Weather in Thailand by Region
Map of Thailand
Before we go through Thailand seasons, let’s start with the big picture of Thailand Geography first. So you can easily understand the seasons differ in each region.
Thailand consists of 6 regions and 2 seas.
The picture shows the famous provinces/places (red dots) of the 6 regions.
- North (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai)
- Central (Bangkok)
- Northeast (Khao Yai)
- West (Kanchanaburi)
- East (Pattaya)
- South (Hua Hin, Phuket, Samui)
2 seas:
- Gulf of Thailand (East Coast)
- Andaman Sea (West Coast)
When is Thailand rainy season?
Thailand has three seasons: hot, cold and rainy. However, the exception is found in the Southern region. Because of the tropical monsoon impact, it only has two seasons: hot and rainy.
Furthermore, the weather pattern in Southern Thailand varies between the East Coast (Andaman Sea) and the West Coast (Gulf of Thailand) due to the monsoon effect. So, it’s hard to predict when it’s going to rain.
Some years the rainy season extends longer than usual, but some could finish early. So be prepared for a shower of rain and downpour when visiting the islands in the south.
The overall picture of a rainy season:
- North, Central, East, West, and Northeast of Thailand rain from mid-May to mid-October.
- South of Thailand
- East Coast showers in June – July and then it dry for two months and rains again in October – January.
- West Coast rains for six months in a row from May to October.
This is just a general guide to the seasons in Thailand throughout the year; it doesn’t yet go into details about the weather in Thailand’s islands which is different from the mainland.
Therefore, if you want to particularly focus on the weather of each island in Thailand that you plan to visit, this article “Best Time to visit Islands in Thailand” will clearly tell you the best time to travel to get the most enjoyable experiences.
And here is the 22 best islands location compiled on a Thailand map.
What is the best time to travel to Thailand?
If you ask Thais, we probably say the cold season is the best time to travel to Thailand, which is November – January. Because Thailand is very hot so we prefer the cold.
During this period, Thais expect dry and cold weather, so we’re likely to go for highlands in the North and Northeast. Chiang Mai is the most popular destination in the cold season.
However, that period is not the best time to visit Southern Thailand, especially on the East Coast like Ko Samui and Ko Phangan, because it’s a rainy season on the Gulf coast.
In conclusion, if you plan to stay in Thailand for several months and see many different parts of the country, the best time to visit Thailand with a low chance of rain is between February and April.
Note: Ko or Koh means island.