforms into a party destination, and hundreds of visitors can be seen tossing water balloons on the streets.
“We are only able to go on vacation in September when our kids go to school…”
Know that this will occur during the rainy season, which begins at the beginning of July and continues until the end of October. It is the time of year when the southwest monsoon winds blow in from the direction of the Indian Ocean, bringing precipitation with them. The humidity is quite high, but it is broken up by the showers, and the volume of precipitation is high. The average temperature throughout the nation is around 28 degrees, and the humidity is very high. It rains an average of around 200 millimeters per month in July and August, although the quantity may reach up to 400 millimeters in September and October (which is the amount of precipitation in Israel in a whole year). These are the two months in Thailand that get the most rainfall. Keep in mind that the quantity of precipitation that may fall on Koh Chang during the summer months can reach over 1000 millimeters, thus it is best to avoid the island during the months of summer and autumn.
Even though it rains more during the summer, it is still the most traveled season due of the abundance of time off that is available during this time of year. The rains often begin in the afternoon with little warning and disappear within an hour as if they had never occurred. After a few minutes, everything is dry again after it seems as if they were never there. On the other hand, there are quite a few instances of consecutively wet days without a break, which may entirely ruin the journey, and there can be days in which it is absolutely dry. When it rains, it is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy activities that are closed, such as getting a massage, going to a café, or going shopping. Additionally, taking a swim in the ocean or a pool when it is raining may be a fun experience, particularly for youngsters. Keep in mind that it is constantly warm.
And what happens as the temperature rises?
During this time of year, traveling is something that should be avoided unless there is absolutely no other option… The beginning of April marks the beginning of the hot season, which lasts all the way until the end of June. Temperatures throughout the nation hover around 30 degrees Fahrenheit on average, while the humidity is quite high and may reach levels more than 90%. As the name of this climate suggests, it is extremely warm. Because of both the heat and the humidity, staying there may be rather difficult. The journey is going to be challenging for you for a number of reasons, including the heat and the humidity, as well as the dry waterfalls and the burned rice fields that you will find in the north. Because Passover is just on the cusp between the cold season and the warm season, traveling at this time is a game of chance due to the fact that the temperature may be anything.
There is also a significant disparity in the amount of precipitation that falls on the islands that are located in the Andaman Sea and those that are located in the Gulf of Thailand.
The islands in the Gulf of Thailand, which include Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao, get far less precipitation than the islands and beaches of the Andaman Sea, which receive significantly more rain (Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, Khao Lak and more). The chart makes it quite clear that during the winter months, it is preferable to be on the Koh Samui side of the island, but during the summer months, it is preferable to be on the Phuket side. The difficulty is that the proprietors of the hotels are aware of this as well, and they have adjusted their pricing appropriately…
So if your question is: When should I go on my vacation to Thailand?
The answer is: Whenever you have the time!
