When is the Rainy Season in Thailand. Thailand Weather

First of all, I have a wish to write here in big letters that the rainy season is not what you need to be afraid of when planning a trip to Thailand. It is the hot season that can be really terrible in Thailand.

Weather in Thailand: When is the Best Time to Come Here

Sunny season, when it does not rain and it is not very hot: January-February and July-August. During this period of time, it is good at Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, in Pattaya, Koh Chang and in the north of Thailand (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai.)

From October to May, it is good at Phuket, Phi-Phi, Krabi, Khao Lak.

The rainiest months on a bigger part of the Thailand territory: October and November. On Phuket – from May till September. But, heat is worse.

The hottest months in Thailand: April-June. It may not be as obvious on Samui and Phuket, but it is very hot in Bangkok, Pattaya, Koh Chang and the north of Thailand in April and May.

“Very hot” means that you don’t have a wish to stay in the street for more than 5 minutes during the daytime, and you have to stay inside a bigger part of the daylight hours under a conditioner or go to supermarkets for a walk.

More Details about the Rainy Season in Different Parts of Thailand

Thailand is a big country, and the rainy season is different everywhere. Let’s look at where and when it rains here.

Rainy Season and Weather in Bangkok

In Bankok, the rainy season lasts from September to November. During this time, there may be floods, but as a rule, they do not concern tourists. Floods are, first of all, very frightening for local residents who live in the outskirts of Bangkok.

Therefore, you can visit Bangkok any time you wish, except during the season of heat, which lasts from April to June. It is very difficult to walk in the city during this period, and the rainy season will seem a long-desired miracle.)

Rainy Season and Weather in Pattaya

In Pattaya, the weather is good all the year round. The rainy season is officially in September and October, but, as a rule, it means that the sun appears on the sky not as often as during other seasons. But you can walk as much as you want, and hide under building roofs during short tropical rains.
In December-January, the weather is ‘cooler’ and more comfortable in Pattaya; in April it is too hot.

There are no serious floods in Pattaya.

Rainy Season and Weather in Samui, Pangan, Koh Tao

The rainy season in Samui lasts from November through December (as tourists think) or in August (as the Thai say.) I think both tourists and Thais are right, but the rainy season here is not very bad; there are just some rains, but they can happen any time of the year. One time, I saw a serious flood on Samui, and it was in March, when there should be no rains at all.

You can see a real flood on Samui here.

And here you can see a part of a “dry road” on Samui, when it rains without a break for just a day (it is not possible to go any further; bikes, cars float, some houses in low-lying sites are flooded):

Summer, when there are almost no either tourists or rains, is a good season in Samui.

Weather in Phuket, Phi-Phi, Khao Lak, Krabi

In Phuket and Krabi, it rains most from May to October. There are big waves and wind on the sea.

You can see how Phuket looks in different times of the year and at present at samui.life via web cameras online or having watched records from web cameras in the form of timelapses.

Rainy Season and Weather in the North of Thailand

In Chiang Mae, the weather is good all the year round, but in March-May they usually have forest fires, and it is very-very hot.

In December-January, it is cool in the north of Thailand, sometimes even very cool. You will need warm clothes, and the Thai are glad to get hats and jackets out of their closets.

Amount of Precipitations in Thailand in Numbers

You can see the amount of precipitations in Thailand in this Table:

More Detail about Seasons and what is Heat in Thailand

In Thailand, three seasons can be distinguished:

rainy season (June-November),
cool season (October-February) and
hot season (March-May).

During the hot season, the temperature may go up to 40C. It is really hot, and I, for example, prefer to live during this time in a house on the seashore (it is cooler here; further on, it is stuffy.)
The rainy season does not at all mean unstoppable showers and floods; just the sky is overcast, it sometimes rains, and the prices become smaller. During the rainy season, the sun is shining, and the days can be fully sunny.

The cool season is also hot, but not as hot as during the season of heat. As for floods, as we have already seen, they may happen in any season.

See the Weather in Thailand Online Via Web Cameras

You can see how Samui, Phuket and Pattaya look in different seasons and at the present moment at samui.life via web cameras in real time or having watched records from web cameras in the form of timelapses.

The beach on Koh Samui during good weather: