What is the best time to travel to Thailand?

Best Time to Travel to Thailand

Hi, this is Mr. Simon. if you are interested in traveling to Thailand then it is important to know what is the best time to travel to Thailand. Because so many travelers visit Thailand at the wrong time.

Firstly, if you have no idea when is the best month to travel to Thailand and need some guidance or information about the weather then I think you’ll want to continue reading.

The kingdom is full of attractions, including several night markets, thunderous waterfalls, cherry blossoms, and the rare dusting of frost, but to experience them for yourself, you must be in the right place at the right time. Here is how.

Thailand receives almost 11 million visitors per year. Most of them don’t know when to visit Thailand. They just visit Thailand at random times and miss so many beautiful events or natural beauty just for not having proper information. When I visited Thailand, the month was November last year. At that time, I had no idea and no research when I visited Thailand, and this was my and my wife’s first-ever tour in Thailand. Without any travel research and proper information, it was really tough to cover up all the attractive tourist places in our time. We visited Thailand for 5 nights and 6 days, which was a very short time to explore the beauty of Thailand.

Without any more side talks, Let’s get back to the point. We’ve divided our fruitful information for you into 5 sections to better understand the times or months you can choose easier than ever.

Here’s the breakdown of Thailand’s major vacation seasons:

High Season: November to March
Shoulder Seasons: April to June and the month of October
Low Season: July to September

Find out below the best times to visit Thailand before you reserve your island boat trip and jungle tree house.

1. The Best Times to Visit Thailand for Smaller/less Crowds

Monsoon season is a very low season for tourists in Thailand. Except for the Thai islands, which attract college students from Australia and Europe during their summer vacations, the damp and muggy weather keeps many tourists away from July to September. If you are visiting Thailand during this time then you will get cheaper accommodations, better access to restaurants, and lots of activities typically done by tourists. During this time, you can get more local experiences than other tourists who come to Thailand. But there are some limitations at the same time. Day-long rains may disturb you at the time of the tour which affects boat services and island access. Even some hotels will be closed during the off-season.

So, to avoid unexpected issues, and to get expert guidance, you can plan your trip with us if you’re considering a trip in the summer and you’ll feel luxurious.

2. The Best Times to Visit Thailand for a Very Good Weather

For the best weather, the dry season is the best time to visit Thailand, which runs from November to March in most of the nation. Sometimes it can persist until April or May. The most notable exception is the Lower Gulf, which includes the islands of Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, and Ko Tao and is rainiest from September to December. From November to February, is the coolest and comfortable weather on the Andaman coast with average temperatures in the 80s-90s. That means you will get a clear sky, blue water, and the coolest sea beach view of Thailand’s nature. If you come around Christmastime, then you will get the heaviest crowds of the year. If you plan to visit Thailand during this season then try to book plane tickets and accommodations 2-3 months in advance to ensure better availability. As we’ve visited Thailand already and introduced with many locals so you can get help from us for the best accommodations available in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and other best tourist attractions places in Thailand.

3. The Best Times to Visit Thailand for Lower Prices

Thailand is the most affordable country for tourists. As we traveled to Thailand in the peak time (November), so our couple’s tour cost was almost $5000 for only 5 nights and 6 days stay in Thailand. As we traveled the very simplest way, so the cost was so high for me. But we managed discounts on flights, accommodations, cheapest shopping places in Thailand. The most interesting part is, that we made huge savings on local tour packages in Pattaya and Phuket. If you want more savings then you must visit there during the low season, July to September, full of advantages for lower crowds and the tour package rates are cheaper than peak time. If you are looking for a trip to Thailand at a cheaper cost then try to visit during non-season.

4. The Best Times to Visit Thailand for Festivals

Thailand celebrates so many festivals and their celebration ways are so attractive and enjoyable. So every single tourist must experience at least one festival from so many. They celebrate everything from flowers and fruit to monkeys and elephants. Two of the most beloved are November’s lantern festivals: Yi Peng, during which participants release thousands of rice-paper lanterns into the sky, and Loy Krathong; when banana-leaf baskets are filled with flowers and flickering candles and launched over lakes, rivers, and canals. This scenery is just mind-blowing and memorable for every tourist. Chiang Mai is the Yi Peng epicenter, and Loy Krathong is celebrated across the country.

In January or February, it turns Bangkok’s Chinatown into a sea of dragons, lots of drummers, worshippers, and visitors, all converging under the glow of huge firecrackers and so many red lanterns. Yeah, I’m talking about The Lunar New Year celebrated by Thailand locals. You can also enjoy the Flower Festival in Chiang Mai. It’s a three-day celebration featuring a parade of elaborately decorated floats.

Mid-April, Songkran—also known as the Water Splashing Festival—herds in the Thai New Year with parades, celebrations, and performances all around. Songkran converts Thailand into “one big water fight,” Tydeman says. “It’s also the hottest month of the year, thus it’s a great justification to get wet.”

Celebrated in late September or early October, the Vegetarian Festival honors a nine-day meat feast in line with Taoist Nine Emperor Gods.

5. The Best Times to Visit Thailand for Scuba Diving, snorkeling and Island-hopping

You’re coming to Thailand and not experiencing the scuba Diving, snorkeling, and island-hopping is just unbelievable. Travelers from all around the globe visit Thailand to discover its well-known underwater sights and breathtaking marine parks. The East coast of Thailand is mostly dive-friendly all year around. If you have the plan to dive under Andaman seawater, say from the remarkable Similan and Surin Islands, time the trip between November and April, when the seas are calm and visibility is most clear. Remember too that Similan and Surin marine parks close from mid-May till mid-October.

Tydeman believes that the islands off the east coast, such as Ko Samui, are fantastic to visit in the summer; the islands off the west coast, like Phuket, are best visited in the winter. Time your bouncing between late October (when the rains stop) and May or June between Phuket, the Phi Phi Islands, Ko Lanta, and other Andaman isles. Conversely, between October and December Gulf of Thailand idylls Ko Samui, Ko Tao, and Ko Pha-ngan are at their rainiest and windiest.

The worst time to visit Thailand

Normally, there are no bad times to visit Thailand but these are some months I might avoid the Kingdom if I were you, either due to Thai celebrations or the likelihood that all of Europe (or Australia) will be on the same beach as you:

February (Heavy pollution in Bangkok)
Songkran (The rest of April is fine)
July (Several Buddhist holidays)
August and September (the rainiest months of the year)

Most people avoid traveling during the heaviest monsoons, which can disrupt public transportation and make exploring Thailand’s stunning natural sites wildly uncomfortable (if not impossible). Please do not forget to rent a motorbike or ride ferries during the wet season. If you’re averse to heavy rains and thick humidity on vacation, avoid planning a trip to Thailand in August and September.

Last but not least, if you have a good budget then I suggest people visit Thailand between November to February for a better experience as I have already. Or If you do not like crowds then non-season is the best time to visit Thailand.

We’re releasing a travel guide ebook “TripTips 2.0” which is totally in PDF format that can help you more. You can check it out here:

Requirements to Travel to Thailand

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